BAHALOTECHA

Developing a Positivity Bias

How can people stand before the most uplifting events in history and cry over trivialities?

How is it possible to cross the sea and receive bread from heaven, to receive the Torah at Mount Sinai and witness the Divine Presence resting upon the Tabernacle—and complain that there’s no garlic and onions to spice the fish?

Because the mind plays tricks on us. The brain lies and creates a distorted picture of reality. Psychologists call this the “negativity bias.” The brain gives much more weight to negative events than to positive ones and highlights only those. Research says it takes five positive events to balance out one negative one.