Why Pessimistic Headlines Sell But Optimistic Ones Don’t

Thomas Davis
4 min readFeb 13, 2024

And Why It Is Not Our Fault

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Bubonic plague case reported in China

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These are just a few of the headlines in USA Today newspaper Monday morning. Unfortunately, this is not the only place headlines like this appear. Check out any other paper, magazine or any other news reporting agency like CNN or Fox News.

It is not just news outlets that perpetuate this pessimistic gloom and doom. We have all seen sensational headlines and articles predicting the end of the world, the next stock market crash, an alien takeover or how America will turn socialist, communist, Islamic or whatever the hell else they imagine this country becoming.

What is it that we find fascinating about pessimistic headlines and news? Why do we continue to fall into the same trap of craving these articles and stories?

Well this article will explain why we love to read why something destructive is going to happen and not anything that will help society.

Hardwired in Our DNA

Our attraction to these headlines might not be our fault. We have been conditioned to be pessimistic since…

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Thomas Davis
Thomas Davis

Written by Thomas Davis

Writer, motivational blogger, self-development,deep thinker, storyteller

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