When the defense system is strong and running the show, it makes it easier to recall negative events and ideas, leading to more negative effects that impact our feelings, our reactions, how we make choices, formulate our outlook on the world and view our interpersonal relationships. Here are a few areas where negativity bias takes effect in daily life:

Mood

Because repetitive negative processing leads to long-term changes in the brain structures responsible for defensive actions, over time these circuits become very strong and are easily activated. Even on a good day, defensive responding remains stronger, making it difficult to shake an embarrassing moment, an unkind comment, or environmental disasters and unrest. 

Decision-making

When defensive circuits are strong, information regarding what we may lose rather than what we might gain can greatly affect our decisions, as well as increase memory for the times we have failed rather than the times we have succeeded. This leads to missing out on rewarding opportunities that could contribute to a host of more positive events. 

Interpersonal relationships

Monitoring and assessing the environment for threats amplifies the flaws of people we are close to. We note failures more quickly, think about them more often, and store them more permanently than instances when the interaction was more positive. This negativity bias in relationships leads to fragile and strained bonds with family, friends, and partners that are overwhelmed by a few negative, rather than perhaps the more frequent positive, interactions. 

World view

Because humans are drawn to the negative, the information delivered by news and social media outlets prioritizes bad news, rather than good news, leaving us feeling stressed, anxious and hopeless. The negative information we see and hear takes over and remains central in our thoughts, bringing us back for more, to our detriment and their gain. The more negative information we process, the more we strengthen and reinforce the parts of our brain built to respond defensively in the world. Like any snowball effect, it becomes difficult to see any good in our lives.

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