Neutralizing negativity

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/04/2021 (1638 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Spring may have arrived, but it seems all that’s sprung these days is a whole lot of complaining.

No family gatherings? No Easter egg hunt? No festivals? COVID-19 has ruined everything?

Such negativity.

While most people may be faring quite well under stressful COVID-19 conditions, it is disconcerting to learn negativity is so prevalent. However, I recently learned people are typically drawn to the negativity of a situation. At least, that’s the conclusion of a recent study published by the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research on the topic of bad news bias, especially in the media.

For instance, it was reported that when COVID-19 cases were rising, researchers found news coverage focused on the increase. When cases began falling, the news still focused on the bad news such as the issue of increases in specific incidents. More balanced reports in scientific journals did not. As a result, it found 87 per cent of news coverage in national U.S. news media has been negative.

People like to read negative stories. It’s nothing more than consumer demand. Negativity grabs our attention. It makes us sit up and pay attention. Bad news gets noticed.

It seems negativity has become so much a part of news culture and our world view, that even the highly anticipated Oprah Winfrey interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was negative. While couched in a bit of grace, the audience expected the couple would surely raise negative issues about the Royal Family. They weren’t disappointed. Are we addicted to the shock and awe of bad news and general negativity? What’s going on?

According to psychologists, this situation is called “negativity bias”, an automatic response developed at an early age. While this might have developed in early humans as a way to keep us out of harm’s way, in today’s society and especially the workplace, a negativity bias can do more harm than good. For instance, there are plenty of studies that demonstrate if the ratio of positive versus negative is less than five to one, then a relationship whether at work or in a marriage will not survive. As well, a negativity bias is often touted as the reason first impressions are so hard to overcome.

When someone has a negativity bias, they are not only alert to the negativity but they hang on to it, sometimes for days and sometimes for years. No matter what, a negativity bias affects how you feel, how you respond to situations and to others, it affects decision making and of course, it affects personal relationships.

Not only that, according to psychologists, negative news is also seen as more truthful and valid simply because it is viewed as a threat to one’s personal security. Negativity is closely aligned with a person’s political views. For instance, it’s reported that conservative thinkers respond more strongly to negative information because they see this information as threatening. This might explain why some people are more resistant to change especially when the change is somewhat ambiguous.

We also all know someone whose life is centred around negativity. This is how they view life, this is how they view work, their boss… just everything. And, believe me, this type of person is difficult to be around because before you know it, they can drag everyone else down into negativity.

Have you ever tried to pull someone out of the depths of despair? If negativity is a lifestyle, then good luck. It won’t happen. But what about you? Are you trapped by a negative bias? Just how do you get yourself out of this frame of mind? How can you improve your thinking and thus your mental health, your behaviour, decision making and build new relationships at work? Some of the following recommendations have proven successful.

● Pay attention to your own thoughts — have you ever stopped to pay attention to the negative thoughts that are running through your mind? Now is the time to start. Amazingly enough, you might hear the voice of one of your parents, telling you to do this or do that. The thoughts are just so automatic you don’t realize what is being said or where it came from. Write down your thought. Analyze it. Where did the thought come from? Is your thought valid for who you are today?

● Determine the sources — pay attention to your sources of news. Does a friend, news guest or interviewee have credibility? Do they have the skills, experience and professional role to be commenting on the issue at hand? Or is the individual representing a group of biased friends and/or a think tank supported by funders that support a specific view? Is there a balanced and diverse viewpoint or are comments always from one side of an issue?

● Search for motivation — when hearing a friend’s gossip and or the national news, think about who is providing the initial information. Where is it coming from? Does this reported speaker have a bias? What is their motivation for spreading this news? What are their values and what do they have to gain? Is there validity in what is being said?

● Listen for trigger words — keep in mind that words shape public opinion. Negative buzzwords and phrases seem to linger longer. Former U.S. president Donald Trump was good at this tactic; his negative phrases just seemed to stick like flypaper. It’s an age-old strategy. For instance, for those of the older generation, you might remember when the phrase “Women’s lib” was coined and how it triggered such negativity in society. Listen for these trigger words and assess them for context and validity. However, believe me, it is very difficult to counter negative trigger words. Avoid repeating this negativity whenever you can as it can also label you.

● Identify double standards — there have been plenty of examples of society’s double standards over the past several months, especially when it comes to crowds of protesters, especially Black versus white in the United States. Pay attention as double standards are often subtle and are so common, they are easy to miss.

It is up to each individual to ensure negativity doesn’t envelope them and take over their life. Remember that when positivity versus negativity is less than five to one, then negativity will win out. The result may well be ruined work relationships, job loss and loss of personal relationships. Find a way out of negativity; learn to live life to its fullest.

Source: Is bad news the only kind? New York Times, David Leonhardt, March 24, 2021. Why we love bad news, Hara Estroff Marano, May 27, 2003, Psychology Today; What is negativity Bias?

Barbara J. Bowes, FCPHR, CCP, M.Ed. is the HR practice leader with Legacy Bowes and is the author of eight books, a radio personality, a speaker, an executive coach and workshop leader. She is also chairwoman of the Manitoba Status of Women. She can be reached at barb@legacybowes.com