Another influence that impacts our thought processes is our emotional response. When we are exposed to negative news about a specific topic, we tend to let our emotions cloud our judgment. For instance, say we have been reading news reports about a school shooting; we will begin to feel that school is unsafe despite the fact that school shootings are incredibly rare. Our mind unconsciously and inadvertently skews toward the less-rational belief or thought in many such situations. Understanding how and when this happens gives us the power to curb this reflexive tendency of ours and make better, more logical, more accurate decisions.