Why Negative Emotions Outlast Positive Emotions

The question is: Why do negative emotions outlast positive emotions?

This article will delve into this subject and provide explanations to how and why a negative emotion sticks with individuals far longer than positive ones.

When asking someone to try and recall the best day of their life and explain it with great detail may be a bit harder than one might think. Memories of their wedding day or the day their first child was born might still linger, but recalling the exact emotions of elation, and the over whelming happiness is rarely duplicated beyond that single, isolated moment. The positive feelings that were a result of those moments will fade. The death of a loved one will never be far from a person no matter how long ago it happened. A tragic accident can trigger emotions so strong that individuals will feel that they are experiencing it all over again.

There is a reasonable explanation for this occurrence, however. It is harder to adapt to negative emotions because of their traumatic consequences. Every negative emotion experienced leaves a psychological scar. Fear of a negative emotion is so great that individuals are left worrying it will happen all over again at any given moment.

Individuals adapt much quicker to positive emotions because they are welcoming to the senses. Positive emotions are associated with having fun or having something wonderful happen. Unfortunately, humans are well aware that we cannot feel like this at all times and the positive feelings eventually taper off when presented with a difficult situation.

It is up to the individual them self to learn to manage both negative and positive emotions. Immersion in positive emotions can leave a person in a state where they are avoiding daily responsibilities by doing whatever they can to make sure the positive feelings to not subside. This is not productive for every day living as it is merely an avoidance tactic.

Likewise, an individual may become consumed by negative emotions, leaving them in constant fear of the next bad event. This can produce anxiety, depression and even suicide.

Everyone has moments where it is hard to leave negative emotions and memories behind, but if there are intense feelings of negative emotions coupled with fear, anxiety, depression, withdrawal and thoughts of suicide, it is best to consult a professional. Many individuals find that they have trouble getting to a point where negative emotions are not so strong that it impedes with day to day activities.

In conclusion, while there is no clear cut scientific reasoning or cure for negative emotions outlasting positive emotions, there is valid reasoning as to why this occurs. Learning how you best cope with negative situations will decrease the time in which those emotions last.
 

Related Links:  positive emotions  negative emotions vs positive emotions  do positive emotions give off high frenquency sound waves  positive emotions examples  positive emotions cognitive  positive emotions health