Kyle MacDonald

It means that our brain is looking for ways to understand that bias in ways that become self-confirming.

So even though we might have a happy life and be relatively safe, we can still find ourselves being really worried and negative about things that in the grand scheme of things, you know, it's the old first world problem, right?

Because our brain tends to look for those things because of the bias.

I mean, I think health is quite a good example often of that negativity bias, isn't it?

I mean, you know, optimistic to the point where, and I mean, unfortunately, sadly, we often see this with blokes, you know, don't turn up to their GP until they've had a heart attack at 50.

I've literally never been to the doctor, never had an injury.

I'm fine.

My health is completely fine.

Actually having a little bit of worry, enough worry to get us to the GP regularly, to have the checks, to take the medication when it's prescribed is actually quite beneficial.

Keeps us alive.

Well, the foundation stones, of course, are making sure that we have taken the time.

And if we feel like we haven't, take the time now to build that relationship and connection.

You can't fake that.

And I don't think you can do a lot of the things that are required to parent teenagers well without that.

So in your own assessment of do I know what's going on in my kid's life?

Am I connected?

Am I having conversations with them as regularly as they will sort of tolerate it?

But also I think the trick with teenagers is recognising those opportunities.

When they randomly show up in the lounge because their screen time's run out and they want to talk to you and you're like, oh, I'm so tired, this is the last thing I want to do.

But actually taking that opportunity because they are precious when they happen and