The Carrot, The Stick, and You

Hello fellow brain enthusiasts! Welcome to the third installment of Brain Bytes! So far, we've covered the basics of neuroplasticity, taking in the good, and then the three brains: lizard, mammal, and primate. If you've joined us late, don't worry! We're working on putting an archive of our newsletters on our website at TheraRising.com and you can find links in the left column. This week, we're going to get to the very center of neuroplasticity: the negativity bias.

So what is the negativity bias? In psychological terms, it refers to how easily the human brain turns negative experiences into neural patterns. In other words, when we have a bad experience, it stands out to us a lot more than a positive one. Our brains are hardwired to overlearn from the bad, and underlearn from the good.

Of course, there's a perfectly good reason that we turned out this way. Our brains developed in a very different world than the one we live in now. On the most basic level, the brain is made to do two things: chase carrots (rewards), and avoid sticks (dangers). In that light, it makes sense that we would naturally tend to be overly cautious. If a reward comes along and you miss it because you're needlessly skeptical, it's OK. You'll find another reward later. If a stick comes along and you're just a little too curious, well, there are no more carrots ever, because you just became the carrot.

Problem is, now that predators and other mortal dangers aren't a part of our daily lives, the negativity bias that served us so well in the wild can drag us down. The stress it causes can take a real toll on our bodies and minds. And those anxieties often become chronic. Your brain wants you to be a little on edge, and a little unsatisfied, and a little bit agitated all the time, because that's what was selected for over millions of years of evolution. Even though those drives are no longer vital, or even practical, the ancient ruts are hard to break out of.

This is why activities like taking in the good are so important. They help us combat the negativity bias by reminding the brain that the good in our life is pervasive and plentiful. It turns those experiences into patterns, and those patterns are a big part of our moment-to-moment perceptions. While negativity bias is powerful, positive neuroplasticity has plenty of strategies to help us overcome it.

Just remember, this is not the same as positive thinking. Positive neuroplasticity doesn't have to do with putting a positive spin on negative events. Instead, it helps us give the positive elements of our lives their due attention, which can counter the subtle ways our hardwiring works against us.

I'm afraid we're going to have to leave it there for today! Next time, we'll discuss building and reinforcing positive mental patterns to counteract the negativity bias. So stay tuned!