Freakonomics Radio Reasons to Be Cheerful (Ep. 417 Rebroadcast)
Aug 19, 2021
Roy Baumeister, a renowned social psychologist known for his work on willpower, teams up with David Byrne, the creative force behind Talking Heads, to explore the human tendency to focus on negativity. They discuss how this
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Evolutionary Roots
- The negativity bias developed evolutionarily to prioritize survival threats.
- It was more crucial to avoid danger than to seek pleasure.
Friendship vs. Enmity
- Proximity increases the likelihood of forming enemies more than friendships.
- This contradicts the common belief that exposure breeds friendship.
Parenting and IQ
- Bad parenting can lower a child's IQ.
- Good parenting, however, does not increase it beyond their genetic potential.
