Would winning the lottery make you happier? - Raj Raghunathan

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Will winning the lottery make you happier?

樂透中獎會讓你更快樂嗎？

Imagine winning a multi-million dollar lottery tomorrow.

想像明天你贏得數百萬美元的樂透。

If you're like many of us, you'd be ecstatic,

如果你和大多數人一樣， 你會欣喜若狂，

unable to believe your good luck.

無法相信你的運氣這麼好。

But would that joy still be there a few years later?

但幾年後那份喜悅還會在嗎？

Maybe not.

或許不會。

A famous study of 22 lottery winners showed that months after winning,

一項針對 22 位樂透得主的研究 顯示，在中獎數個月之後，

their average reported levels of happiness had increased no more

他們回報快樂程度的平均增加值

than that of a control group who hadn't won the lottery.

並沒有比沒中樂透的控制組多。

Some were actually unhappier than they had been before winning.

有些人還比中獎之前更不快樂。

And later studies have confirmed that our emotional well-being,

後續的研究亦確認了 我們的情緒幸福，

how often and how intensely we feel things like joy,

也就是我們有多常 和多強烈地感到喜悅、

sorrow,

悲傷、

anxiety,

焦慮，

or anger,

或憤怒，

don't seem to improve with wealth or status beyond a certain point.

在財富或地位超越了某個點之後， 這種情緒幸福似乎就不會再改善。

This has to do with a phenomenon known as hedonic adaptation,

這種情況和大家所知的 「享樂適應」有關，

or the hedonic treadmill.

它也叫做享樂跑步機。

It describes our tendency to adapt to new situations

指的是我們傾向適應新的情境，

to maintain a stable emotional equilibrium.

以維持一種穩定的情緒均衡。

When it comes to feeling happy,

就快樂的感受來說，

most of us seem to have a base level that stays more or less constant

大多數人在一生當中 似乎會有一個基線值，

throughout our existence.

它大致上會是個常數。

Of course, the novelty of better food,

當然，更棒的食物 帶來的新鮮感、高級渡假，

superior vacations,

and more beautiful homes

和更多漂亮的房子

can at first make you feel like you're walking on air,

都可以讓你在一開始 有飄飄然的快樂感，

but as you get used to those things,

但當你習慣了那些事物，

you revert to your default emotional state.

你就會回復到你的預設情緒狀態。

That might sound pretty gloomy,

這可能聽起來相當悲觀，

but hedonic adaptation makes us less emotionally sensitive

但享樂適應會減低我們

對任何改變的情緒敏感度，

to any kind of change,

including negative ones.

包括負面的改變。

The study with the lottery winners

對樂透得主所做的研究

also looked at people who had suffered an accident that left them paralyzed.

亦探究了因意外導致癱瘓的人。

When asked several months after their accidents how happy they were,

在意外發生後幾個月， 去問他們有多快樂，

they reported levels of happiness approaching their original baseline.

他們所回報的快樂程度 很接近他們原始的基線值。

So while the hedonic treadmill may inhibit our enjoyment of positive changes,

所以，雖然快樂跑步機 會抑制我們對正面改變的享受，

it seems to also enable our resilience in recovering from adversity.

它似乎也能讓我們從逆境中恢復。

There are other reasons that winning the lottery

長期來看，樂透中獎 並不會讓我們更快樂，

may not make us happier in the long run.

這背後還有其他的原因。

管理大量的金錢可能很困難，

It can be difficult to manage large sums of money,

and some lottery winners wind up spending or losing it all quickly.

有些樂透得主很快 就把獎金花光或損失掉。

It can also be socially isolating.

中獎也可能造成社交孤立。

Some winners experience a deluge of unwelcome requests for money,

有些得主會遇到 一大堆討厭的借錢請求，

so they wind up cutting themselves off from others.

所以他們最後選擇 與其他人斷絕關係。

And wealth may actually make us meaner.

且財富可能會讓我們變得更刻薄。

In one study, participants played a rigged game of monopoly

在一項研究中，受試者要玩 一場被操縱的大富翁遊戲，

where the experimenters made some players rich quickly.

在遊戲中，實驗者 讓一些玩家快速致富。

The wealthy players started patronizing the poorer players

富有的玩家開始對貧窮的玩家 擺出高人一等的態度，

and hogging the snacks they were meant to share.

並霸佔他們本來要分享的點心。

But just because a huge influx of cash

但，雖然得到大量的現金

isn't guaranteed to bring joy into your life

並不能保證會將喜悅 帶進你的生活，

doesn't mean that money can never make us happier.

但這並不表示金錢 永遠不會讓我們更快樂。

Findings show that we adapt to extrinsic and material things,

研究發現，我們適應 新車或更大的房子

like a new car or a bigger house,

這類外在實質事物的速度，

much faster than we do to novel experiences,

會比我們適應 造訪新地方或學習新技能

like visiting a new place or learning a new skill.

這類新奇體驗的速度更快許多。

So by that reasoning,

所以，照這樣推論，

the more you spend money on experiences rather than things,

若你能把更多錢花在 體驗上而非事物上，

the happier you'd be.

你會更幸福些。

And there's another way to turn your money into happiness:

還有另一個方法能將 你的錢轉換為快樂：

spend it on other people.

把錢花在別人身上。

In one study, participants were given some money

在一項研究中， 受試者會得到一些錢，

and were either asked to spend it on themselves or on someone else.

他們被要求把錢花在 自己身上或別人身上。

Later that evening, researchers called up these participants

當天晚上，研究者 打電話給這些受試者，

and asked them how happy they were.

問他們有多快樂。

The happiness levels of those who had spent the money on others

把錢花在別人身上的 受試者的快樂程度

were significantly greater than that of those who had spent it on themselves.

顯著高於把錢花在 自己身上的受試者。

And that seems to be true around the world.

似乎在世界各地都是如此。

Another study examined the generosity of over 200,000 people from 136 countries.

另有一項研究在探討 136 國 至少 20 萬人的慷慨度。

In over 90% of these countries,

在超過 90% 的國家中，

people who donated tended to be happier than those who didn't.

捐錢的人傾向會比 沒捐錢的人更快樂。

But this may all be easier said than done.

但這些可能都是說的比做的容易。

Let's say a million dollars falls into your lap tomorrow.

比如，明天你會得到 天外飛來的一百萬美元。

What do you do with it?

你會拿它來做什麼？