Why are we so attached to our things? - Christian Jarrett

翻译人员: Cissy Yun 校对人员: Chen Zou

After witnessing the violent rage shown by babies

在见证了一场小婴儿的 歇斯底里般地愤怒

whenever deprived of an item they considered their own,

每当他们认为是自己的东西 被剥夺之后

Jean Piaget, a founding father of child psychology,

让·皮亚杰，儿童心理学之父

observed something profound about human nature.

观察到了人性的奥妙之处

Our sense of ownership emerges incredibly early.

我们的所有权的意识 出现得十分早

Why are we so clingy?

为什么我们的依赖性如此强呢？

There's a well-established phenomenon in psychology

在心理学中有一种公认的现象

known as the endowment effect

称为“禀赋效应”

就是人们会更重视一件物品 就在我们拥有那件物品的那一刻

where we value items much more highly just as soon as we own them.

In one famous demonstration,

在一个著名的演示中

students were given a choice between a coffee mug

学生们可以在一个马克杯

or a Swiss chocolate bar

或一块瑞士巧克力棒中作选择

as a reward for helping out with research.

作为帮助研究的奖励

Half chose the mug, and half chose the chocolate.

一半的人选了马克杯 另一半则选了巧克力

That is, they seemed to value the two rewards similarly.

他们似乎给这两个奖励 同等的价值

Other students were given a mug first

其他学生首先被给予马克杯

and then a surprise chance to swap it for a chocolate bar,

然后意外地被告知有机会 将马克杯换成巧克力棒

but only 11% wanted to.

但是只有11%的学生愿意这样做

Yet another group started out with chocolate,

然而当另一组首先得到巧克力的 学生得到同样的机会时

and most preferred to keep it rather than swap.

大部分人也倾向于保留之前获取的巧克力

In other words, the students nearly always put greater value

也就是说，首先收获的奖励

on whichever reward they started out with.

会更容易被这些学生看重

这部分取决于有多快

Part of this has to do with how quickly we form connections

我们可以将自我意识和 我们认为属于自己的事物建立起联系

between our sense of self and the things we consider ours.

That can even be seen at the neural level.

这甚至可以在神经层面上观察到

In one experiment, neuroscientists scanned participants' brains

在一个实验中 神经学家对参与者的大脑进行扫描

while they allocated various objects either to a basket labeled "mine,"

同时他们将各种物品要么分配在 一个篮子里，标记“我的”

or another labeled, "Alex's."

或者另一个篮子里，标记“亚力克斯的”

当参与者看到那些标记 属于他们的新物品

When participants subsequently looked at their new things,

their brains showed more activity

他们的大脑显示出更高的活跃度

in a region that usually flickers into life

在一个通常闪现生活片段的区域

whenever we think about ourselves.

每当我们想起自己的时候

Another reason we're so fond of our possessions

另一个我们如此喜爱 我们所有物品的原因

is that from a young age we believe they have a unique essence.

是从儿时起我们便相信 自己的物品有独特的意义

Psychologists showed us this by using an illusion

心理学家利用一个 假象来解释这种现象

to convince three to six-year-olds they built a copying machine,

他们告诉一群三到六岁的儿童 他们造了一个复制机

a device that could create perfect replicas of any item.

可以完美复制世界上任何一件物品

When offered a choice between their favorite toy

当让这些儿童在 自己原来的玩具

or an apparently exact copy,

和一个一模一样的复制品 中作出选择

the majority of the children favored the original.

大多数孩子会选择原来的玩具

In fact, they were often horrified at the prospect of taking home a copy.

事实上，将复制品带回家的想法 让很多孩子感到恐惧

This magical thinking about objects isn't something we grow out of.

这种对物品的特殊感情 并不会随着我们的成长消失

Rather it persists into adulthood while becoming ever more elaborate.

相反，成年后这种感情变得更加复杂

For example, consider the huge value placed on items

比如，名人拥有过的物品

that have been owned by celebrities.

会被赋以天价

It's as if the buyers believed the objects they'd purchased

就好像买家相信这些 他们买下的物品

were somehow imbued with the essence of their former celebrity owners.

蕴藏着前任名人拥有者的精髓

For similar reasons, many of us are reluctant to part with family heirlooms

出于同样的原因，我们中的许多人 不愿与传家宝分离

which help us feel connected to lost loved ones.

因为它们让我们感到自己 与故去的亲人仍联结在一起

These beliefs can even alter our perception of the physical world

这些信念甚至还可以改变 人们对现实世界的感知

and change our athletic abilities.

而且还会改变我们的体能

Participants in a recent study were told they were using a golf putter

最近一项研究中 参与者被告知他们所使用的高尔夫球杆

once owned by the champion Ben Curtis.

曾属于高尔夫冠军本·柯蒂斯

During the experiment,

在这个试验中

they perceived the hole as being about a centimeter larger

他们认为高尔夫球洞相比 控制组的球洞

大约要大1厘米 那些控制组使用普通的球杆

than controlled participants using a standard putter

and they sank slightly more putts.

而且他们进球的次数也会稍多

Although feelings of ownership emerge early in life, culture also plays a part.

尽管所有权意识出现得很早 文化对其也有影响

For example, it was recently discovered that Hadza people of northern Tanzania

比如说，人们最近发现 坦桑尼亚北部的哈扎人

who are isolated from modern culture

他们与现代社会隔绝

don't exhibit the endowment effect.

没有显示出禀赋效应

That's possibly because they live in an egalitarian society

这也许是因为他们生活 在一个平等主义的社会中

在那里每一件物品都是共享的

where almost everything is shared.

At the other extreme, sometimes our attachment to our things can go too far.

在另一个极端，有时我们 对自己的物品过度依恋

囤积癖的形成的部分原因是 一种夸张的责任感

Part of the cause of hoarding disorder is an exaggerated sense of responsibility

and protectiveness toward one's belongings.

和保护欲 对自己所拥有的物品

That's why people with this condition find it so difficult to throw anything away.

这是为什么囤积狂对于 丢弃任何东西都感到非常困难

What remains to be seen today

当今世界中有待观察的

is how the nature of our relationship with our possessions

是我们与我们的所有物之间的关系

will change with the rise of digital technologies.

如何随着数码科技的发展而变化

Many have forecast the demise of physical books and music,

很多人预见实体书和音乐的消亡

but for now, at least, this seems premature.

但至少现在 这似乎为时过早

Perhaps there will always be something uniquely satisfying

也许这总会有一种特殊的满足感

about holding an object in our hands and calling it our own.

关于将一件物品把持在我们手上 然后将它称之为我们自己的