Why do we hate things more easily than we like?

You went to a restaurant for dinner with your girlfriend. The food was great, the wine was perfect and the service was exemplary from beginning to end of the evening. However, when removing the plates, the waiter accidentally bumps into the glass and some wine falls on his clothes. Would you remember the night and the place as good or bad?

According to psychologist Peter Noel Murray, in an article written for the publication Psychology Today, humans tend to record the experience that is beyond expectations. And believe me, we don't do that because we're pessimistic, but because it's a feature of our brain.

By nature, we tend to interpret what is good as "expected" behavior. In this way, everything that goes beyond what was predicted tends to be understood by the brain as a kind of more intense "emotion". Therefore, at a time when there are several positive situations, one negative is enough to make it stand out and be more easily remembered.

Source: Psychology Today