Why Your Brain Clings to the Bad — And How to Train It Otherwise #48
In today’s episode, we dig into one of the most powerful (and most misunderstood) features of the human brain: your built in negativity bias.
You'll learn:
- why your brain holds onto negative experiences
- why “reality” is filtered, not objective
- how the Reticular Activating System (RAS) decides what you notice
- and how mountain biking is a surprisingly effective tool for retraining your attention
If you’ve ever wondered why one bad ride, one mistake, or one negative comment sticks in your mind far longer than all the good stuff combined, this episode will finally help you make sense of it and CHANGE it! You’ll learn practical, science-backed tools to start training your attention today (on the trail and in daily life) so your brain becomes better at noticing possibilities, capabilities, and micro-wins instead of dangers and mistakes to build a more supportive inner environment.
We explore:
- Baumeister et al., “Bad Is Stronger Than Good”
- the fast subcortical threat pathway that triggers your amygdala before you can think
- why positive moments fade unless you consciously reinforce them
- how attention literally rewires your neural pathway Hebbian learning
- and why your RAS acts like a “bouncer,” filtering your world based on what you engage with
✨ Patreon Bonus: Patrons get a free downloadable cheat sheet that summarizes all tools and concepts from today’s episode.
Join here to get it PLUS other exclusive perks: https://www.patreon.com/c/rideandinspire
This episode is not sponsored. It’s made possible by the lovely humans who support my work on Patreon. If you want to help me keep creating science-based, real-talk MTB content, JOIN my Patreon, thank you. 🩵
Research, Citations & Sources:All of what I mention in this episode is solid sports psychology:
Negativity Bias — “Bad Is Stronger Than Good”: Baumeister, R.F., Bratslavsky, E., Finkenauer, C., & Vohs, K.D. (2001).
Review of General Psychology, 5(4), 323–370. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.5.4.323
Fast Threat Detection, Subcortical “Low Road” Pathway: This is Joseph LeDoux’s foundational fear-circuit research. Emotion circuits in the brain. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 23, 155–184. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.neuro.23.1.155
Subcortical fast route via thalamus → amygdala This paper describes how threat cues take a fast shortcut to the amygdala. Morris, J.S., Ohman, A., & Dolan, R.J. (1999).
A subcortical pathway to the right amygdala mediating “unseen” fear. PNAS, 96(4), 1680–1685. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.96.4.1680
Emotional memory consolidation — why threat sticks more. This is the amygdala → memory research that explains why negative events imprint so strongly. Phelps, E.A., & LeDoux, J.E. (2005). Contributions of the amygdala to emotion processing: From animal models to human behavior. Neuron, 48(2), 175–187. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2005.09.025
Cognitive attention networks — why attention shapes perception. This is the Corbetta & Shulman paper: Corbetta, M., & Shulman, G.L. (2002). Control of goal-directed and stimulus-driven attention in the brain. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 3, 201–215. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn755
Hebbian Learning = “Neurons that fire together wire together”. This is the classic foundation for how repeated thoughts build neural pathways. Hebb, D.O. (1949).
The Organization of Behavior. New York: Wiley & Sons. https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/neuroscience/hebbian-learning
Dopamine, reward learning, and the need for repetition. Wise, R.A. (2004). Dopamine, learning and motivation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 5(6), 483–494.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1406
Speaking cues aloud improves focus + reduces fear, Research on self-talk regulating attention and performance: Theodorakis, Y., Hatzigeorgiadis, A., & Chroni, S. (2008).
Self-talk: Positive impact on sports performance. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 20(2), 178–195. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26167788/
Reticular Activating System (RAS): The RAS has decades of neuroanatomical research. A clean modern summary is: Moruzzi, G., & Magoun, H.W. (1949). Brain stem reticular formation and activation of the EEG. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 1(4), 455–473. DOI: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0013469449902199?via%3Dihub
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