I know I was ready to fall,
    but, Lord, your faithful love supported me.
 When my anxieties multiply,
    your comforting calms me down. – Psalm 94:18-19

A lifetime ago, back when I was a school teacher, I served as a behavior-specialist with children who seemed locked-in when it came to negative and destructive patterns. I worked hard to create a classroom environment that was positive and redemptive and that built up rather than tore down.

Typically, these children were accustomed to being ignored when they were cooperative, creative and productive, while generating immediate attention for disruption, destruction and violence.

So my approach was to flip the script and – essentially – offer positive attention for behaviors incompatible with the issues that got them kicked out of their schools and into my program.

And so, rather than being reprimanded all day for “breaking the rules” my students were affirmed all day for positive progress.

My personal heroes when it comes to educational philosophy – and this will help you understand where I was/am coming from – are: 1) Jesus, 2) Mr. Rogers, 3) Abraham Maslow, and 4) Sir Kenneth Robinson.

My Point:

But to my point: The atmosphere in my classroom, then, was necessarily focused on positivity rather than constant correction. The overwhelming thrust of attention – the reinforcement, the smiles, the personal interaction and the encouragement – was all geared toward what one of my university professors referred to as, “Catch them being good.”

I was a decent graphic artist, so I made a prominent sign that I laminated and placed on every wall. The sign read: “Research finds it takes five positives to overcome one negative, but I say, ‘Why risk it?'” This was as much for my staff as for the children.

When we reinforce (encourage, reward, offer attention to) behavior that is incompatible with what we want to eliminate, then the focus moves from punishment to encouragement.

Today, in 2026:

My informal observation is that we need to flip the script again – and do it in just about every aspect of life in America today.

Because our focus seems to be all about “what is wrong” (politicians, religion, service providers, the government, some restaurant we visited, some post on social media, people who annoy us, other drivers on the road etc. etc…). So very much of our attention tends to fall on the negative, and we seldom remember to talk about what is good.

What if, instead, we took my classroom sign to heart and became intentional about flipping the script?

RESEARCH SAYS IT TAKES FIVE POSITIVES TO OVERCOME ONE NEGATIVE. BUT I SAY, “WHY RISK IT?”

Derek Maul

How about a ten-to-one ratio? How about we just skip the negative altogether? How about we take a clue from yesterday’s post (Date Night Conversations) and “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24)!?

Sure, I know that we have a lot of progress to make in terms of public life and the general “tone” of governance. But would it hurt us to be more positive?

Not at all. Maybe all that is needed to set things moving back toward the good is our own little nudge toward decency, and affirmation, and unconditional love?

Maybe we really can shut down the machinations of oppression with belief and with goodness and with encouragement – and by seeing more of that in the people we are at odds with?

I do believe it’s worth a shot – DEREK