J. Tierney, R. F. Baumeister: The power of bad: And how to overcome it

Abstract

American psychologists Roy Baumeister and John Tierney, in their book "The Power of Bad: And How to Overcome it" (New York, Penguin Press 2019), show why evil is inexorably stronger than good. The negativity of our brains makes evolutionary sense because it kept our ancestors alert to fatal dangers, but it distorts our view of the world today. The constant barrage of bad news and the spread of crises makes us feel helpless and unnecessarily frightened and angry. Ignoring our many blessings, we prefer to heed – and choose – the voices that tell us the world is going to hell.