This is our tendency to overweight the importance and effect of negative things. It’s why we remember criticism better than praise. It’s why we think about negative things more than positive things. And it’s why Mind was so focused on all the bad outcomes that could happen if Mindy tried out for the play.

We very often leap to the conclusion that what someone does is who they are. We see someone do something we think is bad, and we assume they’re a bad person. That’s how Mind reacted to the bus driver not playing the radio that morning.

When evaluating a situation, often the conclusion that comes to us the fastest is one based on extreme or recent information. So when trying to determine what that scary “tree-like” thing was outside the window, Mind latched on to the outrageous, but unlikely, idea that it was a monster.

As a belief or a behavior gains popularity, individuals often join in—not because of any coherent reason—but simply because others are doing it. It’s common among children who often don’t want to stand out from their peers. It was this force that Mindy was resisting when she didn’t want to make fun of Victor.

We tend to prefer things and people we are familiar with while finding the unfamiliar less appealing. This is exactly what Mind and Mindy had to deal with when Farida’s mother put an unusual new food in front of them.