The document discusses the importance of negative feedback for personal and professional growth, emphasizing that it triggers more engagement and learning than positive feedback. It argues that negative feedback fosters a growth mindset, resilience, and better innovation by encouraging individuals to embrace challenges and learn from failures. The final section encourages cultivating a feedback-friendly culture in various settings, highlighting its necessity for improvement and creativity.

1. by
Niki Weber
Research Lead
Adam Wiese
Date
March 9, 2013
Email
NikiWeber@Me.com
Linked In
linkedin.com/in/NikiWeber
Hashtag
#badbrain
Feedback Url
sxsw.tv/cqp
Why your brain needs negative feedback

2. A look back at
my 2012 SXSW talk
5 REASONS YOU SHOULD STOP INVESTING IN FACEBOOK
2 Why your brain needs negative feedback The set-up

3. The topic seemed to
connect with the audience
3 Why your brain needs negative feedback The set-up

4. Facebook seems
to be a fan
4 Why your brain needs negative feedback The set-up

5. I failed to account for
the SXSW bubble
5 Why your brain needs negative feedback The set-up

6. At sxsw
Kool-aid is guzzled
6 Why your brain needs negative feedback The set-up

7. But, too much
Kool-aid can be damaging
7 Why your brain needs negative feedback The set-up

8. The perfect
sequence of events
SXSW
BUBBLE
CREATIVE
CULTURE
FULL-TIME
START-UPS BRAIN TRAINING
START-UP
MANAGING
MILLENNIALS
FIGHT
CLUB
8 Why your brain needs negative feedback The set-up

9. 9 Why your brain needs negative feedback The set-up

10. The perfect
sequence of events
SXSW
BUBBLE
CREATIVE
CULTURE
FULL-TIME
START-UPS BRAIN TRAINING
START-UP
MANAGING
MILLENNIALS
FIGHT
CLUB
10 Why your brain needs negative feedback The set-up

11. The positive benefits of
– negative feedback +
11 Why your brain needs negative feedback The set-up

12. POWER POWER
of of
POSITIVITY FAILING
POSITIVE NEGATIVE
The sweet
spot
12 Why your brain needs negative feedback The pre-emption

13. The experts who
helped make this a reality
DR. CAROL DWECK TERESA AMABILE
Professor of Psychology at Stanford University Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration at Harvard
Ph.D. Social and Developmental Psychology, Yale University Director of Research
DR. CHRISTIAN STADLER DR. KEITH WILCOX
Associate Professor in Strategic Management Assistant Professor of Marketing, Columbia University, 2012 – Present
Warwick Business School, University of Bath School of Management, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Babson College, 2009 – 2012
Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and Innsbruck University Lecturer, Baruch College, 2005 –2009
DR. JASON MOSER ANDREW STEPHENS
Assistant Professor at Michigan State University Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Katz Fellow in Marketing
Ph.D. University of Delaware 2009 in Clinical Psychology Decision, Operations and Information Technology
PhD (with distinction) - marketing, Columbia University
MPhil - marketing, Columbia University
HENRY POLOSKI BBus (Honors) - marketing, University of Queensland, Australia
Engineer and author of “To Error is Human” BEng (Honors) - civil engineering, University of Queensland, Australia
and “To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure”
HARA ESTROFF MARANO
DR. NANCY BUCK Editor at Large of Psychology Today
Ph.D. in developmental psychology Creator of “Peaceful Parenting”
JOHN CACIOPPO
DR. DAVE NUSSBAUM Tiffany & Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science at Director, Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience
the University of Chicago; Worked with Carol Dweck at Stanford Director, Social Neuroscience Laboratory
DR. ROY BAUMEISTER
FSU Professor and author of “Bad is Stronger than Good”
13 Why your brain needs negative feedback The pre-emption

14. “Negativeinfeedback has onlybeen
helped me my career and has
integral to my success. Every time I
fail I find a new hole in my
performance, writing and work ethic
that I can only fix after negative
feedback from a crowd. Only by
failing repeatedly and aggressively
can I ever hope to become perfect.”
- Anthony Jeselnik
14 Why your brain needs negative feedback The pre-emption

15. Let’s lay
the groundwork
15 Why your brain needs negative feedback The pre-emption

16. The problem:
Cultural kumbaya
FROM TO
here here
s t e e
ie gh ar ic
h
iv uo ai
n
iv ck ar
d gh on
ph ou ss Q Br
t a
ou ti
Sm dw Pa s Ac db H di
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o En So
n tu ur e
or
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od Sa a Yo Fe d d
ed o ’r
e
ck St th
W
oo i te
it G ou a ng lly G im
lim
b gi ow a t L
Y ed en G
r Re o
Un Fe al
l
ou
N
Ch Y
16 Why your brain needs negative feedback The pre-emption

17. Regarding the elephant in the room:
I’m not advocating
being an ass
17 Why your brain needs negative feedback The pre-emption

18. This is
negative feedback
in the spirit of growth and progress
objective criticism
failure
growth mindset
experimentation
stress
resilience
mistake
error
risk
adversity
surprise
18 Why your brain needs negative feedback
optimism The pre-emption

19. This is not
negative feedback
providing vague, unmeasurable feedback
having no light at the end of the tunnel
partaking in avoidable errors
being mean and biting
postulating thoughtlessly
having a temper
observing in silence
engaging in cynacism
complaining
19 Why your brain needs negative feedback
oppression The pre-emption

20. A quick
level-set
The level-set

21. Brain basics:
Operant
conditioning
A form of learning whereby an individual
changes its behavior because of the
consequences (results) of the behavior.
(The person or animal learns its behavior has a consequence.)
21 Why your brain needs negative feedback The level-set

22. Brain basics:
Neuroplasticity
"The principal activities of brains are
making changes in themselves."
—Marvin L. Minsky (from Society of the Mind, 1986)
22 Why your brain needs negative feedback The level-set

23. Brain basics:
Negative bias
Negativity bias is the psychological
phenomenon by which humans pay more
attention to and give more weight to
negative rather than positive experiences
or other kinds of information
23 Why your brain needs negative feedback The level-set

24. A negative feedback
warm-up
24 Why your brain needs negative feedback The level-set

25. The Coach
You gave great effort but
25 Why your brain needs negative feedback The level-set

26. The Tailor
That dress looks amazing but
26 Why your brain needs negative feedback The level-set

27. The Parent
Nice effort but
27 Why your brain needs negative feedback The level-set

28. 28 Why your brain needs negative feedback

29. Fact#1
“The mother of all facts”
GROWTH MIND-SETS LEAD TO MORE
FUTURE SUCCESS THAN FIXED.
29 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

30. Fixed INTELLIGENCE
The mind-set Growth
INTELLIGENCE
IS STATIC CAN BE DEVELOPED
Leads to a desire to Leads to a desire
look smart and to learn and
therefore a tendency therefore a tendency
to... to...
30 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

31. Fixed INTELLIGENCE
The mind-set Growth
INTELLIGENCE
IS STATIC CAN BE DEVELOPED
Leads to a desire to Leads to a desire
look smart and to learn and
therefore a tendency therefore a tendency
to... to...
AVOID EMBRACE
CHALLENGES CHALLENGES
Challenges
31 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

32. Fixed INTELLIGENCE
The mind-set Growth
INTELLIGENCE
IS STATIC CAN BE DEVELOPED
Leads to a desire to Leads to a desire
look smart and to learn and
therefore a tendency therefore a tendency
to... to...
GIVE UP PERSIST IN
EASILY THE FACE OF
SETBACKS
Obstacles
32 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

33. Fixed INTELLIGENCE
The mind-set Growth
INTELLIGENCE
IS STATIC CAN BE DEVELOPED
Leads to a desire to Leads to a desire
look smart and to learn and
therefore a tendency therefore a tendency
to... to...
FEEL FIND
THREATENED LESSONS AND
BY THE INSPIRATION
SUCCESS IN THE SUCCESS
OF OTHERS OF OTHERS
Success of Others
33 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

34. Fixed INTELLIGENCE
The mind-set Growth
INTELLIGENCE
IS STATIC CAN BE DEVELOPED
Leads to a desire to Leads to a desire
look smart and to learn and
therefore a tendency therefore a tendency
to... to...
MAY PLATEAU REACH
EARLY AND EVER HIGHER
ACHIEVE LESS LEVELS OF
THAN THEIR ACHIEVEMENT
FULL POTENTIAL
Achievement
34 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

35. Fixed INTELLIGENCE
The mind-set Growth
INTELLIGENCE
IS STATIC CAN BE DEVELOPED
Leads to a desire to Leads to a desire
look smart and to learn and
therefore a tendency therefore a tendency
to... to...
SEE EFFORT AS SEE EFFORT AS
FRUITLESS A PATH TO
OR WORSE MASTERY
Effort
35 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

36. Fixed INTELLIGENCE
The mind-set Growth
INTELLIGENCE
IS STATIC CAN BE DEVELOPED
Leads to a desire to Leads to a desire
look smart and to learn and
therefore a tendency therefore a tendency
to... to...
IGNORE LEARN FROM
USEFUL CRITICISM
NEGATIVE
FEEDBACK
Criticism
36 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

37. Fixed INTELLIGENCE
The mind-set Growth
INTELLIGENCE
IS STATIC CAN BE DEVELOPED
Leads to a desire to Leads to a desire
look smart and to learn and
therefore a tendency therefore a tendency
to... to...
ALL THIS ALL THIS
CONFIRMS A GIVES THEM A
DETERMINISTIC GREATER SENSE
VIEW OF THE OF FREE WILL
WORLD
Result
37 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

38. Fact #2:
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
TRIGGERS MORE
STIMULATION IN THE
BRAIN THAN POSITIVE
FEEDBACK
38 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

39. Fact #3:
NEGATIVE
REINFORCEMENT
CAUSES FASTER
LEARNING THAN
POSITIVE
REINFORCEMENT
39 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

40. Fact #4:
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
IS INSTINCTUAL
40 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts The facts

41. Fact #5:
ALL NEGATIVE
FEEDBACK IS
NOT EQUAL
41 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

42. Fact #6:
NEGATIVE IS STRONGER
THAN POSITIVE FROM
AN EMOTIONAL AND
COGNITIVE
STANDPOINT
42 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

43. Fact #7:
TOO MUCH POSITIVE
FEEDBACK HAS BEEN
PROVEN TO MAKE A
PERSON LESS TOLERANT
OF RISK AND CRITICISM,
LESS CURIOUS, AND
LESS CREATIVE
43 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

44. Fact#8:
WE EXPERIENCE
BIOLOGICAL GROWTH
IN THE WAKE OF
MODERATE TRAUMA
44 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

45. Fact #9:
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK IS
MORE INFORMATIVE
THAN POSITIVE
45 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

46. Fact #10:
NEGATIVE EVENTS WEAR
OFF MORE SLOWLY
THAN POSITIVE ONES
46 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

47. Fact #11:
WHEN YOU
LEARN, YOU
PHYSICALLY
CHANGE THE
STRUCTURE OF
YOUR BRAIN
47 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

48. Fact #12:
YOUR BRAIN SOMETIMES
RESISTS LEARNING
BECAUSE
IT TRIES TO AVOID
DISCOMFORT
48 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

49. Fact #13:
FAILURE TO
LEARN NEW
THINGS KILLS
NEURONS
49 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

50. Fact #14:
LEARN MORE
FROM DOING
AND EVEN MORE
SO FROM
TEACHING
50 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

51. Fact #15:
NEGATIVE
FEEDBACK CAN
MOLD EXPERTS
51 Why your brain needs negative feedback the facts

52. Implications
toward a better you
HIGH
INNOVATION CREATIVITY PERFORMING
BRAIN
= +
52 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

53. Implications
toward a better you
HIGH
INNOVATION CREATIVITY PERFORMING
BRAIN
= +
so let’s start with
YOUR BRAIN
53 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

54. To be a better you
get your brain in shape
54 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

55. To be a better you
pay attention and focus
55 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

56. To be a better you
stock your brain
with quality furniture
56 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

57. To be a better you
hone & expand
your brain
57 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

58. To be a better parent
try to foster the best
feedback culture at home
58 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

59. To be a better leader, be comfortable
being a badass but
don’t be an ass
59 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

60. Implications
toward a better you HIGH
INNOVATION CREATIVITY PERFORMING
BRAIN
= +
so let’s focus on
CREATIVITY
60 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

61. To be creative
go experience
61 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

62. To be creative
be surprised
62 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

63. To be creative
provide your brain
with rest & balance
63 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

64. To be creative
study failures
64 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

65. To be creative
karate chop cynics
65 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

66. Implications
toward a better you HIGH
INNOVATION CREATIVITY PERFORMING
BRAIN
= +
so let’s focus on
INNOVATION
66 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

67. To be innovative
dare to take risks
67 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

68. To be innovative
be open to feedback and criticism
68 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

69. To be innovative
build a diverse team
69 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

70. To be an innovative leader
celebrate and
reward talent
70 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

71. To be a innovative leader
cultivate a premier brain culture
71 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

72. To be innovative
befriend a neuroscientist
72 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

73. To be an innovative designer
design with the brain in mind
73 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

74. To be innovative
develop & use your
internal bullshit meter
74 Why your brain needs negative feedback The take-aways

75. “ I know nothing
except the fact
of my ignorance.”
- Socrates
75 Why your brain needs negative feedback The closing

76. Your mission:
if you so choose to take it
53 Why your brain needs negative feedback
76 The closing

77. My challenge:
if you so choose
to take it
77 Why your brain needs negative feedback The closing

78. And be prepared
to be wrong
yourself
78 Why your brain needs negative feedback The closing

79. How to be a
successful heretic by Aubrey de Grey
BE RIGHT BE EVERYWHERE
diligence before oratory a pint is worth 1000 words
BE BOASTFUL BE PITHY
about your topic especially under pressure
BE A DOER BE INSPIRATIONAL
as well as a talker with a team that’s organizational
BE INDOMITABLE BE SELFLESS
if not invincible remember that control is only a means to an end
BE DIPLOMATIC BE RIGHT
not maybe all the time and be able to explain why to experts and laymen
79 Why your brain needs negative feedback The closing

80. Shout-outs &
thank you’s
So many have helped to gather research and provide feedback
on the story shared today...no one more than ADAM WIESE.
Thank you for everything. I couldn’t have done this without you.
Thanks to the professors for their incredible input and expertise.
Additionally, a special thanks to my friends who provided feedback
along the way:
NICK DRAKE | DAN GOLDSTEIN | MICHELLE DICKENS
Thanks to Anthony Jeselnik for participating.
Finally, thanks to JPGCREATIVE for his incredible design skills.
You always help take the story to new levels. Thank you.
And if you’re willing to spend the time to provide feedback,
I’d love to hear it: sxsw.tv/cqp
80 Why your brain needs negative feedback NikiWeber@Me.com linkedin.com/in/NikiWeber #badbrain The closing

81. A few
good reads
The Foundations of Science (Henri Poincaré, 1908)
The Art of Scientific Investigation (William I.B. Beveridge, 1957)
Reality is Broken (Jane McGonigal, 2011)
Being Wrong (Kathryn Schulz, 2011)
Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing
(Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, 2013)
Thinking, Fast and Slow (Daniel Kahneman, 2013)
This Will Make You Smarter: New Scientific Concepts to Improve Your Thinking
(John Brockman, 2012)
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
(Charles Duhigg, 2012)
Half Empty (David Rakoff, 2010)
81 Why your brain needs negative feedback The closing