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Happiness and the Primitive Brain

By cartwheel

Posted on February 1, 2025

Our brains are hardwired for negativity—not because we’re doomed to be unhappy, but because survival once depended on it. 38 Hertz is about finding ways to feel happier one thought or activity at a time.

Our tendency to think negatively is deeply rooted in evolution, psychology, and brain chemistry. Early humans who were more alert to dangers—such as predators, food shortages, or conflicts—were more likely to survive and pass down their genes.

As a result, our brains became wired to prioritize negative information over positive experiences. The amygdala, the brain’s fear center, processes negative emotions more intensely and stores them in long-term memory. This is why one criticism sticks with us longer than ten compliments.

The media capitalizes on bad news because our brains react more strongly to potential threats. Social conditioning also plays a role, as many people grow up receiving more criticism than praise, shaping how they perceive the world.

Moreover, our minds are problem-solving machines, constantly scanning for issues to fix, making negativity feel more urgent and real than happiness. Negative emotions, such as fear and anxiety, trigger the fight-or-flight response, making them feel more immediate than joy. While negativity is natural, we can counteract it by practicing gratitude, reframing thoughts, and consciously seeking positivity in daily life.

How You Can Counteract Negative Thinking for More Happiness

To stop your brain from thinking negatively and rewire it for positivity, you need to interrupt negative thought patterns and replace them with healthier ones. Start by practicing awareness—when a negative thought arises, pause and question its validity. Actively reframe it into a more constructive perspective. With consistency, your brain will form new connections, making positivity your default state instead of negativity.

Practice Gratitude Daily: Focus on what’s going right instead of what’s wrong. Write down three things you’re grateful for each day.
Reframe Negative Thoughts: Challenge automatic negative thinking by asking, “Is this really true?” Replace limiting beliefs with more constructive ones.
Limit Exposure to Negativity: Reduce time spent on negative news, toxic social media, and draining conversations. Choose uplifting content and influences.
Engage in Positive Self-Talk: Speak to yourself with kindness and encouragement, as you would to a friend. Replace self-criticism with self-compassion.
Move Your Body: Physical activity releases chemicals in the brain that improve mood and reduce stress. A short walk or stretch can help shift your mindset.
Focus on Solutions, Not Problems: Instead of dwelling on difficulties, shift your energy toward what you can do to improve the situation. Taking action builds confidence.
Surround Yourself with Positivity: Spend time with supportive people who inspire and uplift you. Their energy will help you cultivate a more positive outlook.
Practice Mindfulness and Deep Breathing: Staying present can help break cycles of overthinking. Meditation, deep breathing, or simply focusing on the present moment can bring clarity.
Engage in Activities That Bring You Joy: Creative outlets, hobbies, and enjoyable activities shift focus away from negative thoughts and provide a sense of fulfillment.
Laugh More: Laughter has been proven to reduce stress and improve mood. Watch something funny, tell a joke, or spend time with people who make you laugh.

What the Experts Say About Negative Thinking

Anne Borges, Mental Health Writer for Self, pens the article, “Do Yourself a Favor and Write Down Your Negative Thoughts.” She suggests writing down negative thoughts, however benign they might seem, to identify patterns. Even a single thought written down provides insight; now why am I thinking that way? Once you do the exercise regularly, you’ll be able to identify patterns.

VeryWellMind offers a comprehensive discussion on negative thinking – identifying different types of negative thinking, along with tools and tips to overcome them. Here are 10 great tips from VWM:

Ask yourself if the thought is realistic.
Think of what happened in the past in similar situations and evaluate if your thoughts are on course with what took place.
Actively challenge the thought and look for alternative explanations.
Think of what you’d gain versus what you’d lose by continuing to believe the thought.
Recognize if your thought is actually a result of a cognitive distortion, such as catastrophizing.
Consider what you’d tell a friend having the same thought.

Are You a Pessimist? Take the Quiz:
The VeryWellMind FREE test to find out if you are more of an optimist, pessimist, or somewhere in between.

Forbes: Fix The Primitive Mental Bug That Threatens Your Happiness

Carmine Gallo, Senior Contributor of Forbes, tells us that negative thinking is very normal. In fact, it takes extra effort to thinkg positivel, and here’s why”

“Worrying is the brain’s default position,” writes Gawdat. “Ample research has shown that we tend to think negative—self critical, pessimist, and fearful—thoughts more often than positive thoughts…Most of us tend to be negative most of the time.”

Our bias toward the negative is a mental holdover of our primitive brains. Negativity served an evolutionary purpose at one time, but acts more like a computer bug today. According to Gawdat, our brain is wired to look for threats. Its sole purpose is survival. If our ancestors were too optimistic, they wouldn’t have survived. The person who said— “There’s no tiger in the cave. Let’s go explore it”—didn’t live long. Our brain is programmed to find fault, seek out problems, criticize, judge, and complain. It doesn’t care if we’re engage in our work, fulfilled, joyful, and happy. Its purpose is to protect, not to encourage.”

The Hebbian Theory addresses the old adage, “Neurons that Fire Together Wire Together.” The core concept is an old one: when two cells or systems of cells are repeatedly activated together, they gradually form a connection, making it easier for one to trigger activity in the other. Here are some real-life examples of how the Hebbian Theory works:

Learning to Ride a Bike
When a child first learns to ride a bike, their brain repeatedly activates neurons responsible for balance, pedaling, and steering. Over time, these neurons form stronger connections, making biking feel natural and automatic.
Memorizing a Song
Listening to and singing a song repeatedly strengthens the neural pathways associated with its lyrics and melody. Eventually, the brain associates certain words with specific tunes, allowing effortless recall.
Typing on a Keyboard
At first, finding the right keys takes conscious effort. But with repeated practice, the brain strengthens connections between finger movements and key locations, enabling fast and accurate typing without looking.

Changing negative thinking using Hebbian theory involves deliberately rewiring neural connections by repeatedly activating positive or constructive thought patterns. Since “neurons that fire together, wire together,” here’s how you can shift from negative to positive thinking:

1. Replace Negative Thoughts with Positive Ones
- Each time a negative thought arises (“I’m not good enough”), consciously replace it with a positive one (“I am learning and improving every day”).
- Over time, the new thought pattern strengthens, making positivity more automatic.
2. Practice Gratitude Regularly
- Repeatedly focusing on things you’re grateful for builds strong neural pathways associated with positive emotions.
- Keeping a daily gratitude journal helps reinforce this shift.
3. Visualize Positive Outcomes
- Instead of dwelling on fears or failures, regularly imagine yourself succeeding.
- This strengthens neural connections related to confidence and motivation.
4. Engage in Positive Self-Talk
- Speaking kindly to yourself, even when you make mistakes, strengthens self-compassion networks in the brain.
- Over time, this reduces self-criticism and increases resilience.
5. Surround Yourself with Positivity
- Spending time with positive people and consuming uplifting content reinforces optimistic thought patterns.
- Repeated exposure helps rewire the brain toward constructive thinking.
By consistently applying these strategies, the brain gradually rewires itself to make positive thinking the default, weakening the old negative pathways.

On the Other Hand

VeryWellMind also explores “toxic positivity.”

Toxic positivity is the excessive and unrealistic focus on positive thinking, to the point where it dismisses, invalidates, or suppresses real emotions, especially negative ones. It implies that people should always stay happy, no matter the circumstances, which can be harmful.

Signs of Toxic Positivity:

Dismissing Difficult Emotions – Saying “Just stay positive” when someone is struggling instead of acknowledging their feelings.
Forcing Positivity – Expecting people to always be cheerful and optimistic, even in genuinely tough situations.
Shaming Negative Feelings – Making people feel guilty for expressing sadness, anger, or frustration.
Ignoring Real Problems – Avoiding difficult conversations by only focusing on “good vibes.”
Minimizing Struggles – Saying “It could be worse” instead of offering support and understanding.

Why It’s Harmful:

Suppressing emotions can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and even depression.
Invalidating experiences makes people feel unheard and unsupported.
Creates unrealistic expectations that happiness is the only acceptable emotion.

A Healthier Alternative:

Instead of toxic positivity, practice emotional validation and balanced optimism:
✔ Acknowledge that struggles are real (“It’s okay to feel this way”).
✔ Encourage hope and solutions (“This is hard, but you’re not alone”).
✔ Allow space for both positive and negative emotions to coexist.

True emotional well-being comes from embracing the full range of human emotions, not forcing constant happiness.