Why Do People Focus On Just The Negative and Not The Positive?

Question

SaraSmithishere · Accepted Answer

I think negativity begets negativity and people who are in dark places tend to hang out with each other. My college was filled with a lot of deeply depressed, sad, misanthropic people, and they all sort of feed off of each other. I remember people talking about how much they hated their depression on Facebook and always getting plenty of likes. It's almost like they were trying to one-up each other with their sadness and negativity. Seriously, I remember going to parties and almost every conversation was about how terrible it was that we have to pay for college (as compared to the Danes, for example, who have free higher education), how tough their classes were, etc. You get the idea.

I do like this one line from a Nirvana song. It's, "I miss the comfort in being sad". Maybe negative people have been in that loop for so long that's it's comforting and it feels like home. Maybe they'd just lose their identity if they lightened up a little.

AmandaYVR · Accepted Answer

Because negative emotions are stronger and avoidance of pain is a bigger deterrent in life than pleasure. Rats would even prefer to mildly electrocute themselves in an otherwise empty cage, to stave off boredom, than sit there with no stimulation or enrichment.

MadBoy · Accepted Answer

I've been told it's a leftover brain function from when we had to focus more on survival than anything else. Thinking in a negative light is basically survival mode, where we think of all the horrible things that could happen to us if certain things came to pass, and then we'd avoid them. Now since we have no power over a lot of the things we think negatively about, it just leaves us depressed. ... That, and we've been more or less conditioned to think negatively since everything around us thinks and acts negatively. The news is a prime example.

Jjpayne · Accepted Answer

It depends on if the Negative is significant enough to pay attention too. For example the current virus and riots and looting happening close to us. It's good to try and think about other things but those should be in our minds as we are going out, especially in certain places.

Also, if someone poses an argument, that does not have outlet for a positive response. "Why are all women bad?" That's a terrible question and demands a follow up question (s) to stop those feeding off it

Jaximus-Lion · Answer

Most people complain about small things , their kids learn to complain too and it goes on. Then don't forget that no one taught them how to be positive , many will say that their parents taught them to be thankful, Yes! But what about being positive. My parents taught me to be thankful but they never taught me to be positive and they don't accept that thankful and positive are two different things. Don't let me start on their way when it comes to motivation , Jesus christ !
If no one taught me how to be positive! and i never had the chance to learn either , how am gonna do it?

ManWithThePlan123 · Answer

It's hard to stay positive when the news and media love to post only negative things. For them it is more entertaining for viewers, and they get more money, so it will always be that way. Even if the minority screams louder, it can make it feel like the majority.

TCredo · Answer

Well said Toots :) I'm a big believer in the power of positivity. No matter the situation, having a positive attitude and/or focus on the positive aspects of a situation etc... what will happen next will undoubtedly be better than if you took the opposite approach.

Positivity can provide you so much and the cool thing is it doesn't cost you anything :)

MissRomantic · Answer

It depends on their upbringing. I come from a psychology background and I learned that at a young age, kids develop schemas that help them to see the world in a positive or negative light. If they learned from their parents or caregivers that the world is a cruel place, they will learn to see things negatively through a negative lens.

MotorcycleMan · Answer

It's so much easier to complain about things than to fix anything.
People become wired that way through practice. Read up on neuro plasticity.
It takes a bit of effort to focus on positive, but over time it becomes second nature.

ArrowheadSW · Answer

I think it is part of human nature maybe? Survival instincts perhaps. Keeping an eye out for the negative things in hopes of avoiding them. But I agree, we need to look to the positive things! Usually there is more positive than negative when you look at things.

Anonymous · Answer

part of human nature. the same way people ask god for things but never thank god for what they have. those type of people are pessimistic it's in their nature how they were raised. They see the world through a glass half empty rather than a glass half full. They're the type of people you'll see at a casino who own a million and will lose half a million dollars and instead of walking away and realizing they still have half a million they'll keep gambling to regain their loss only to end up with nothing in the end and walk away from the casino with empty pockets rather then the half a million they could of kept. pessimistic attitude and in that scenario I provided greed as well.

jmac23 · Answer

Negativity is fun. Who wants everything to be positive? That shits boring. Think about like a story. If there is no conflict then there's no story. By the way your beautiful. Wanna go out😘

destrosio · Answer

This is a congnitive bias. It is called selective abstraction. It consinst of forming conclusions based on an isolated detail of an event. This includes ignoring the context or other relevant details. It works as a kind of defense to have not delusion from life.

JananiiSrii · Answer

Honestly because many people are jealous. They're always looking for the opportunity to put someone down so they can appear on top.

Reaperbot666 · Answer

sadly the media mostly reports the negative things. so that can affect it somewhat. however there are other factors.

msc545 · Answer

If you are a pessimist and things turn out badly, you are not surprised and you are prepared. if they turn out well, you have a pleasant surprise.

If you are an optimist, and things turn out badly, you get a shitty surprise. If they turn out well, you were expecting it and its no big deal.

Tstrbrainer · Answer

Because sadly, negative sells more and is noticed quickly.  Take a white paper and put a small dot on it. That small dot will be more prominent. We are more prone to make mistakes and notice mistakes

genericname85 · Answer

cause the positive doesn't need fixing. our brains are problem solvers. they focus on problems not on things that aren't problems.

loveslongnails · Answer

Always Look On the Bright Side of Life !!

jennifer_bloom · Answer

Everybody is capable of bad feelings but not all are capable of positive emotions so when a greedy corporation wants money - they focus on what everybody can focus on which is the bad emotions

Ericalovescats · Answer

They want to complain and they perceive that the negative side is from "The Other" and that's an excuse to trash the other side that they already dislike.

Drowningkingfish · Answer

Because negativity adds different platforms of action and drama. We can commedically poke fun at drama and negativity, while with positivity you cannot (or at least by a lot).

Arjunaguy · Answer

It's easy to thing that something that will fail but having hope is even scarier for most people because they don't want to have their Hope's to shatter. So if the think of negative they won't feel the pain when something wrong happens.

Tunasub · Answer

I'm positive I want to jump your bones. I'm also positive that you will not have anything negative to say about the encounter😉🤭

ThatGuy133 · Answer

Anger and frustration make it easier to be negative

anon_mke · Answer

I'm very much a realist about things. I don't sugar coat anything. I say it how it is. And there's a lot of bad stuff that goes on. I also just personally find it more interesting to debate and analyze more negative topics. Because I guess the alternative is to just walk around talking about how great everything is? That just sounds weird to me.

Ianto · Answer

Because someone who expects the worst is rarely disappointed.

Gedaria · Answer

It's much nicer to look for the good than consentrate on the bad...

monkeynutts · Answer

Yeah. You keep shoveling shit onto a pile of shit, eventually you just get a real big pile shit.

Tonita91996 · Answer

Because people are always taking stuff to heart all the time.

Hetbet · Answer

Because there is more negative parts to life than positive. Tell me how many times have you seen somebody smile? Now compare it to how many times you see them sad or you can tell they're upset.

It's mostly negative. Because of the situation, boredom, fear or pain, all common within every person, and something we all suffer as humans.

OpenNudist · Answer

I'll be perfectly honest some people are just Dicks!

Nigjt · Answer

Because we see an hear more of that kind of thing then any other most of the time. God Bless

scooogy · Answer

I think the positive can't harm you. Like during evolution people didn't survive because the sun was shining, but because they didn't have reflexes missing which caused others to get haunted and killed by wild animals.

navyP · Answer

Because sometimes the negatives out weigh the positives

Slim57 · Answer

Because the negatives affect some people more than the positives

PERSONANONGRATA · Answer

Because real happiness is in people's in ut most people are not aware of this

the_sinner · Answer

Bc that's where all the entertainment lies. Nowadays people can easily settle for some cheap and spicy entertainment over something truly appreciating.

GreenGold1992 · Answer

I guess because we tend to let negativity cloud our emotions and judgement. Negativity can feel more overwhelming than positivity.

Anonymous · Answer

Maybe that's the way they were taught or are surrounded by negative people. Or just jealous.

totakyes · Answer

They have a brain wired to seek security, rather than seek excitement. Seeking security is far more common, although pathetic. They are called sheep.

Adam1978 · Answer

Because the negative needs to be fixed, not the positive. So you need to focus on the negative to solve the reason for it.

888theGreat · Answer

You mean person is killed in riot, but he won't have to worry about dying of cancer?

Requ1m · Answer

Probably because the negative threatens us, and we feel a need to address the threat.

stickytoes · Answer

Because the positive things are good the way they are. If you focus on the negative things you focus on what you want to change in order to do so.

Trooper205 · Answer

It's easier! The Mind easily defaults to troubles and Negative stuff because we're built to worry. Good things don't need much thought because we need not worry about good things.

JosyJosy · Answer

Because they love drama

Cryptic-Game · Answer

People have an insulting nature to them usually and don't like finding good in people.

winterfox10 · Answer

Because discomfort is noticeable. No one thinks twice about things going well because they don't need to; it's already going well.

Numbnuts89 · Answer

my dad said it best good news, is not news

call_me_scar · Answer

Because are brains are flawed assholes

simplelikeme · Answer

Cuz they like the fukin drama 🤣🤣🤣

adidas0169 · Answer

The negatives has more impact compared to the positives

CubaPirate · Answer

But it's easier for them

hellacray · Answer

Oh you mean kinda like how some women are being approached by men, but doesn't meet all her standards. So she claims there's no good men left.

COMMODOREII · Answer

I have no idea. That's what i call pessimism.

cute_short_nerd · Answer

Because we’re not delusional and we see the world as it is.

Fuentes · Answer

Thats life and also that comes with maturity

Iron_Man · Answer

Right on Girl

sensible27 · Answer

Because negatives kill you if you are right.

Kathy_Scorpio97 · Answer

Cause their downers

angryllama · Answer

Because the negative has a gun

MaiMaiLord · Answer

Yes...

Why Do People Focus On Just The Negative and Not The Positive?

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