Negativity Bias: Velcro for Bad, Teflon for Good

Velcro and Teflon

Rick Hanson said: “The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences but Teflon for positive ones.”

You can receive ten compliments and one insult. Which one will you think about while lying in bed tonight? The insult. This is Negativity Bias. In the wild, missing a berry bush (positive) meant you got hungry. Missing a tiger (negative) meant you got dead. We evolved to obsess over threats.

Rewiring the Brain

To be happy, you must actively fight this bias. Good moments don’t stick naturally; you have to make them stick. Savor the coffee. Dwell on the compliment. It takes intentional effort to install happiness in a brain built for survival.