The Amazing Attraction of Negativity and How to Grow from it

The year 2020 was a trying one for the entire world.  Most of us were on some type of lock down and unable to see our loved ones or celebrate any events together.  We spent many months in isolation or with the same small group of people. 

Fanning the flames of seemingly endless pandemic talk were the constant updates from news channels.  Between the “latest reports” and “breaking news,” it was a constant stream of negativity.  Remarkably, news consumption went up dramatically during all of this.  Rather than turn if off, more and more people tuned in to hear the newest stories.  The release of vaccines, in record time, only shifted the focus from the spreading virus to the difficulties governments were facing in getting the vaccine distributed.

The Love of Negativity

What was happening and why was it so riveting for so many people all over the world?  The simple answer is that we are programmed to be attracted to negative circumstances!  Why?  Because back in the days when we lived outside with no shelter, the ability to see danger was a survival mechanism.  Our ancestors would be out hunting and if they hear a noise in the bushes, they immediately thought the worst and got away from it.  And with good reason; if they overreacted and it was just a rabbit, no harm was done.  But, if it was a bear, they had made a wise and life saving choice by their reaction.

Even in modern times, negativity allows us to react and see the results immediately.  We can relate much more quickly than positive occurrences. 

Getting sick, is usually a much quicker occurrence, than getting better.  Losing money is usually much quicker than making it and saving it for the long term.

As we have discussed before, most things that are worth it take time to create and this can be difficult for us to see. 

Getting in shape is a long-term goal that we may have trouble visualizing as complete, but it is worth it.  Learning a new language is a long-term goal, but it is worth it.

Put on the Shoes

In addition to being at odds with our natural instinct to look for the negative, we also have to fight inertia and start.  That first step towards a goal is the hardest.  There is an old marathoner’s saying that “the hardest part of training for a marathon is putting on the shoes.” 

Arnold Schwarzenegger tells the story of when he was first training in southern California.  It was a beautiful, warm and sunny day, and he wanted to go the beach instead of the gym.  He was receiving immediate results from the warm sun and the gym seemed far away.  However, he went to the gym and when he saw all of the other bodybuilders working out hard, he began to visualize what he would look like if he worked out that hard.  He did use some negativity by motivating himself with the thought that the others would get better than him and beat him.

The point is, he put aside the immediate gratification of the nice weather and took the long view of what his workout that day would mean for his growth and career as a bodybuilder.

If we can put aside the immediate gratification of something negative and see far enough into the future to the results we can get pursuing a positive course, we can make amazing progress to our long-term goals.

So, keep a long-term focus on your goals and, avoid short term negativity as much as possible.  It will take practice and hard work, but it will be worth it.