NEGATIVITY BIAS: HELP, I HAVE FALLEN AND I CAN’T GET UP? 10/22/20
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Do you remember the commercial where and old lady fell in the floor? I really felt sorry for her. She raised up her hand and said: I HAVE FALLEN AND I CAN’T GET UP. It appears she had no one to help her.
In my early pastoral ministry I had finished the lesson and was standing by the door greeting people as they left church. Many people told me how they had enjoyed the lesson. One lady hugged me and said: GOOD LITTLE TALK PASTOR. Wow, my lesson was reduced to a good little talk? What did she mean? Was she saying there was no spiritual value to my little talk? Was she putting me down? Was she hinting the previous pastor was a better teacher than I was? Did she not like my delivery style? My mind played games with me all week… GOOD LITTLE TALK? A few days later I heard the lady at the post office brag on what a good teacher I was. I lost time over: GOOD LITTLE TALK!
Have we ever misinterpreted another person’s comments? Do we have the tendency to hear many good comments and dwell on one NEGATIVE comment? How do we handle compliments and insults? Often we give more credence to the negative comments than to the positive. SEEMS BAD NEWS TRAVELS MUCH FASTER THAN GOOD NEWS. Do we hear negative comments LOUDER and longer than the kind words of friends?
I HAVE FALLEN AND I CAN’T GET UP! WHAT KIND OF AURA DO WE PROJECT FOR OTHERS TO SEE? ARE YOU THE PROBLEM? OR ARE YOU THE SOLUTION?
Numbers 13:30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
LET US GET REAL? DO YOU MAKE DIFFICULT PROBLEMS MORE DIFFICULT THAN WHAT THEY REALLY ARE? Can our enemy be PARALYZING the VICTORIES God has planned for us?
WHY CAN’T WE SEE THE CONTAGIOUS CYCLES OF NEGATIVITY TRYING TO SMOTHER YOUR JOY? ASYMPTOMATIC, NO SYMPTOMS?
ELIJAH THE MAN OF GOD, HAD GREAT VICTORIES, NOW HE RUNS AND ASK GOD TO KILL HIM. IF WE LOOK TO PSYCHOLOGIST STUDIES WE WILL FIND THIS UNUSUAL FACT ABOUT HUMAN BRAINS… IT IS CALLED NEGATIVITY BIAS… WE TEND TO ACCEPT NEGATIVE EMOTIONS MORE THAN POSITIVE!
1 Kings 19:2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. 3. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
Negativity bias is real. Seems our minds are open to receive negative issues more than positive issues. This acceptance of the negative over the positive will have an affect over how we listen? How we act or react? How our words will be spoken? This negativity bias will affect your choices and decisions? This bias will have an effect on how you get along with other people?
The brain is so amazing. It is a real fact that your brain will receive negative feedback quicker and more frequently than positive thoughts. Then remember the brain tends to linger and dwell longer on negative thoughts then positive ones. Maybe we could call this: NEGATIVITY DOMINANCE.
NEGATIVITY BREEDS NEGATIVITY. NO FILTER! SELF DISCIPLINE IS AMAZING! KILL THE MOMMA BEAR!
Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
YOU EVER WATCH A LITTLE BABY? The baby is laying and all of a sudden, wow, it’s arm goes flying by. The baby is startled by the moving arm! Later the kicking legs go by and the baby is amazed. Later the baby learns that is my arm, I am moving it! That is my leg, it’s me! Then the baby learns how to control the movement and the next thing you know the baby has the toes in its mouth. The baby learns TO CONTROL the movement until the baby crawls and walks.
One of the goals of parents is POTTY TRAINING. One learns to discipline their kidney functions and bowel movements.
The process is not easy, but the lesson moves one toward a better life.
How come we can train our arms and legs? Our kidneys? But seems we REFUSE TO LEARN TO CONTROL OUR NEGATIVITY BIAS? We seem to love to remember insults over praise? Seems WE LOVE TO RELEASE THE MOMMA BEAR INSTINCT more than kindness? This bias has a way of bringing frustrations and irritations to the fore front. People often live their whole life FRUSTRATED AND IRRITATED because they have NEVER LEARNED WE WALK BY FAITH, WE ACT… WE QUIT REACTING…
NO SADDER WORDS OF PEN AND TONGUE THAN THE WORDS WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN? POTENTIAL TO COVER THE NEGATIVE IS POSSIBLE. WHAT INCENTIVE DO WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE NEGATIVITY BIAS? FINISH? COMPLETE?
We must learn to overcome negative words and negative talk. To control your negative words you will have to overcome your negative thinking patterns. If the milk has been spilled out of the glass, crying and screaming will not correct the problem. WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR ATTITUDES AND FOCUS ON WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT. We must establish new acting and thinking patterns. QUIT REACTING TO PROBLEMS, BE THE SOLUTION.
Once when our oldest son was small he spilled his drink and his mom swatted him on his diaper. Later she spilled her drink and my son said: DAD, SPANK MOMMA! Do we listen? Do we listen with our ears? Do we listen with our hearts? What are they really saying?
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NEGATIVITY BIAS GIVES BIRTH TO DOUBT AND FEAR. YOU ARE NOT JUNK. BLESSED IS HE THAT EXPECTS NOTHING, HE SHALL RECEIVE EXACTLY WHAT HE EXPECTED.
Life can be crushing with heavy negativism. What kind of OUTLOOK do you have? Negative attitudes can harm one physically, mentality and emotionally. Are you expecting bad things to happen? Too much TV? Too much cell phone? Are you a professional CRITIC and CYNIC? Do you jump conclusions all the time? NEGATIVE PEOPLE MAKE OTHER PEOPLE FEEL NEGATIVE.
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
Conclusion: Do you know what a TOLL BOOTH IS? YOUR NEGATIVITY BIAS CAN DRIVE YOU DOWN DARK ROADS OF GLOOM AND DESPAIR. If you so desire you could train your mouth and brain to grow to be more positive. You can train yourself to recognize the role of NEGATIVITY BIAS. Our parents may have taught us the tendency to be negative. Do you desire your home to be happier and full of joy? GRAB YOUR FIGHTING GEAR AND LET US ATTACK THE GOLIATH OF NEGATIVITY. I’ve fallen and I can’t get up? Or is it I have fallen and I don’t want to get up?
God needs you to be a CHEERLEADER! Not a fault finder critic. The Preacher was in a negative mood and he said to God: I AM THE ONLY ONE SERVING GOD IN THIS LAND? God said: BUDDY, I HAVE 7,000 IN ONE CITY THAT HAS NEVER BOWED TO ANOTHER GOD. You want to hear a negative comment? NOBODY KNOWS WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH?
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
If you believe you can you have started toward your solution? Yes, you can. You can turn negative things into positive…
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Please help me? Tell others of my work?
THINK! DO! BE! POSITIVE! --- You have two choices: BE POSITIVE VS. BE NEGATIVE?
