My oldest, Callum, has been a Nerdfighter since at least 2016. Or at least, that’s the earliest year I can find a receipt from DFTBA (Don’t Forget To Be Awesome), the merch website of John & Hank Green, aka the Vlogbrothers (here’s a link that tells you a little more about them, though it is 12 years out of date). The Green brothers are authors (The Fault in Our Stars, Turtles All the Way Down, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing) and have created an online community called Nerfighteria that values intellectual curiosity, empathy, and a commitment to making the world a better place. They are also the founders of Complexly, which creates many online resources, including SciShow and Crash Course, to “inspire curiosity and lower barriers to knowledge building.”
As a parent, I can’t imagine a more nerdy, wonderful place for my kid to hang out online. :) And I’ve been following some of their stuff too, including a weekly newsletter called We’re Here. A few months back, Hank shared about a concept he called “the tragedy of prevention.”
https://bsky.app/profile/hankgreen.bsky.social/post/3lm73v73e3k2v
He continued in the newsletter:
I’ve been thinking about it ever since, which led to me making a short video adaptation of that tweet this week. It’s a very present thought for me for a few reasons. The big one is, of course, that the bizarre way our brains process preventing a problem that will exist (rather than actively curing a problem that already exists) leads to us underappreciating prevention. That underappreciation isn’t a little thing. It can lead to differences in individual decisions and public policy that lead to a significant increase in death and suffering. In my head, I’ve been calling this “The Tragedy of Prevention.”
The tragedy of prevention goes like this: The most effective way to save lives (prevention) is the least noticeable, which leads us to undervaluing it in our individual choices, in what we celebrate, and in public policy. That undervaluing of prevention leads to a great deal of needless death and suffering.
But there’s a second tragedy here, which is that we spend way less time celebrating the accomplishments of humanity than I think we should. If every person who had their life saved by a vaccine, or an airbag, or a clean air regulation felt the same as a firefighter carrying an unconscious person out of a burning building, I think we’d feel a lot better about humanity, and maybe that would help us move forward more effectively.
I dunno, it’s just something I’ve been thinking about.
Hank
I watched his video adaptation, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it either. I shared it with everyone in my family. Why don’t we value those wins we don’t “see” as much as the ones we do? It really made me think about what else I’m overlooking as unimportant (or even just not noticing) because it’s so fundamental, so boring, I take it for granted (kind of like the interstitium I wrote about a while ago). Callum also pointed me to this 2014 video from Hank called The Golden Gate Bridge Didn’t Collapse!! which talks more about the psychology behind this phenomenon.
A few weeks later, I got another email from a completely different source, Nikki Naab-Levy, a strength and nutrition coach I’ve referenced before. Her email was titled, “Three Signs You Might Be Making More Progress Than You Realize.” She writes: Ever felt like you’ve been working really hard, but still not doing enough? That’s probably not a sign that you’re failing. It might just be your brain doing what it was designed to do. As humans, we’re wired with a negativity bias, aka a survival mechanism that helped our ancestors stay alert to danger… If we’re not aware of it, this bias can make it really easy to overlook our own progress.
We undervalue the things that have become so ordinary or automatic we no longer notice them. I’m pretty quick to get on myself about how much more I should be doing: walking more with a weighted vest, doing more weight training, eating less sugar. Then again, I AM regularly doing good things, like going to Pilates twice a week for the last 10 years, walking a couple of times a week, and eating a mostly homemade, varied diet, but do I give myself credit for it? Since I can’t see what that effort has prevented (weight gain? Hip or knee surgery? Heart disease?) I’m quick to dismiss it as not enough.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d still like to add some of those other goals into my wellness routine, but how about I take a minute to celebrate the wins I’m taking for granted? Those positive things I do for myself didn’t use to be so automatic, and the fact that they have become so is a win for my overall health. Now I need to remember that and give myself a high five when I finish a class at PIH, cheer myself on when I make it out for a walk on a cold day in February, or do a little dance while I’m preparing a dinner with lots of fresh, beautiful ingredients. These are WINS! I should feel good about myself!
We may not be exactly where we want to be, but we shouldn’t erase the progress we’ve made. Let’s take a moment to notice the positive actions we’re already doing. Where would we be if we weren’t doing the maintenance or preventative things that we’ve already added to our lives? Each time you recognize a small win, your brain releases a dose of dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. This dopamine release reinforces the behavior that led to the victory, increasing the likelihood that you will continue to pursue similar actions (ie, those new goals of mine like walking more with a weighted vest) in the future.
So go ahead, stop and really think of a few personal wins! Recognize all the terrible things that didn’t happen!
The more you give your brain a reason to celebrate, the more likely that feeling will stick and you’ll feel happier. You may also feel more inclined to do even more good for yourself.
