Rosy retrospection

Biological Parallel

Negative affect fades faster than positive across mammals—a phenomenon called the 'fading affect bias' (FAB). Research shows that for negative memories, fading affect is more prominent (51%) than fixed affect (38%), while positive memories show the opposite pattern. Elephants return to locations of past positive experiences (waterholes during drought) but show diminishing avoidance of past trauma sites over time. Chimpanzees reconcile after conflicts, with negative affect from aggression fading while positive bonds formed through grooming persist. This is adaptive emotional editing: if negative memories persisted at full intensity, past suffering would paralyze future exploration. The brain doesn't store objective history—it curates actionable predictions. 'It wasn't that bad' isn't delusion; it's the algorithm that allows organisms to try again after failure. Studies show negative emotions begin to fade within 12 hours, and FAB intensifies with age across cultures.