John Tierney

Roy F. Baumeister

Tierney and Baumeister argue their case forcefully and well, and supply vast quantities of evidence in its favour

And How to Overcome It

Why does a bad impression last longer than a good one? 
Why does losing money affect us more than gaining it? 
What makes phobias so hard to shake? 
 
The answer is the negativity bias - or in other words, the power of bad. As John Tierney and Roy F. Baumeister show, we are wired to react to bad over good. It makes sense in evolutionary terms, but in our modern world the lure of bad is, well, bad. It governs people's moods, drives marketing and dominates our news. It can explain everything from why wars start or couples divorce, to why we mess up job interviews or feud with neighbours. 
 
But there is good news. By using smart strategies from new science, we can train our brains to get better at spotting our own negativity bias and even using its power for positive results. Properly understood, bad can end up being a force for good.

The Power of Bad

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John Tierney

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Tierney and Baumeister argue their case forcefully and well, and supply vast quantities of evidence in its favour

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