Positive or Negative?
Although in some cases negative experiences are simply unpleasant, there are some instances where good things have come from them. For example, feeling angry and upset at companies that are exacerbating plastic pollution may lead a person to become active in local rallies, groups and signing petitions. So even though initially the experience was negative it can help drive a person towards their goals and potentially to having positive experiences.
Some other benefits of negative experiences are listed below:
- They communicate to us and can help us to understand a situation i.e. experiencing negative feelings in a situation may help us to understand that this is not good for us or that we need to get out of that situation.
- They lead to physiological changes which are helpful to us e.g. experiencing fear triggers the fight or flight response, so on a dark street alone at night having a heightened sense of awareness may be functional.
- They can help us to communicate with others i.e. not only do they let us know how we are feeling but they can let those around us know how we are feeling, sometimes in the absence of words
As well as these benefits, evidence suggests that following a negative experience, people who have and recognise the positive emotions alongside negative ones show greater
psychological wellbeing a year later.
Take a look at the Ted talk below where Susan David talks about her life, emotions and how we can be open and non-judgemental about them:
Video
Consider more:
u003cp class=u0022p1u0022u003e1) Can you think of a negative experienced which demonstrated any of the benefits listed above?u003c/pu003ernu003cp class=u0022p1u0022u003e2) Can you think of any other benefits that have come from the negative experiences in your life?u003c/pu003e
You might want to make notes at this point. These may help you remember things, work out what you want or see how much you’ve changed if you read them again in a few years’ time.