What is a Positivity ratio?

Oh yes! There is a Positivity ratio. It is the ideal ratio of positive to negative events in our life that help us thrive.

Interesting, isn’t it?

We know that too much Positivity is not helpful. Being positive all the time doesn’t help you ‘grow’ as a mentally, emotionally healthy individual. But then a very important question arises – how much?? Experiencing how much positive emotions and how much negative is healthy?

Barbara Fredrickson and Marcial Losada found the ideal ratio where we move from languishing to flourishing.

The ratio is – 2.9

Let’s just consider 3 for convenience. It means that you need three genuine, heartfelt positive emotions for every one negative emotion.

If we consider about this ratio in a week then approximately we need 12 Positive emotions for 4 negative emotions in a week. 12/4 = 3.

FUN FACT – there is also a ratio above which more posivitiy can be toxic. It is 10 I guess… (not sure!)

But yes, too much positivity can also be toxic. It’s the point where positivity starts loosing it’s essense.

This ratio states two things –

1. We need to create more positive emotions than negative emotions in our life to thrive.

2. We also need negative emotions along with positive to thrive.

One more FUNFACT – In relationships this ratio is 5. You need 5 positive feelings or interactions for every one negative feeling or interaction between partners.

Think about your own relationship. How many positive interactions do you initiate? If you have just started dating maybe the positive interactions are more. But as time passes, after 6 months or a year you get comfortable with each other and leave positive emotions to chance. It does not remain your priority anymore. Because we know eachother well and guess that’s enough.

But sometimes it’s not. Especially if you are having a lot of fights in your relationship. Its not wrong to fight but it is also equally important to have good quality positive interactions to balance that.

Barbara Fredrickson talks about Prioritising Positivity. We need to prioritise creating more positive emotions within our relationships and also in our life as general.

What do you think is your ratio of Positivity? And how do you plan to change that?