Yesterday, very much to my disappointment, I woke up with a zit. You know the kind – a small mound of soft-on-the-outside, semi-hardened-on-the-inside gunk – a micro anthill, remaining just beneath the surface of the skin, with a tiny baby titty pushing through like a weed that has found a crack in the pavement. I know, nice visual, right? You’re welcome.

In my life, zits rarely happen since I got my lady parts yanked out a dozen or so years ago – hormones, and all that. So when I’m graced by the likes of a weird pustule face lump? My brain goes into superstitious mode. Much like breaking a shoelace, it’s as though I was offered an indication of the shitshow day ahead – a clue that landed plainly upon my face – just above the right corner of my top lip, to be specific. 

Now I like to think that I’m a pretty reasonable person – for the most part, anyway. I mean, I do have some thoughts that maybe most people would think I’m crazy for keeping. Not that I’ve ever hidden from anyone the fact that I’m a total nerd when it comes to deep, philosophical and/or existential discussion. Still, my company is small when it comes to these types of conversations about life, the universe and what the hell it all means. (To which my answer is: I have no fricking idea!)

It’s funny, then, that something as innocuous – albeit annoying AF – as a freaking pimple could wield power over my day ahead – or rather, my beliefs about my day ahead. And even so, here I was, giving my day up to a teensy pus-filled tumor.

My reaction is fairly reasonable, especially when considering things anthropologically. As a species, we’re hard-wired to react much stronger to negative experiences than positive ones. The ol’ negativity bias, as defined by scientists back in the early aughts, was helpful in the infancy of humans- it kept us safe. But now? It can be more of a hindrance.

So, I guess this is on me. I need to reframe my thinking- to change my point-of-view. I need to look at the show of a zit as a… positive experience?? Thankfully, in my life, I don’t deal with the little assholes that often. But, let me be honest here, I ain’t thinking any happy thoughts when they make a show. And, surprise! That little fact isn’t gonna change any – anthropology be damned! 

But with any luck – and a fuckton of conscientiousness – I’ll keep that negativity bias in mind when I’m confronted with other experiences that basically suck. And with a little effort, I’ll move above that reptilian brain of mine to squash my deeply biologically-ingrained “knee-jerk” inclinations. Yeah, did I say “any luck” and “little effort”? Don’t mind me, just walking off eons of evolution, here….