The Jordan Harbinger Show 312: John Tierney | Harnessing the Power of Bad
Feb 13, 2020
John Tierney, an award-winning science columnist for The New York Times and co-author of "The Power of Bad," dives into the intriguing world of negativity bias. He explains how even a little negativity can overpower our positivity and offers strategies to manage this inclination. Tune in to discover how to consume news without despair, the impact of toxic coworkers on team morale, and the 'negative golden rule' for healthier relationships. Tierney's insights on overcoming the weight of negativity are both practical and enlightening.
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Negativity Bias
- Negativity bias, recently recognized by social scientists, explains why bad experiences outweigh good ones.
- Studies reveal loss aversion in economics and stronger bad first impressions, highlighting negativity's broad impact.
Examples of Negativity Bias
- Online shoppers are more influenced by bad reviews than good ones, illustrating negativity bias.
- Our brains prioritize negative stimuli, like hostile faces in a room, for evolutionary survival reasons.
Overcoming Negativity Bias
- The "rule of four" suggests four good things are needed to overcome one bad thing.
- While negativity bias is ingrained, we can train our brains to override it, like overcoming fear of heights.
