--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Bad news sells because the amygdala is…" description: "\"Bad news sells because the amygdala is always looking for something to fear.\" — Peter Diamandis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faf/peter-diamandis-1516_amygdala_bad-news-sells-because-the-amygdala-is-a_3177032.png" --- # Bad news sells because the amygdala is always looking for… ![“Bad news sells because the amygdala is always looking for something to fear.” quote by Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faf/peter-diamandis-1516_amygdala_bad-news-sells-because-the-amygdala-is-a_3177032.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faf/peter-diamandis-1516_amygdala_bad-news-sells-because-the-amygdala-is-a_3177032.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faf/peter-diamandis-1516_amygdala_bad-news-sells-because-the-amygdala-is-a_3177032.png) > “Bad news sells because the amygdala is always looking for something to fear.” [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our brains prioritize fear, making alarming news more attention‑grabbing than neutral facts. **In simple terms:** Fear grabs attention more than facts. Key Takeaway Be skeptical of sensational headlines. Themes psychology media fear attention Mood alert critical concerned Type cautionary informative When to use this quote - news consumption - social media - marketing - public speaking - risk assessment Key Concepts neuroscience bias information overload Questions to Reflect On - How does fear influence your decisions? - What sources challenge you to verify scary claims? A Different Perspective Sensationalism can distort reality and cause panic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amygdala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amygdala/) [Amygdala Looking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amygdala-looking-5806514/) [Bad news](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-news/) [Bad News Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-news-sells-219174/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Looking Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-fear-2639443/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sells/) [Sells Amygdala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sells-amygdala-5806513/) ## Related quotes > [Good news is not news. Bad news sells. Confrontation sells. And that's what the press is always looking for. I'm not bragging, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-kelly/good-news-is-not-news-bad-news-sells-confrontation-sells-and-that-s/) [Raymond Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-kelly/) > [“When bad news sells, money politics buys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-bad-news-sells-money-politics-buys/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Courage is looking fear right in the eye and saying, 'Get the heck out of my way, I've got things to do.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/courage-is-looking-fear-right-in-the-eye-and-saying-get-the-heck-out/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Now the amygdala is our early warning detector, our danger detector. It sorts and scours through all of the information looking for anything in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/now-the-amygdala-is-our-early-warning-detector-our-danger-detector-it/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [Courage is looking fear right in the eye and saying, Get the hell out of my way, Ive got things to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknown/courage-is-looking-fear-right-in-the-eye-and-saying-get-the-hell-out/) [âUnknown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknown/) > [I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at. What I see and what I fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-write-entirely-to-find-out-what-i-m-thinking-what-i-m-looking-at/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“The first part of looking at our fear is just inviting it into our awareness without judgment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/the-first-part-of-looking-at-our-fear-is-just-inviting-it-into-our/) [Thich Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/) > [“Hey amygdala, what’s wrong with a nice vignette that features me enjoying a warm day on a Florida beach”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-gatzby/hey-amygdala-what-s-wrong-with-a-nice-vignette-that-features-me/) [Rick Gatzby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-gatzby/) > [“Vipassan meditation is the best way to unlearn old habits of basal ganglia and amygdala, and strengthen the neocortex of the brain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-ray/vipassan-meditation-is-the-best-way-to-unlearn-old-habits-of-basal/) [Amit Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-ray/) > [“The “Intense World” paper proposed that if the amygdala, which is associated with emotional responses, including fear, is affected by sensory overload, then certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/the-intense-world-paper-proposed-that-if-the-amygdala-which-is/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [“The quick reaction that results from the amygdala pathway is typically called the fight-or-flight response.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-m-pittman/the-quick-reaction-that-results-from-the-amygdala-pathway-is/) [Catherine M. Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-m-pittman/) > [“Logically, when the amygdala wants to mobilize a behavior—say, fleeing—it talks to the frontal cortex, seeking its executive approval. But if sufficiently aroused, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/logically-when-the-amygdala-wants-to-mobilize-a-behavior-say-fleeing/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“Powerful support for an amygdaloid role in fear processing comes from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In PTSD sufferers the amygdala is overreactive to mildly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/powerful-support-for-an-amygdaloid-role-in-fear-processing-comes-from/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“Our problem-scanning machine (amygdala) and our serenity-now mood tape (prefrontal cortex) are at war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-pasricha/our-problem-scanning-machine-amygdala-and-our-serenity-now-mood-tape/) [Neil Pasricha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-pasricha/) > [“The amygdala can accomplish its quick response because of the special properties of another nucleus within it: the central nucleus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-m-pittman/the-amygdala-can-accomplish-its-quick-response-because-of-the-special/) [Catherine M. Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-m-pittman/) ## More by Peter Diamandis > [I believed that once we got to the Moon, there was no stopping us. But in fact, we did stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/i-believed-that-once-we-got-to-the-moon-there-was-no-stopping-us-but/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [My personal fascination with the power of the crowd has been growing: Exactly what can a 'crowd' accomplish? We know crowds can raise billions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/my-personal-fascination-with-the-power-of-the-crowd-has-been-growing/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [A Masai warrior on a cellphone in the middle of Kenya has better mobile comm than President Reagan did 25 years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/a-masai-warrior-on-a-cellphone-in-the-middle-of-kenya-has-better/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [I think people are dreaming big because they have the tools to dream big. 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I think the human race doesn't have a future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/life-on-earth-is-at-an-ever-increasing-risk-of-being-wiped-out-by/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [If the idea is really new and unique and big, other people will all think it is bad and is going to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/if-the-idea-is-really-new-and-unique-and-big-other-people-will-all/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [Your mindset matters. It affects everything - from the business and investment decisions you make, to the way you raise your children, to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/your-mindset-matters-it-affects-everything-from-the-business-and/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [As lower-cost phones begin to penetrate, they'll become the educator and physician everywhere on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/as-lower-cost-phones-begin-to-penetrate-they-ll-become-the-educator/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [You either disrupt your own company or someone else will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/you-either-disrupt-your-own-company-or-someone-else-will/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [Your mission is to find a product or service that can positively impact the lives of 1 billion people because that's the game we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/your-mission-is-to-find-a-product-or-service-that-can-positively/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [In 1820, the average lifespan was just 26 years. Twenty-six years!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/in-1820-the-average-lifespan-was-just-26-years-twenty-six-years/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) [Explore all 232 Peter Diamandis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) ## More Amygdala quotes > [“The amygdala can accomplish its quick response because of the special properties of another nucleus within it: the central nucleus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-m-pittman/the-amygdala-can-accomplish-its-quick-response-because-of-the-special/) [Catherine M. Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-m-pittman/) > [“Our problem-scanning machine (amygdala) and our serenity-now mood tape (prefrontal cortex) are at war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-pasricha/our-problem-scanning-machine-amygdala-and-our-serenity-now-mood-tape/) [Neil Pasricha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-pasricha/) > [“Powerful support for an amygdaloid role in fear processing comes from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In PTSD sufferers the amygdala is overreactive to mildly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/powerful-support-for-an-amygdaloid-role-in-fear-processing-comes-from/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“Logically, when the amygdala wants to mobilize a behavior—say, fleeing—it talks to the frontal cortex, seeking its executive approval. But if sufficiently aroused, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/logically-when-the-amygdala-wants-to-mobilize-a-behavior-say-fleeing/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“The quick reaction that results from the amygdala pathway is typically called the fight-or-flight response.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-m-pittman/the-quick-reaction-that-results-from-the-amygdala-pathway-is/) [Catherine M. Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-m-pittman/) > [“The “Intense World” paper proposed that if the amygdala, which is associated with emotional responses, including fear, is affected by sensory overload, then certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/the-intense-world-paper-proposed-that-if-the-amygdala-which-is/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [“Vipassan meditation is the best way to unlearn old habits of basal ganglia and amygdala, and strengthen the neocortex of the brain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-ray/vipassan-meditation-is-the-best-way-to-unlearn-old-habits-of-basal/) [Amit Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-ray/) > [“Hey amygdala, what’s wrong with a nice vignette that features me enjoying a warm day on a Florida beach”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-gatzby/hey-amygdala-what-s-wrong-with-a-nice-vignette-that-features-me/) [Rick Gatzby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-gatzby/) > [“The quest for seizing that amygdala moment, those crushing seconds of unbearable, incapacitating shock, seizing these moments and not letting them go, dragging them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ronson/the-quest-for-seizing-that-amygdala-moment-those-crushing-seconds-of/) [Jon Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ronson/) > [“During sustained stress, the amygdala processes emotional sensory information more rapidly and less accurately, dominates hippocampal function, and disrupts frontocortical function; we’re more fearful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/during-sustained-stress-the-amygdala-processes-emotional-sensory/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“The lateral nucleus is the part of the amygdala that receives incoming messages from the senses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-m-pittman/the-lateral-nucleus-is-the-part-of-the-amygdala-that-receives/) [Catherine M. Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-m-pittman/) > [“Moving beyond mere correlation, if you lesion the amygdala in an animal, rates of aggression decline. The same occurs transiently when you temporarily silence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/moving-beyond-mere-correlation-if-you-lesion-the-amygdala-in-an/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“The close connection of the central nucleus to elements of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) provides the amygdala with a great deal of influence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-m-pittman/the-close-connection-of-the-central-nucleus-to-elements-of-the/) [Catherine M. Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-m-pittman/) > [“It can be proven that wounded people wound others. Walk circumspectly among wounded people, their injuries are deeply submerged in their brain's amygdala, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-bond/it-can-be-proven-that-wounded-people-wound-others-walk-circumspectly/) [Tracey Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-bond/) > [“the brain is hardwired to allow the amygdala to seize control in times of danger. And because of this wiring, it’s difficult to directly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-m-pittman/the-brain-is-hardwired-to-allow-the-amygdala-to-seize-control-in/) [Catherine M. Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-m-pittman/) [Browse all 35 Amygdala quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amygdala/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Bad news sells because the amygdala is always looking for something to fear.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Diamandis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/bad-news-sells-because-the-amygdala-is-always-looking-for-something/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Amygdala" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/bad-news-sells-because-the-amygdala-is-always-looking-for-something/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faf/peter-diamandis-1516_amygdala_bad-news-sells-because-the-amygdala-is-a_3177032.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faf/peter-diamandis-1516_amygdala_bad-news-sells-because-the-amygdala-is-a_3177032.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faf/peter-diamandis-1516_amygdala_bad-news-sells-because-the-amygdala-is-a_3177032.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Bad news sells because the amygdala is always looking for something to fear.” — Peter Diamandis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Peter Diamandis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Bad news sells because the amygdala...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/bad-news-sells-because-the-amygdala-is-always-looking-for-something/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/bad-news-sells-because-the-amygdala-is-always-looking-for-something/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```