208 Positivity Resonance

This episode was recorded when the world’s attention was on the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

So Toast might’ve gotten a little carried away or confused about some of the stories she related, so just to clarify, the stories of sportsmanship that we discuss did not happen at the 2024 Summer Games.

But they did happen.

Here’s more info about them.

The first one: a volunteer helps a soon-to-be Gold Medalist get to their event on time, and is rewarded with an all-expense paid trip for her and her family to Jamaica.

And here’s the second . . . one runner helped another clinch the top spot when it became apparent that the front-runner was in danger of coming in second, simply because they were confused by the signage at the finish line.

This tale is marred by the whiff of urban myth (there are multiple versions of the story, and photos that accompany it aren’t of the actual event or the actual runners in the story), but the “underlying tale” is true. This article purports to go over the excruciating details.

One last thing to ponder: according to that article, the supposedly heroic runner who directed his competitor to the first place finish admitted that, had this not been a “low stakes” race, they would have “exploited” the situation “to win.” Heroic for doing that, that one time? Heroic for their honesty about not counting on it again?

And now, on to some quick bullet points from the episode about Positivity Resonance.

  • Positivity Resonance is a term coined by Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D., researcher on positive emotions

  • Positivity Resonance is “a type of interpersonal connection characterized by shared positivity, mutual care and concern, and behavioral and biological synchrony.” (National Institutes of Health)

  • Positivity Resonance is the most elemental building block of love

  • A generation ago, we didn’t have a name for “Positivity Resonance,” but it felt more like our normal way of life, growing up in Hawaii. Sharing food, and helping out with watching each other’s kids, giving rides to and from the airport, helping with yardwork, or even teaching each other music, were just part of how life was lived.

  • Two Things That Lay The Foundation for Opportunities of Positivity Resonance

    1. Each person needs to feel a sense of perceived safety

    2. It needs to be in real time, with sensory connection, ideally face to face (that is, IRL – In Real Life)

  • As a culture, we’re driven to accomplish things. Barbara Fredrickson urges prioritizing positivity instead of believing that accomplishing A Thing is more important.

  • Positivity Resonance requires cultivating an optimistic bias

    • A 2-to-1 positive-to-negative ratio means you’re just getting by

    • A ratio of 3 or 4-to-5 is what Fredrickson says equates to an optimistic bias

  • How to increase your optimistic bias:

    • Mindfulness meditation

    • Prioritize connecting with others

    • Adopt the phrase: “This is worth my time.”

Siena & Toast