"Humans are programmed to be more negative than positive. Back in the day, focusing on what disaster may befall us was the best way to survive. Now, those negative thoughts are not related to survival, but can get in the way of health and well-being. Ironic. Often, negativity is aimed at ourselves. We may not have a positive view of our capabilities, our potential, or our ability to rebound after a disappointment or failure."
"Negative thoughts can keep us in a loop of try, try again, without giving us the energy to open ourselves to new experiences, ways of thinking, or tap into our curiosity. "It's just who I am." "I don't know what else to do." "I guess I will just throw in the towel." These can become the unspoken mantra. Not exactly good for survival."
"Taking a U-Turn We can start by becoming aware that humans have brains built to deceive, in many ways. We like to think our brains are reliable, but they are not. As discussed, negativity is preferred. Our brains also like to be efficient. That means they will store away beliefs and then gather information that supports those beliefs. This is known as confirmation bias."
Humans have a built-in negative bias that evolved to prioritize potential threats but now often undermines health and well-being. Negative self-directed thoughts can erode beliefs about abilities, potential, and resilience, trapping people in repetitive cycles and limiting openness to new experiences. Brains favor efficiency by storing beliefs and seeking confirming information, which reinforces pessimistic narratives. Awareness of these cognitive tendencies enables a shift toward self-compassion, which promotes curiosity, learning, broader exploration of choices, and motivation. Cultivating self-compassion can foster confidence, autonomy, and greater capacity to recover from setbacks through deliberate practices that counteract negativity and confirmation bias.
Read at Psychology Today
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