ABC News
Robert Schrauf, associate professor of applied linguistics and an anthropologist at Penn State, says he was a bit puzzled when he began analyzing data he collected that shows that regardless of age or culture, we have far more words in our vocabulary that express negative rather than positive emotions.
Schrauf started searching the scientific literature to see if he could find an answer, but he found more questions. Studies of 37 different languages turned up seven words that have very similar meanings. They are joy, fear, anger, sadness, disgust, shame and guilt. "Seven words, and only one positive," Schrauf notes. "Isn't that awesome?" >> continue
Instead of meaning that we process negative and positive words differently, could this mean that people feel more negative than positive about society? Take a look around you at all the fighting, wife and child abuse, environmental degradation, poverty, and crime that is occuring world wide. Everyone is emotionally upset everywhere. Why wouldnt their language reflect this too?