Gambrah Sampeney KWABENA ADJEI
The recent controversy surrounding President Joe Biden’s derogatory remark about Donald Trump’s supporters highlights a fascinating phenomenon: our tendency to focus on the negative. But what is more intriguing is how Trump turned the tables, using the comment to his advantage.
This raises important questions: why do we instinctively suspect the worst?
Why do we critique so harshly?
And why do we often bring each other down?
At the heart of this issue lies a fundamental aspect of human nature: our inclination to condemn. We have all heard phrases like “one wrong deed wipes out all the good” or “you never know what they are hiding”.
These mindset-revealing statements expose our propensity to emphasise the negative.
This is not just a personal problem; it is a societal issue that permeates our media landscape.
The impact of social media manipulation
Research from the Oxford Internet Institute reveals that social media manipulation by political actors has become an industrial scale problem.
Governments, political parties and private firms are producing misinformation on a massive scale, exploiting our vulnerabilities.
This has significant implications for democracy as fake news and computational propaganda spread rapidly.
Understanding the laws of attraction and repetition
The media operates on laws of attraction and repetition, which can be leveraged to manipulative public opinion. Trump’s savvy approach to media demonstrates his grasp of these principles. By turning Biden’s remark into a positive, he showcased his ability to navigate the complex media landscape.
Breaking the cycle of negativity
To overcome our innate negativity bias, we must make a conscious decision to focus on the positive. This requires:
- Media literacy: Critical thinking and awareness of misinformation tactics
- Positive framing: Emphasising constructive aspects of issues and individuals
- Empathy: Understanding diverse perspectives and experiences
- Constructive criticism: Offering helpful feedback rather than destructive criticism
By adopting this mindset, we can create a more supportive environment where individuals and society can thrive.
As Trump’s response to Biden’s remark shows, every issue presents an opportunity for growth and improvement.
Let us choose to focus on the positive and break the cycle of negativity.
