The Neuroscience of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People: How Your Brain Learns, Predicts, and Repeats Your Reality
The Neuroscience of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People: How Your Brain Learns, Predicts, and Repeats Your Reality We’ve all heard the phrase, “Bad things always happen to good people.” Maybe you’ve lived it: You show up for everyone, but people don’t show up for you. You put others first, yet you’re the one who gets taken advantage of. You work hard, but the same stressful patterns repeat in relationships, family, or work. It can feel like life is unfair or that you’re somehow cursed. But beneath the heartbreak and frustration, there’s something profoundly practical going on: your brain is doing exactly what it was wired to do. In this article, we’ll explore the neuroscience behind this feeling using four key systems: RAS – Reticular Activating System: your brain’s attention filter DMN – Default Mode Network: your internal narrative and self-story Trauma wiring: how past experiences shape what feels “normal” Predictive processing: how ...