Do people normally have a "negativity bias"?

[OneSheep]

I was reading a little from a book, Neuroplasticity, Performativity, and Clergy Wellness: Neighbor Love as Self-Care by William Roozeboom, and in the introduction he observes (and quotes others who observe) a “negativity bias”.

The bias is what focuses our attention on threats in our environment, so it has a function, but it leads to (among other things) “destructive theologies of innate sinfulness or wrongfulness”, “which cause us to miss the goodness, peace, joy, and love of God’s presence in our lives”.

Can you relate to having a “negativity bias”? If so, how do you address it in your prayer life?

 

[veritatisstella]

This is just my opinion but I feel that a lot more people have a “positivity bias” where they see God as loving and merciful to a point where they forget the evils of sin and the need to live virtuously. A “negativity bias” of people who talk all doom and gloom and that the Church is heading to destruction is mostly sedevacantists and some other fringe groups.

 

[Nelka]

I didn’t understand your question but I am usually more negative than positive.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I agree. I think for years I had a “positivity bias” where I somehow convinced myself that some legitimately questionable and even bad things I was doing were perfectly fine and okay with God and that I really didn’t have to pay much attention to God. I think many other Catholics think in this way too - hence the not going to confession and the not really being able to identify “sins” they committed - they do things like gossip, lie, make fun of people, have illicit sex etc but don’t see these things as sinful and say basically God doesn’t care.

There are some fundamentalist religions that see everything as a sin and some people who have scruples who see huge sins where most people see none, but in general people are pretty insensitive to the concept of sin.

 

[OneSheep]

What about people, though? Do you as a default think of people more in a negative, or a positive way?

 

[OneSheep]

So the question was, “how do you address the negativity in your prayer life?”. I mean, do you simply believe in the negative value of people (a lesser value), or do you do something else?

 

[Casilda]

I see this negativity bias in the uneducated and those who do not believe in a higher power (atheists).

 

[OneSheep]

I agree. I think for years I had a “positivity bias” where I somehow convinced myself that some legitimately questionable and even bad things I was doing were perfectly fine and okay with God and that I really didn’t have to pay much attention to God.

At the time, did you have a positive view of humanity, or a negative one? And now, has that changed?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I have a neutral view of humanity. I think some humans are very good, some humans are very bad, and the vast majority of them are just middling average. They do okay as long as too much temptation or stress isn’t put in their way.

I also don’t think human nature has changed very much in thousands of years, although I think Western society’s views have evolved over time so that women, racial-ethnic minorities, and gays have more rights and more dignity now than they used to.

I didn’t start seeing humanity as this big seething mass of sinners all of a sudden because I got back to religious practice, if that’s what you meant.

 

[Nelka]

Not sure what you mean.

 

[ascetic]

lol, big yes to your first question! The second is a bit longer.

By default, I have stumbled into a prayer while trying to freestyle-pray: “God guide me to think what you want me to think, forget what you want me to forget, remember what you want me to remember, and perceive what you want me to perceive.” Trying to take a more circumspect view is always the key. Often, I find myself praying for people and situations in ways that seem alien to me, but I try to have the faith that I’m hitting the mark somewhere. In the end, Almighty God knows my heart and my intentions better than I do. Have faith, OP.

 

[OneSheep]

“God guide me to think what you want me to think, forget what you want me to forget, remember what you want me to remember, and perceive what you want me to perceive.”

That’s an awesome prayer!

Does “what You want me to perceive” lead to a circumspection that addresses the negativity?

 

[OneSheep]

Not sure what you mean.

For example, I think the negativity bias draws us to seeing people as something less than the beautiful creatures we are. Perhaps we come to see parts of ourselves as “bad” in some way.

Can you relate to this way of viewing humanity?

 

[OneSheep]

I see this negativity bias in the uneducated and those who do not believe in a higher power (atheists).

Do you see this negativity bias in the uneducated and atheists, but not in people who believe in God?

I have a neutral view of humanity.

Is this based on behaviors?

I didn’t start seeing humanity as this big seething mass of sinners all of a sudden because I got back to religious practice, if that’s what you meant.

I gathered what you were saying was that it was very helpful to be aware of sin, in the way that it harms us and those around us.

Given that sin is alienation, and given our own natural “negative bias” toward those who have given in to temptation, do you see judgment of others (as bad, for example) as alienating, or is it more important that the judgment itself helps guide your own behavior, and the part about seeing others as “bad” is a worthwhile trade-off?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

do you see judgment of others (as bad, for example) as alienating, or is it more important that the judgment itself helps guide your own behavior, and the part about seeing others as “bad” is a worthwhile trade-off?

The priest last Monday at Mass gave a homily that pretty much consisted of the words “Don’t judge”.

Judgement is generally bad and to be avoided

 

[Casilda]

A Christian defaults to counting one’s blessings, recognizing God’s presence in their life, 24/7.

 

[OneSheep]

The priest last Monday at Mass gave a homily that pretty much consisted of the words “Don’t judge”.

Judgement is generally bad and to be avoided

Yeah, Jesus said the same thing, but He was also very realistic about judging, I think. Let’s face it, we all do it, and it is a gut-reaction, faster than we can say “I shouldn’t judge”, we do so anyway.

So Jesus did not waste His breath when He repeated the message of forgiveness. If people did not judge, then forgiveness would be a non-issue, right? So, judge we do, and then we are called to forgive. I’m thinking the “do not judge” message is more realistically “do not hang onto judgment”.

And really, if we say some people are “bad” is that not judgment? Sure, in a way it really serves society that we judge/label people this way, because it sets a standard for behavior, i.e. “don’t behave like the bad people”, right? This is a motivator for good behavior because everyone, with a few exceptions, wants to be a “good person”, right?

So, do you see what I am asking? Even though hanging onto judgment is somewhat alienating, is it more important that the judgment itself helps guide your own behavior, and the side issue of seeing some others as “bad” a worthwhile trade-off?

 

[OneSheep]

A Christian defaults to counting one’s blessings, recognizing God’s presence in their life, 24/7.

So… it sounds like you count your blessings. Great! Do you do so because of discipline, or do you do so because of some other reason?

Have you learned to count your blessings?

Also, are you observing that atheists and the uneducated are not thankful for life?

 

[ascetic]

I guess it’s kind of the goal, the exact one being literally: what God wants… I usually see it as more of a humble thought process, where I admit that I could be wrong and that pride (or other things) could be clouding my view. My view therein is forward looking as well, like I’m guarding against future negativity. So, I guess that it addresses the negativity. All I have to do is cooperate with God’s grace, which we can refuse due to free will. I may as well admit that I don’t always cooperate like I should.

 

[veritatisstella]

I’m with Ms. Bear. I see humanity in a neutral light. We are on the one hand beautiful creatures created in the image of God, but on the other hand we are also sinners. Some of us are worse sinners than others but we all are made to get to heaven.

I used to have a pretty negative view of one specific group of people though. Up until a few years ago I identified as a “traditional Catholic” and would say I had a pretty negative view of “Novus Ordo” Catholics, which is the majority of Catholics. I focused on abuses made to the liturgy, and statistics showing that high numbers of Catholics don’t believe in key dogmas like the Real Presence. At one point I even wondered how Novus Ordo Catholics could be saved. I had trouble believing John Paul II was actually a saint because he participated in interfaith dialogue. But once I finally came into contact with “Novus Ordo” Catholicism in college, I learned to drop my prejudices. I met people who truly loved God and made Him the center of their lives. And my focus shifted. I had previously had a very Pelagian attitude that could be summed up as “I can be a good Catholic by going to Latin Mass and believing every single Church teaching and defending the one true faith.” Now my attitude is more like “I can be a good Catholic by seeking to cooperate with God’s grace in my life and by striving to love Him and do His will.”