What is the main message of The Power of Bad?

The main message of The Power of Bad is that negative experiences have a stronger impact on our lives than positive ones.

How long does it take to read The Power of Bad?

The estimated reading time for The Power of Bad varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Is The Power of Bad a good book? Is it worth reading?

The Power of Bad is worth reading as it explores the power of negativity and provides insights on how to navigate a world filled with negative experiences.

Who is the author of The Power of Bad?

The authors of The Power of Bad are John Tierney and Roy Baumeister.

The Power of Bad Summary of Key Ideas and Review | John Tierney and Roy Baumeister

Name: The Power of Bad
Rating: 4.5 (189 reviews)
Author: John Tierney and Roy Baumeister

Introduction

What’s in it for me? An argument for optimism.

Why do we regularly remember moments of pain and embarrassment? Why does the nightly news always have to be so grim? And why are bad first impressions so hard to shake? According to authors John Tierney and Roy Baumeister, all these phenomena have one thing in common: negativity bias.

In these blinks, you’ll learn why negative feelings and events have so much power over our lives. Building on Roy Baumeister’s expertise as a renowned social psychologist and John Tierney’s decades of experience as a science writer, The Power of Bad outlines the roots of our bias toward pessimism, cynicism, and despair.

It’s not all bad news though. Once we understand why feelings of doom and gloom are so unreasonably powerful, it’s easier to set them aside. Throughout these blinks, you’ll discover positive strategies for approaching your personal problems and the world in a more rational, optimistic way.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

why yesterday’s music always seems better than today’s;
how to scare Puritans into attending church; and
why having friends will keep you healthy.

Key idea 1 of 9

Negative experiences are more powerful than positive ones.

Let’s say you’re in a relationship. Like most relationships, it’s not perfect. Sometimes, your partner is wonderful. They’re smart, kind, and funny. But, every so often, they’re the opposite. They’re mean, vindictive, and distant. Do you stick around?

Early in his career, Roy Baumeister found himself facing this very question. To make a decision, he kept track of the days. He recorded which were good, which were bad, and which were neutral. After a few months, the pattern was clear: the good days outnumbered the bad 2 to 1.

With this data, he knew what to do; he left.

The key message here is: Negative experiences are more powerful than positive ones.

If you’re like most people, you probably agree with Baumeister’s decision to break off the tumultuous and uneven romance. A relationship that is only pleasant two-thirds of the time doesn’t seem like an appealing prospect. For most people, “2 to 1” is not an acceptable positivity ratio.

This is a term used by social psychologists to describe the ratio between any given set of good and bad events. Countless studies have shown that, in many scenarios, an overall positive outcome requires a high positivity ratio. That is, positive events need to greatly outnumber negative ones.

A classic study conducted by psychologist John Gottman demonstrates how this works. He asked married couples to record their daily interactions as either positive or negative. He found that couples with an even number of good and bad interactions usually broke up. He also found that the happiest couples had at least five positive interactions for every negative one.

This 5-to-1 ratio is sometimes known as the Gottman Ratio. It works as a pretty good rule of thumb for measuring happiness in a relationship but can also work in other contexts.

To measure your own personal growth, Baumeister recommends aiming for at least four positives for every one negative. For instance, let’s say you’re trying to maintain a new habit like a daily yoga practice or skipping dessert after dinner. Don’t be too upset if you slip up one day. Instead, just try to hit your mark the next four days.

This 4-to-1 approach gives you a more accurate perspective on your overall success. It also keeps you from letting one setback set the tone of your entire week. In the next blink, we’ll look at some ways to maintain a high positivity ratio.

Key idea 2 of 9

The best way to keep things positive is to avoid negatives.

What qualities make you a catch as a partner? Maybe you’re a really good listener or have a great sense of humor. Or maybe you just have a killer sense of style. If you were making a personal ad, you might be tempted to start by listing these positive traits. And it would work – at least at first.

But if you’re looking for long-term compatibility, a social psychologist would advise you to take a different approach. Instead of boasting about your upsides, try bragging about your lack of downsides.

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Key idea 3 of 9

We can learn to control our negative feelings.

Picture it. You’re standing on a platform suspended 24 miles above the Mojave Desert. To handle the extreme altitude, you must wear an airtight suit and helmet. In a moment, you’ll lean forward and jump. As you fall, you’ll hit speeds of 800 miles per hour. The slightest mistake means certain death. In this moment, what would you be afraid of?

If you’re “Fearless Felix” Baumgartner, the man who made this record-breaking jump, it’s not the height that scares you. It’s the suit and helmet. Because here’s the thing: despite being a daredevil, Baumgartner is claustrophobic. To complete his extraordinary skydiving stunt he first had to master his very ordinary fear.

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Key idea 4 of 9

Criticism can be a potent tool when delivered correctly.

It’s the mid-80s, and Ronald Reagan is at the height of his popularity. He visits New York City and is greeted by Mayor Ed Koch and throngs of cheering crowds. As they drive through the city, Koch notices that the president is upset.

Why? Reagan saw something he couldn’t ignore: a single man giving him the finger. Even when surrounded by innumerable adoring masses, this lone detractor is what stood out to him.

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Key idea 5 of 9

Negative incentives are more effective than positive ones.

In the 1740s, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was facing a problem. The once-devout Puritans who lived there were no longer so pious. Residents preferred drinking ale and engaging in premarital sex to prayer and chastity. The churches were empty.

Preachers like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards had the answer to this problem. They didn’t entice Puritans back to church with tales of a loving god. Instead, they traveled the area giving fiery sermons about an angry and vengeful deity. Their gospel was clear: shape up, or face eternal damnation.

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Key idea 6 of 9

Negativity is contagious.

Have you ever had a depressing job, where just being at work lowered your mood? Psychologist Eliza Byington did, too. Her office was quiet and tense. No one mingled or socialized. Then, one day, something happened. The grumpiest, most dour colleague started working from home.

Once he departed, everything changed. Suddenly, the place came alive. People met in the breakroom and chatted in the halls. Coworkers went for after-work drinks and started bringing in snacks to share. It was like a whole new office.

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Key idea 7 of 9

Avoiding negative reviews online is essential in today’s business world.

The Casablanca Hotel is not the fanciest hotel in New York City. It’s fine, but it’s no luxury tower with sweeping views of Central Park. Still, its TripAdvisor page tells a different story. On this online review site, the Casablanca boasts near unanimous five-star reviews.

And it needs every last one of them. This business is competing with hundreds of other hotels around Manhattan. If that positivity ratio starts slipping, customers can easily find an alternative.

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Key idea 8 of 9

People are naturally positive, and that’s a good thing.

Remember the children’s character Pollyanna? This optimistic little girl always saw the bright side of every situation. No toys for Christmas? Not a problem. Bread and water for dinner? Delicious.

While Pollyanna is purely fictional, her attitude is very real. Study after study shows that Pollyanna’s positive outlook, sometimes called the “Pollyanna Principle,” is an essential part of the human psyche.

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Key idea 9 of 9

The world is doing better than you think.

Flip on the TV, and flick through the news channels. What do you see? Stories about gruesome terrorist rampages, shadowy hacker conspiracies, and alarming new technologies that threaten our way of life. Truly, it can look like the world is falling apart.

It’s enough to make even the most Pollyanna-ish person feel uneasy. But, before you panic and start building a bunker, take a deep breath. What you see on the news isn’t always an accurate picture of reality.

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