“One reason that poor messages are so compelling is that we are emotional creatures, wired to pay consideration to harmful information,” said Joel Weinberger, a psychologist at Adelphi University in New York and owner of Implicit Strategies, a consulting firm that investigates subconscious impacts on behavior. “Think of our ancestors on the African savannah,” he said. “If you miss a leopard, it’s over for you. If you miss a deer, oh well, you’re hungry. People are more concentrated on bad counsel.
People stop for a car wreck, but there are no traffic jams for eye-catching plants.