Imaginary situation: Go in the evening to an extremely beautiful hotel, with furnishings that remain in your memory. There are romantic elements everywhere and you are ready for some sweet moments of passion. When you enter the bathroom, you see a spider in the sink.
If you chose the spider, it means that you have a negative bias, that is, you have a tendency to give more importance to negative experiences than to positive ones.
Why does this happen? According to psychologist Rick Hanson, a negative bias is built into our brains based on millions of years of evolution when it comes to threats. Our ancestors lived in harsh environments. They had to collect food while avoiding deadly obstacles. Observing, reacting and remembering predators and natural hazards (negative) became more important than finding food (positive).
Although negativity seems to be a default characteristic, we can override it. You can add positivity by being mindful of what is and isn't important in life and focus on appreciating the positive aspects.
