Combating Negative Bias
Saber tooth tigers used to stalk and kill us. Watch the Croods for a good example as to why negative bias was important to pay attention to. However, as the world evolves and technology creates ease and adaptability for us, there are fewer tigers, but our brains want to make everything into a tiger, you know, to protect us.
Our brains are experts at identifying threats, but not as skilled in identifying the glory and wonder of the world. As we grow up, the negative experiences, touching a hot stove, a bad break up, getting lost or separated from a parent, these experiences stand out as neon signs flashing warnings at our future selves to WATCH OUT!
Taking an asset-based approach to life takes practice and time. It requires creating new neuron wiring and practice. Dr. Rick Hanson, a neuroscientist, in his 2013 Tedx Talk talks about how our brains, little by little, can counter the negativity bias and build a hard-wired positivity response. He indicates that over time, neurons will learn a new pathway and start to fill our brains with the positive versus negative, but we have to work at it, it is growing new patterns, developing new habits.
In our work cultures, we often perpetuate a negativity bias or weakness driven environment, We do annual reviews in which we are asked to reflect on our strengths and weaknesses, and create goals to increase our weak areas. It is ineffective and doesn’t stick. However, if we instead, learn about our CliftonStrengths® , how they are productive or unproductive, and learn how to best communicate and modify them, we start to increase a positive mindset that values what is right and good with ourselves and others versus seeing everyone, or ourselves as a tiger.
Asset framing is the first step to uncovering the beautiful way we are wired, which opens up endless possibilities for impacting the world around us in powerful, positive ways.
Asset Framing
Puberty messes us all up. All of the sudden we care what other people say and do, care about the words that come out of their mouths, and are not told that for the next four years, hormones will drive while we hold on for dear life trying to figure out if we are in a perpetual fight or flight cycle. Will the waves of emotion pull us fully under?
We don’t talk about how puberty robs us of our own confidence by introducing comparison, self-doubt, negative bias, and inexcusable behavior from usually decent humans. Every middle school needs a class called, “Why did I do that?” and the answer most likely will be puberty. Why did I trip that guy? Impulse control is shot as you consider, what would that look like? What would happen if? And then hormones take over and, there you have it. Puberty.
Because we don’t talk about it, we have so many adults unsure, uneasy of their role in the world. Because what puberty robs from us, we have to build back. We also don’t talk about that. We don’t talk about the power of words and for every tearing down comment we receive it takes four authentic positive comments from people we trust, to out power that one put down.
It takes work to bring back the brilliance dampened by puberty. It takes work to build a personage that is truly ours, truly asset-framed, and actively fighting negative bias. The good news, is we can. We can stand on our assets. Most importantly, we can equip our kids with what is right and good about themselves as they navigate the crazy waters of teen-dom.
CliftonStrengths shows us our leadership wiring. When we learn more about how our top five strengths show up and work together, it gives us a clearer picture of what we bring to the world in addition to our dazzling personality. We bring our wiring, we bring our brains, we bring assets. When we are able to articulate our strengths to others, we have a common language steeped in assets. Steeped in showing what is right and good about each of us and how we show up in the world.
We have to actively create an asset-framed perspective to best serve ourselves and those around us, and it is crucial as we move through these revolutionary times to bring the very best version of ourselves forward. It is critical for our future to have adults who model actively being asset-based, asset-framed, and confidently letting kids know that puberty sucks, but we can get through it with our best in place.