PositivityPositivity
All In The Mind
There is a fundamental asymmetry between human beings' negative and positive emotions. For good evolutionary biological reasons our negative emotions are stronger, yet we experience positivity more often.
28:50•14 Jun 2015
Positivity, The Science Of Feeling Better And Living Well
Episode Overview
- Positive emotions are brief but can widen awareness, improve relationships and support physical health.
- Practices like loving-kindness meditation help shift focus from self-concern to warm concern for others.
- Negative emotions are valuable when they match real circumstances but become less helpful when driven by old wounds or future worries.
- Daily habits of thought, including more compassionate interpretations and genuine gratitude, strongly affect emotional balance.
- Scheduling activities and social time that reliably spark joy or calm can increase positivity over time.
“I think of positive emotions as nutrients in the same way that we need to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to be healthy next season.”
What drives someone to seek a brighter, more positive mindset, even when life feels heavy? This episode of All In The Mind takes that question seriously, as Lyn Malcolm chats with social psychologist Professor Barbara Fredrickson from The University of North Carolina. You’ll hear how Fredrickson defines positivity as a mindset that sparks emotions like joy, gratitude, serenity and inspiration, and why she sees these feelings as "nutrients" rather than fluffy extras.
She explains that positive emotions are brief yet powerful; they widen our awareness, help us "see the big picture", strengthen social bonds and even influence physical health, from heart rhythms to immune responses. Fredrickson describes her research methods, from lab experiments that compare people in positive, neutral and negative states to longer-term studies where participants learn practices such as loving-kindness meditation.
Those classic phrases — "may you feel safe, may you feel happy, may you feel healthy, may you live with ease" — are used to shift people from self-absorption towards a warmer, more other-focused way of being. The conversation also tackles scepticism about positive psychology. Fredrickson stresses that negativity has an important role, especially when emotions like anger and sadness fit real circumstances.
She talks about our built-in "negativity bias", genetic influences on happiness, and why forced cheerfulness or chasing happiness too hard can backfire. You’ll get practical ideas too: reflecting each evening on meaningful social moments, expressing gratitude in ways that genuinely praise the other person, and deliberately arranging your day to include activities that reliably lift your mood.
Throughout, Fredrickson keeps returning to one message — positive emotions matter for health, relationships and resilience, but they need to be genuine and grounded. If you’re curious about how small daily shifts in thinking and connection might change your emotional "diet", this conversation might get you wondering what tiny positive moments you could add to your day today.
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