You get a glowing review from your manager, followed by one small critique. Hours later, the praise is gone, but the single negative line is still echoing in your head.
Why does it stick? Why do we replay criticism endlessly while compliments dissolve so quickly?
The answer isn’t weakness or thin skin. It’s wiring. Our brains evolved to treat threats and losses as disproportionately important. The echo of criticism is not a personal flaw — it’s a survival feature.
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