Negativity bias is our tendency to be affected far more by negative events, comments and emotions than by equivalent positive ones. An insult lingers more deeply than a compliment, and a threat grabs our attention before any pleasant detail does.
Think of getting feedback with nine positive comments and one negative; it's almost certain you'll be chewing on the one all day. Or a wonderful evening "ruined" by one awkward remark at the end. You're not overreacting — this is how the human mind is built.
Psychologically, this tendency was once useful for survival: the ancestor who paid more attention to dangers than to pleasures was more likely to stay alive. Today, though, in a world full of news and comparison, the same tendency can fuel anxiety, hypervigilance and a constant sense that "something is wrong."
The antidote isn't forced positivity, but a conscious effort to give the good its due time — to pause and let it "sink in." If negativity has become the main lens through which you see your life, a therapeutic space can help; see our services.