"By good we understand desirable, beneficial, or pleasant outcomes including states or consequences. Bad is the opposite: undesirable, harmful, or unpleasant. Strength refers to the causal impact. To say that bad is stronger than good is thus to say that bad things will produce larger, more consistent, more multifaceted, or more lasting effects than good things...
"...We have concluded that bad is stronger than good, yet a wealth of data suggest that life is good and people are largely happy (D. G. Myers, 1992). How can good overcome the greater power of bad to make life seemingly so wonderful? There are several answers.
"Good can overcome bad by force of numbers. To maximize the power of good, these numbers must be increased. This can be done by creating more goods. For example, in a romantic relationship each partner can make an effort to be nice to the other consistently. Such small acts of kindness are important for combating the bads that will typically occur. Indeed, if Gottman (1994) is correct, the ratio should be at least five goods for every bad. Likewise, individuals can make an effort to recognize and appreciate the goods that they have—celebrating each small success, being thankful for health, and having gratitude for supportive others..."
Bad Is Stronger Than Good Roy F. Baumeister and Ellen Bratslavsky
Case Western Reserve University
Catrin Finkenauer
Free University of Amsterdam
Kathleen D. Vohs
Case Western Reserve University
"The greater power of bad events over good ones is found in everyday events, major life events (e.g., trauma), close relationship outcomes, social network patterns, interpersonal interactions, and learning processes. Bad emotions, bad parents, and bad feedback have more impact than good ones, and bad information is processed more thoroughly than good. The self is more motivated to avoid bad self-definitions than to pursue good ones. Bad impressions and bad stereotypes are quicker to form and more resistant to disconfirmation than good ones. Various explanations such as diagnosticity and salience help explain some findings, but the greater power of bad events is still found when such variables are controlled. Hardly any exceptions (indicating greater power of good) can be found. Taken together, these findings suggest that bad is stronger than good, as a general principle across a broad range of psychological phenomena." This is a 48-page research document copyrighted in 2001
Total Members: 
