What is negativity bias? And how to correct it?

What is negativity bias? And how to correct it? Negativity bias is made of two words. As it appears. Negativity means an attitude. which is not optimistic and enthusiastic. Bias means a strong feeling towards or in favour of a group of people or anything in comparison to other things or groups of people. 

 

 

So in one sentence negativity bias, people are those. Who is influenced by negativity rather than positivity? In all aspects of their life. Their decision is based on negativity.

 

For example, you sometimes notice that in your surroundings. You met with various people. Whom you ask to give any suggestion to start any work.

 

They start to count all the negativity of that work to you. Without telling you the positivity of that work. Because they are negatively biased people. 

 

All of us in some way or the other are negatively biased. Like some bias when they go for interviews, some bias when they enter the exam hall, and some bias when they go to our proposed girl. 

 

Because our negativity protects us from the unknown fear of loss. Which is hidden in the womb of the future. Whether we lose or win, we do not know. But we are so negatively biased. We do not want to wait. We already left the field and ran away. Without fighting.

 

What is negativity bias?

 

Negative bias is our tendency not only to register negative impetuses more easily. But also to focus on these events.  

 

Also known as positive-negative disparity and winning of negativity over positivity in our brain. Negativity bias means that we feel the pinch of irritating comments more powerfully. Then we feel the joy of applause.

 

This psychological phenomenon explains. Why bad trauma or the past trauma impressions can be so difficult to overcome. 

 

And can have such lasting effects. In almost any conversation, we most effectively notice negative things that have stuck in our minds for a long time.

 

Negatively biased people think like that.

 

1. They give more emphasis to negative experiences than positive experiences.

 

2. They think or overthink negative incidents then positive incidents.

 

3. They struck life in one place. Not they move forward or neither they back.

 

4. Emphasis more on than applause.

 

5. They are fearful about their future.

 

Negative thinking gives them relaxation and positive thinking gets them confused.

 

These people create a negative environment around him. A restricted the entry of positivity.

 

For example, you are going to give an exam. When you enter the exam hall and wait for the question paper. Several negative thoughts start knocking on your mind.

 

Like, I never complete my question paper in any exam. Two to three questions are always wrong by me in exams. If I do not pass out, what will happen next, all my career will be spoiled etc.

 

So these negative biased thoughts. Hamper our brain to think positive. And we make repeated mistakes in our exams. Which we always do.

 

Causes of negative bias.

 

1. Past trauma-

 

In many cases, it is found that negatively biased people have some past trauma. The footprint of their trauma was still on their mind and brain.

Which always pinched him. So to protect them from their pain. They make an illusive surrounding. which filled them with negativity. 

 

And bng a negative biased they always keep telling lies. That there is no thing or situation like that or I never fear from this.

 

2. Fear of the future-

 

No one sees or knows. What will happen in the future? But we are all more concerned about our future than the present.

 

The unknown fear of the future and our past trauma make us negatively biased. We think that the wrong that happened to me in the past. Maybe the same goes wrong in the future as well. 

 

3. Psychological weakness-

 

Psychological weakness is a mental illness. Because of stress, sadness, long illness, and overthinking. These are some events which make a person mentally weak.

 

Due to mental weakness. Your brain and mind are not able to fight the worst conditions. And to avoid the worst condition, we wear a sheet of negativity. This makes us negatively biased.

 

4. Protect us from humiliation-

 

Many times because of fear of humiliation. We do not participate in any contest. We do not go to propose to our girlfriend. Because if he refuses our proposal. I get humiliated in front of friends and society. Or if I do not win the contest. I get humiliated.

 

So to protect from humiliation, we get negatively biased. We admit our loss without fighting

 

5. Pleasure-

 

Yes, it sounds strange to hear. Some have negative biases for their pleasure. When people start to live in negativity. First, they feel restless. But after some time he is addicted to it. He feels pleasure in it.

 

Like I give examples of some people. Whenever you go to him for advice, he will give you a negative answer.

 

Effects of negative bias.

 

1. It makes us isolated-

 

Humans are social animals and like to live in society. But when we are negatively biased. We slowly-slowly maintain distance from society. 

And society also leaves us. Because nobody wants to live with a negatively biased person. Who always gives negative advice to others and is self-biased with negativity.

 

2. Personal relation is demolished-

 

Yes, these people’s personal lives are always in danger. They demolish their personal life with their own hands. They feel their life with misconception and trust deficit.

 

Which is the base of any relationship. They always doubt their partner. They always think that their partner is cheating on them.

 

3. It makes us nothing for useless-

 

A negatively biased person is useless. They  Always demoralize themselves. Like in an office he always hides behind his colleague from his boss. He never takes any responsibility. 

He is not initiated in any work. Or if you will tell him. Why is this work not fulfilling? They put all the blame on their colleague.

 

4. Performance degradation-

 

No doubt negatively biased people do not understand his responsibilities or try to hide from them. They are so biased. 

They set the word defeat in their mind so deeply. That even if they try to come out from it. It is not an easy task. So they leave the task to come out from the negativity. And accept defeat as his destiny.

 

5. Effect on our decision-making-

 

It is a famous proverb that ” decision-making should be free from biasedness” because biased opinion is not correct. 

They are influenced by people, situations, past life, and social causes. Which leads to wrong decision-making. It demolished your self-esteem.

 

How to overcome negative bias?

 

1. Mindfulness practice-

 

You do it every morning. Sit in a lonely place. Take a deep breath. Exhale out all your negativity and inhale the positivity. Try to focus on your breath.

Try to connect with the positive vibes of the world with your positive vibes. It will fill you with new energy. And increase your performance.

 

2. Self-talk-

 

Self-talk is one of the productive techniques used to change negativity into positivity. It is a good tool for introspection. By doing self-talk. We know what we want from the inside. And what we do outside.

This means our emotional and reasoning brains work coordinately or not. We find out from where the negativity comes into our minds. And try to break it or stop it.

 

3. Cognitive behaviour therapy-

 

Cognitive behaviour therapy is a technique that helps you to identify and change destructive and negative thoughts. Which influences our behaviour and emotion.

 

It helps to determine the distorted thinking pattern. Which directly affects our thinking process and makes us emotionally weak. So this therapy work with the concept of search the problem and eliminating it.

 

4. Triple column technique- 

 

The triple column technique is used to know about. What do you feel or thought in particular circumstances? It helps to down your mental stress.

For this, you make a triple column on a paper sheet or you can use Google Sheets for this. 

 

In the first column, you write down automatic thoughts that come to your mind in a particular situation. It may be self-critics or negative thoughts.

 

In the second column, you write down cognitive distortion. It is a habitual way of thinking in which you think negatively and thinks about yourself as worthless.

 

In the third column, you write down rational thinking. Mean what you think logically in a particular situation. By making the data. You know about how your mind takes action in a different type of situation.

 

5.  Come out from the maze of past and future-

 

This is the major cause of various mental disorders. Past trauma and future fear make us negative biases. But why do we never think about it? And engulf in the maze of past and future.

 

We have no power to go into the past and rectify our errors or protect ourselves from accidents. So why do we think it or what do we do to think it? Nothing, we do nothing.

 

So welcome this thought and allow you to pass them from your mind. Like other thoughts pass from your mind. The negativity is automatically flushed from your mind.

 

Like we have no power to change our past. We have no power to know about our persent. So why do we feel negative about the thing? Which does not happen. So it is better to prosper our persent. To build our future prosperity.

 

6. Change your surroundings-

 

Negativity is like a communicable disease. It spreads when you live in your surroundings. Where all are think negative. Or your closest friend is a negatively biased person. 

 

Slowly-slowly he also makes you a negatively biased person. So if you know that your friend only pushes you back. When you take positive steps. 

 

Like you want to start a business, you want to join a new group, and you want to marry your lover.  And he only talks about negative things without talking about positivity. Then it was time to say him bye-bye.

 

7. Books and podcasts-

 

This is one of the best things in the world to change negativity into positivity. I think the book is the gift of human humanity. To be optimistic, positive, and hopeful. It shows us the path of development, innovation, and hope.

The podcast is new technology. If you do not want to read a book then listen to it. The book always fills you with positivity and shows you a new way of life.

 

Conclusion

 

What is negativity bias? And how to correct it?  A negative biased person is always filled with negativity. They are emotional and behavioural influenced by negativity. In all aspects of life, they only feel negativity. 

So to overcome the negativity bias. We use cognitive behaviour therapy and the triple column technique.

 

But by doing some behaviour and attitudinal change. Like meditation, books and podcasts, change in our surroundings, do not engulf in a maze of past and future. We can overcome negative bias attitudes.

 

Best of luck.