On the previous post I mentioned, almost in passing, how negative articles and stories are more highly engaged than are positive ones.
A few minutes later, this catches my attention:
“So, one answer to my student’s rhetorical question is “Just say NO.” As in, no, I will not make your donut commercial for free; no, I will not play at your restaurant “for the exposure;” no, you cannot have my painting to hang in your home because your “important” friends will see it; no, I will not paint your set “for the experience.” What I will do is accept a slightly below market wage because I’m still in school and you’ll get what you pay for; yes, I will play at your restaurant for one night if you provide dinner for my family of six beforehand; yes, I will loan my painting to you for a fixed period of time if I am invited to the cocktail party to meet your important friends; yes, I will paint your set with you so that you can train me on a specialized technique with which I am unfamiliar. Or, yes! I will gift my talents to you with generosity and an open heart because I love you, your cause, or your work. But no, I will not make your donut commercial for free. [In a follow-up post, I discuss saying “YES!”]”
It received over 114 responses before the comments were closed.
The following week, the author wrote “Saying YES”.
“Just – or even more – important than knowing when to say “no,” is knowing when and how to say “yes.” Giving builds community; giving builds friendships; giving builds social capital (although one need not think of it in those terms); giving lifts the spirit of both the giver and receiver. We may give of our time, we may give of our money, we may give of our things, we may give of our talent. Related to giving is sharing – we may share knowledge, share food, share an experience (good or bad), without any exchange of material goods.”
It received three comments.
Negativity is the common thread of all failed anythings. The author has it right on both of these articles. Absolutely right… and yet the negative by far has more engagement.
Why?
WTF? You think I am some sort of sociologist or somethin’? I have no data, only my life long experience of finding that negative people are more persuasive and impassioned than they should be.
It is almost as if people go LOOKING for negative things to use as some sort of blame shifting mechanism.
After all, if you aren’t successful it is probably because of ‘those people’… you know who I mean… the others that steal dreams and force us to constantly make bad decisions and sit on our fat asses whining.
Yeah… them.
Case in point, what motivates a consumer to review a product or service? A dissatisfied customer is more motivated to take to the keyboard and pound out a scathing review about an injustice or defective product, while a satisfied customer often remains silent. Those reading an article prompted by a negative lead may feel obligated to learn of the pitfalls before becoming a victim themselves. Negativity is a motivator!
I agree, Rod. However, negativity as a motivator can also lead to negativity as a choice.
My stats on this site say that if I choose to run an “oh Woe is Me” article about how depressed I am, how terrible the business is, or how someone else is ruining our ‘industry’, I will get a ton more hits and links than talking about what is right and good.
And not in the product assessment genre, just the general life of a photographer thing.
I think that is sad. I also do not think I or anyone else can change it. It is built into our lives through a constant bombardment of crap called pop culture, as well as highly specialized marketing.