My Enemy–Myself
A Battle with Negative Bias
“I don’t want to be remembered as a homeless, alcoholic, mental case.” My friend’s words cut me to the core. He had conquered his demons and won respect for his artistic gift, but he still considered himself a “loser” while I considered him a winner.
“Ben’s” story was like that of so many other youths. It starts with behavioral problems in school, the cause of which is incorrectly diagnosed thus resulting in ineffective treatment. For relief from his symptoms, the youth experiments with drugs straining parental patience. Eventually, the family becomes fed up, tough loves prevails, and the youth finds himself homeless. My friend was fortunate in that he got aid from a homeless shelter program that connected him to a mental health professional. A correct diagnosis and proper treatment put him on the road to a productive life until a traumatic brain injury threatened control of his conditions. When I met him, he was doing well promoting his art, but a physical health crisis triggered negative bias toward himself and his carefully constructed world crumbled.
We were working together on a Mental Health Awareness project using visual art to help reduce the stigma associated with mental conditions. Now “Ben” had succumbed to the very thing he was fighting against. What is negativity bias, and why did humans evolve with this propensity?
Humans have an innate “primal imperative” to survive and reproduce, so we evolved mechanisms by which we can carry out our imperative. One of these mechanisms is to focus attention to environmental hazards that could threaten our survival. For instance, an early human sees an unfamiliar animal close by. It is safer to assume that it is a predator and fight or flee rather than to assume it is no threat. If one assumes wrong, one could become a meal. Also, if this human makes a mistake that nearly costs lives in the hunting party, that mistake is not forgotten so it is not repeated. Actions that cannot meet the expectations of the group important to early or modern humans lead to feelings of shame. That emotion motivates us to do better and stay in the good graces of the group, for our survival may depend on it.
The seeds of negative events take root in our memory while the positive ones get lost in the wind. The early humans that carried this trait for negative assumption likely survived to pass down that trait to modern humans.
However, as with so many traits with which we have evolved, they help us survive under some circumstances but may hinder our survival under other circumstances. Threats elicit fear and emotions can stifle logic, reducing our ability to assess the circumstances adequately and make optimal choices. Our default setting of assuming the negative may cause our failure to see a positive opportunity. The assumed foe may be a friend if one takes another attitude.
I believe we have two forms of negative bias. One that faces outward to our external environment and an internal form that determines how we feel about ourselves. Both impact behavior.
In either view we place more weight on negative information than positive information. If we’re told a negative thing that angers us, we are more likely to believe other negative things that we’re told. Emotion kicks in, logic loses out and we are unlikely to listen to a positive viewpoint on that emotional topic. This negative emotion can be a tool by which we can be manipulated or by which we can manipulate to get a desired result. If negative bias is fed it will grow.
If we’re told a negative and positive thing about ourselves, the negative will outweigh the positive. We will dwell on the one thing we did wrong rather than the ninety-nine things we did right. This burden of negativity can become overwhelming if not taken under control. Our past failings can be like a lead weight hindering our movement in the now and the future, thus contributing to mental health concerns. “Ben” can blame himself for the negative things in his life rather than pride himself for his successes indefinitely.
So how can we “tame” our internal and external negative bias enemy to have a more balanced outlook on life? We must acknowledge that negative bias exists within us and muster the courage to challenge our assumptions, question our cultural conditioning, and consider alternative conclusions. The degree of fear and anxiety we hold affects our reasoning and deserves our awareness. Why do I feel so negative in this situation? Am I projecting my past negative experience onto an unrelated circumstance? Is my distrust for this stranger being echoed back to me? Am I creating the result I expect? Change is hard for most people and takes effort, but the benefits of cultivating the positive are substantial.
We can actively try to show self-compassion and understand that we can learn from our failings and change. Undoing the past is not possible, but we can alter the way we perceive our past behaviors. Shame need not discourage one from asking for help to find the positive side of life. Those with mental health concerns often fear reaching out because of the negative response they might receive.
Negative bias may bring some to conclude that mental illness isn’t real. It is an excuse for bad behavior or an attempt at obtaining monetary aid. Anyone can take control of their behavior if they choose to do so. People should be accountable for their actions and not hide behind mental illness. This attitude exists amid significant advances in neuroscience, neurochemistry and genetic research which shows self-control can be elusive.
As for “Ben”, he remains a disappointment to his family and the rift remains.
The Mental Health Awareness project that my friend, myself, and others had planned is an uphill battle. Participants must be able to overcome their internal negative bias and brave the icy waters of external negativity toward them for an important cause.
Our battle with our own biases takes continuous effort. We can transform the lead weight of negative self-talk into a feather and the wall of external negativity into a door through which we can view the world through less clouded eyes.
Sources:
John Tierney and John F Baumeister, The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It, Penguin Press, 2019
Rick Hanson, Ph.D. October 20, 2010. “Confronting Negativity Bias.” Psychology Today. Retrieved from URL: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-wise-brain/201010/confronting-the-negativity-bias
Kendra Cherry. April 29, 2020. “What Is Negativity Bias.” Very Well Mind. Retrieved from URL: https://www.verywellmind.com/negative-bias-4589618
