17/10/2025
Your brain is wired to prioritize negative experiences over positive ones — a psychological phenomenon known as the negativity bias. When someone insults you, it triggers areas in the brain like the amygdala and hippocampus, which are responsible for emotional memory and threat detection. These areas release stress hormones such as cortisol, reinforcing the memory so you can avoid similar harm in the future.
Compliments, on the other hand, activate reward pathways in the brain but fade more quickly because they pose no threat. The brain treats them as “safe” signals, not survival-critical information. This is why an offhand insult from years ago can still sting, while kind words from last month are easy to forget — it’s biology’s way of helping us learn from pain rather than comfort.
Understanding this mechanism can be powerful: by consciously focusing on positive feedback, gratitude, and affirmations, we can rewire neural pathways to balance this bias. Training the brain to hold on to the good — through journaling, mindfulness, or verbal appreciation — helps strengthen emotional resilience over time.
