Am I A Negative Person?
Yes, you are. Like the rest of us!
We have a predisposition to focus on the negativity rather than on the positivity, this is known as “Negativity Bias” (Vaish et al., 2008). Various studies have established the idea that this is due to the adaptive function of the human being (Carpaccio and Bernston, 1999). The emotional relationships of human beings have a biological basis that we partially shared with other animals. We must take into consideration that thousands of years ago humanity was exposed to many environmental threats and therefore, perceiving and analysing potentially dangerous stimulies, was more important to ensure the survival of the species.
The brain activates more with negative events.
Although the dangers are not the same nowadays as those faced by our ancestors, the human brain continues to use the same resources to face the challenges that life presents us with.
What does this mean for our biology?
These negative emotions arouse the amygdala, which is a brain structure related to the physiological response known as "Fight or Flight", which appears upon the perception of damage or threat to survival.
What does “Negativity Bias” looks like nowadays?
We focus more on criticisms than compliments.
We react more negatively to negative stimulus than the positive ones.
We tend to ruminate constantly about negative events
What can i do to change this?
Start by thinking about the role of the mind. As it is responsible for all of your thoughts, feelings and emotions. When you have a thought, your Mind generates electrical impulses in the brain, which have an impact in your physiology and behaviour.
So, is it possible to change my thoughts to rewire my brain?
Yes, it is. Contrary to what most people believe, our brain is not fixed. We can rewire our brain, as it has the ability to change its structure and function in response to our thoughts, environment and emotions. This is called Neuroplasticity. Therefore, by organising your thoughts and deciding in a concious, constant way about positives thoughts, we can begin to reduce the negativity bias.
Tools you can use:
Pay attention to your internal dialogue and change it for more positive thoughts. You can do this by rephrasing negative thoughts for other more positive ones. For example, instead of “I am never going to get there” you can rephrase as: “I am getting closer at achieving my goal”.
Learn to enjoy the positive moments and give yourself more time to live that positive experience. Give yourself time to observe and experience the feelings and emotions that are going to create this new positive memory.
It is extremely important to be aware of when we are having negative thoughts. As, although we might be programmed to react in a certain way, due to our evolutionary process, we are able to retrain our brain to create more positive patterns with the aim to increase our wellbeing and our self-confidence.
Kiken, L. G., & Shook, N. J. (2011). Looking up: Mindfulness increases positive judgments and reduces negativity bias. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2(4), 425-431.
Vaish A, Grossmann T, Woodward A. Not all emotions are created equal: the negativity bias in social-emotional development. Psychol Bull. 2008 May;134(3):383-403. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.134.3.383. PMID: 18444702; PMCID: PMC3652533