Tired Of Bad News? Here Are 42 Bits Of Good News That Deserve The Spotlight

It’s not that the world is more negative than positive, it’s that news about the former gets far more attention. Furthermore, people tend to see negative news as more ‘truthful’ than positive stories, even if they aren’t.

Evolution is the culprit behind human beings’ tendency to pay way more attention to negative things rather than positive ones.

This is known as negativity bias or positive-negative asymmetry.

Verywell Mind explains that, generally, people tend to:

1. Remember traumatic experiences more than positive ones
2. React more strongly to negative stimuli
3. Remember insults or criticism better than praise or compliments
4. Respond more strongly to negative events
5. Think about negative things more frequently.

The explanation for negativity bias is that throughout human history, paying attention to threats has been central to survival. Folks who were more attuned to danger in their environment were more likely to survive, reproduce, and, thus, pass on their genes to future generations. Being in the know about potential risks is how your brain and psychology try to protect you.

Somewhat ironically, that ‘protection’ isn’t always good for you. Negativity bias can wreck your mental health if left unchecked. For example, it might cause you to dwell on dark thoughts, sap your optimism, and even hurt your relationships with the people you love.

Here’s what you can do to push back:

1. Be more self-aware and pay more attention to your thoughts, stopping negative thinking when it begins
2. Reframe your experiences, current situations, and how you talk about yourself in a more positive light, so that you don’t ignore good events
3. Establish new patterns of behavior when you find yourself ruminating on negative events and outcomes
4. Savor and focus on the good moments in your life more so it sticks in your mind

When you find yourself stuck in a negative thought loop, distract yourself by doing something pleasant. You could go for a walk, put on some good music, open a quality book, meet your loved ones, etc.

Meanwhile, Healthline suggests focusing on gratitude and being more mindful of what is important in your life, and what isn’t.

The point isn’t to ignore the realities of the world (including things that are unpleasant to see or hear), but to develop a more nuanced perspective of the world.

Which of these bits of positive news made your day, dear Pandas? What are some other recent good events and breakthroughs that you think everyone should know about?

What’s something thoroughly uplifting, hopeful, and optimistic that’s been happening in your personal life? If you feel like restoring other readers’ faith in humanity, share what you know in the comments at the bottom of this post!