11. 27. 35. Those arbitrary numbers remained in my head for an entire week. They were questions I knew I missed on my last test. I could recall nearly every detail from those questions, and the answer choices they provided. When I look them over after the test, I can answer all of the questions without hesitation. But when it comes to figuring out how to move on and ultimately become content, I draw a blank, just like on that day of the test. The pattern stays static, and though I do well on tests, I desire perfection, that cherry on top to cement that I know the material in and out. That has been my mentality to as far back as I can remember. But at times, it can eat at you, until you feel like an empty shell of your former self. That’s how …show more content…
After reading and learning more about the “negativity bias”, and that “Over and over again, psychologists find that the human mind reacts to bad things more quickly, strongly, and persistently than to equivalent good things. We can’t just will ourselves to see everything as good because our minds are wired to find and react to threats, violations, and setbacks” (Haidt 29). In order to counteract this negativity bias, I would attempt to conduct a conscious effort to just try to process what’s happening first before I made any judgment of myself. At this time, I had no knowledge of the negativity bias, but I did know the general concepts behind it, though a bare one at that. Beating myself over a test was not going to solve my issues, and so slowing down, analyzing my study habits leading up to the exam, and reviewing my time management, became a common process for me to go through when I did not perform up to expectations. By going through this process, I was able to isolate myself from the negative event, and thus remain an overall happier individual while being able to learn what I did wrong and how to improve for the