Why Do We Remember Bad Memories More than Good Memories?

Negative events tend to induce stress, prompting our body to release the stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol. These hormones are believed to influence the basolateral amygdala (BLA), which is responsible for storing fear-conditioned responses. As these hormones are released in response to negative circumstances, they enhance the recollection of negative events. The amygdala becomes highly activated, transmitting intense emotion-oriented signals to the hippocampus. The overall outcome is a pronounced recollection of the negative incident, encompassing both memory and emotion. Scientists believe that this tendency has evolutionary importance. The sole purpose of recollecting negative incidents is for us to remember, recognize, and beware of such threats in the future.