Nancy Etcoff: Happiness and its surprises

翻译人员: Lili Liang 校对人员: Vivian Lee

This is called Hooked on a Feeling:

今天的主题是“感觉情结”

The Pursuit of Happiness and Human Design.

追求幸福与人性化设计

I put up a somewhat dour Darwin,

我把有点严肃的达尔文放在上面

but a very happy chimp up there.

不过旁边还有一只乐呵呵的黑猩猩

My first point is that the pursuit of happiness is obligatory.

我要说的第一点是 对幸福的追求是一种义务

Man wishes to be happy, only wishes to be happy,

人渴求幸福 只会渴求幸福

and cannot wish not to be so.

而不会拒绝幸福

We are wired to pursue happiness,

我们热切地向往幸福

not only to enjoy it, but to want more and more of it.

不仅希望享受幸福 而且想要越来越幸福

So given that that's true,

如果这是真的

how good are we at increasing our happiness?

那么我们在堆砌幸福上有多在行呢

Well, we certainly try.

当然 我们很努力

If you look on the Amazon site, there are over 2,000 titles

如果你上亚马逊网看 上面有超过2000个标题

with advice on the seven habits, the nine choices,

关于七个习惯 九个选择

the 10 secrets,

十个秘诀

the 14,000 thoughts that are supposed to bring happiness.

14000个幸福的建议

Now another way we try to increase our happiness

我们现在又有了一个增加幸福的新招

is we medicate ourselves.

那就是给自己灌药

And so there's over 120 million prescriptions out there for antidepressants.

现在有超过1亿2千万抗抑郁的处方药

Prozac was really the first absolute blockbuster drug.

百忧解就是第一种非常受欢迎的药物

It was clean, efficient, there was no high,

它很干净 有效 没有兴奋作用

there was really no danger, it had no street value.

没有危险 没有贩卖价值

In 1995,

1995年

illegal drugs were a $400 billion business,

非法药物买卖达到了4000亿美元

representing eight percent of world trade,

相当于世界贸易的8%

roughly the same as gas and oil.

几乎与油汽相当

These routes to happiness haven't really increased happiness very much.

这些通往幸福的路线似乎并未让幸福增加多少

One problem that's happening now is,

其中一个问题是

although the rates of happiness

一方面幸福增加的比率

are about as flat as the surface of the moon,

不尽如人意

depression and anxiety are rising.

而另一方面 抑郁与不安的比率正在上升

Some people say this is because we have better diagnosis,

有人说这是因为我们的医术更加高明了

and more people are being found out.

所以更多的病例被诊断出来

It isn't just that. We're seeing it all over the world.

其实不然 我们是从整个世界来看的

In the United States right now

现在在美国

there are more suicides than homicides.

自杀的要多于他杀

There is a rash of suicide in China.

在中国 自杀案件骤增

And the World Health Organization predicts

世界卫生组织预测

by the year 2020

到了2020年

that depression will be

抑郁会成为

the second largest cause of disability.

残疾的第二大至因

Now the good news here

所幸的是

is that if you take surveys from around the world,

如何你在全世界做问卷调查

we see that about three quarters of people

你会发现四分之三的人

will say they are at least pretty happy.

会说他们挺幸福的

But this does not follow any of the usual trends.

但是这并不是主流

For example, these two show great growth in income,

比如说 这两幅图显示 在收入的大幅增加的情况下

absolutely flat happiness curves.

幸福曲线仍然平缓

My field, the field of psychology,

我这一行 也就是心理学

hasn't done a whole lot

在了解人类幸福这一方们

to help us move forward in understanding human happiness.

并没有做出很大的贡献

In part, we have the legacy of Freud, who was a pessimist,

我们有弗洛伊德的遗产 他是个悲观主义者

who said that pursuit of happiness is a doomed quest,

他说对幸福的追求最终必定失败

is propelled by infantile aspects of the individual

它源于个人幼稚的各个方面

that can never be met in reality.

而永远不会实现

He said, "One feels inclined to say

他说：“人不情愿承认

that the intention that man should be happy

人类追求幸福的意图

is not included in the plan of creation."

并不在神创人的计划中。”

So the ultimate goal of psychoanalytic psychotherapy

因此 心理分析治疗的终极目标

was really what Freud called ordinary misery.

实际上就是弗洛伊德所谓的"自讨苦吃"

(Laughter)

（众人笑）

And Freud in part reflects

弗洛伊德部分反映了

the anatomy of the human emotion system --

人类情绪系统的剖析

which is that we have both a positive and a negative system,

我们有一个积极的和一个消极的系统

and our negative system

而我们消极的系统

is extremely sensitive.

非常敏感

So for example, we're born loving the taste of something sweet

比如说 我们天生就爱吃甜食

and reacting aversively to the taste of something bitter.

而特别厌恶苦的味道

We also find that people are more averse to losing

还有人对失去的厌恶感

than they are happy to gain.

要强于他们得到时的幸福感

The formula for a happy marriage

幸福婚姻的方程式是

is five positive remarks, or interactions,

五个积极互动

for every one negative.

才抵得过一个消极互动

And that's how powerful the one negative is.

一个消极互动就是这么厉害

Especially expressions of contempt or disgust,

尤其是轻视或厌恶的表示

well you really need a lot of positives to upset that.

你必须用一大堆的积极情绪才能抵消

I also put in here the stress response.

我还把压力反应加上去了

We're wired for dangers that are immediate,

我们天生就对直接的

that are physical, that are imminent,

物理的 切近的危险

and so our body goes into an incredible reaction

我们的身体会发生不可思议反应

where endogenous opioids come in.

产生内源性阿片类物质

We have a system that is really ancient,

我们身体的系统自古以来就是如此

and really there for physical danger.

专门为防备身体伤害

And so over time, this becomes a stress response,

经过漫长的时间 这成为了一种压力反应

which has enormous effects on the body.

对身体产生巨大影响

Cortisol floods the brain;

皮质醇充斥大脑

it destroys hippocampal cells and memory,

摧毁海马神经细胞和记忆

and can lead to all kinds of health problems.

能够引起各种健康问题

But unfortunately, we need this system in part.

然而 在某种程度上 我们需要这个系统

If we were only governed by pleasure

如果我们只受愉悦支配

we would not survive.

那么我们是活不下去的

We really have two command posts.

我们实际上是由两方面控制的

Emotions are short-lived intense responses

情绪对挑战和机遇的

to challenge and to opportunity.

短期强烈反应

And each one of them allows us to click into alternate selves

每个反应都让我们做自我调整

that tune in, turn on, drop out

将思想 观念 感觉 记忆

thoughts, perceptions, feelings and memories.

放大 打开 关闭

We tend to think of emotions as just feelings.

我们总以为情绪就是感觉

But in fact, emotions are an all-systems alert

但其实 情绪是所有系统的警报

that change what we remember,

改变我们的记忆

what kind of decisions we make,

所做的决定

and how we perceive things.

以及对事物的看法

So let me go forward to the new science of happiness.

下面我转到关于幸福的新科学

We've come away from the Freudian gloom,

我们从弗洛伊德的悲观中走出来

and people are now actively studying this.

现在人们开始积极地做这项研究

And one of the key points in the science of happiness

关于幸福的科学 其中关键的一点是

is that happiness and unhappiness

幸福与不幸福

are not endpoints of a single continuum.

并不是一个连续统一体的两端

The Freudian model is really one continuum

弗洛伊德模式是一个连续统一体

that, as you get less miserable,

那就是你的烦恼越少

you get happier.

你就越开心

And that isn't true -- when you get less miserable,

但事实并非如此 你的烦恼少了

you get less miserable.

你只是没那么不开心了

And that happiness is a whole other end of the equation.

而幸福在等式另一端

And it's been missing. It's been missing from psychotherapy.

幸福缺失了 从心理治疗中缺失了

So when people's symptoms go away, they tend to recur,

因而 当人们的症状消失了 又复返了

because there isn't a sense of the other half --

这是因为另一半缺失了

of what pleasure, happiness, compassion, gratitude,

那就是愉悦 幸福 同情心 感激之情

what are the positive emotions.

这些积极的情绪

And of course we know this intuitively,

直觉告诉我们

that happiness is not just the absence of misery.

幸福并不意味着没有烦恼

But somehow it was not put forward until very recently,

但是 直到最近

seeing these as two parallel systems.

人们才把两者作为平行系统看待

So that the body can both look for opportunity

这样身体才能一边寻找机遇

and also protect itself from danger, at the same time.

一边保护自己

And they're sort of two reciprocal

这两者是互补

and dynamically interacting systems.

并活跃互动的系统

People have also wanted to deconstruct.

人们也想过解析幸福

We use this word "happy,"

我们用“幸福”这个词

and it's this very large umbrella of a term.

这是一个概念的一把大伞

And then three emotions for which there are no English words:

伞下是三种情绪 都是非英文单词

fiero, which is the pride in accomplishment of a challenge;

fiero 是指战胜了挑战后的骄傲

schadenfreude, which is happiness in another's misfortune,

schadenfreude 是指建立在他人痛苦之上的幸福

a malicious pleasure;

不怀好意的愉悦

and naches, which is a pride and joy in one's children.

naches 对自己孩子抱有的骄傲与喜悦

Absent from this list, and absent from any discussions of happiness,

不管是这上面还是任何关于幸福的探讨

are happiness in another's happiness.

都没有谈到对他人所抱有的幸福感

We don't seem to have a word for that.

我们似乎找不到一个词来表达

We are very sensitive to the negative,

我们对消极事物非常敏感

but it is in part offset by the fact

而这由于我们拥有积极感

that we have a positivity.

而被抵消了

We're also born pleasure-seekers.

我们天生就会寻求愉悦感

Babies love the taste of sweet

婴儿喜欢甜味

and hate the taste of bitter.

而讨厌苦味

They love to touch smooth surfaces rather than rough ones.

他们喜欢平滑的表面而不是粗糙的表面

They like to look at beautiful faces

他们喜欢看漂亮的脸蛋

rather than plain faces.

而非平庸的脸蛋

They like to listen to consonant melodies

他们喜欢听和谐的旋律

instead of dissonant melodies.

而非不和谐的旋律

Babies really are born

婴儿有许多

with a lot of innate pleasures.

与生俱来的内在快感

There was once a statement made by a psychologist

一位心理学家曾说

that said that 80 percent of the pursuit of happiness

对幸福80%的追求

is really just about the genes,

都由基因决定

and it's as difficult to become happier as it is to become taller.

变得幸福跟长高一样难

That's nonsense.

一派胡言

There is a decent contribution to happiness from the genes --

基因对幸福是有一定的影响

about 50 percent --

大概占50%

but there is still that 50 percent that is unaccounted for.

但另外50%就与基因无关了

Let's just go into the brain for a moment,

我们来看看大脑内部

and see where does happiness

看看幸福感

arise from in evolution.

是从进化的哪一阶段出现的

We have basically at least two systems here,

这里至少有两个系统

and they both are very ancient.

都非常古老

One is the reward system,

一个是犒赏系统

and that's fed by the chemical dopamine.

分泌出多巴胺

And it starts in the ventral tegmental area.

从腹侧被盖区域开始

It goes to the nucleus accumbens,

进入伏隔核

all the way up to the prefrontal cortex, orbital frontal cortex,

一直到达前额叶皮质 眶额叶皮质

where decisions are made, high level.

这里是做决定的地方 高级别

This was originally seen as a system

这原本被看做是

that was the pleasure system of the brain.

大脑的快感系统

In the 1950s,

在二十世纪50年代

Olds and Milner put electrodes into the brain of a rat.

奥德斯和米尔纳将电极植入一只老鼠的大脑

And the rat would just keep pressing that bar

结果这只老鼠不停地按那根铁杆

thousands and thousands and thousands of times.

成千上万次

It wouldn't eat. It wouldn't sleep. It wouldn't have sex.

它不吃不睡不交配

It wouldn't do anything but press this bar.

它一直在按那个铁杆

So they assumed

他们以为

this must be, you know, the brain's orgasmatron.

这肯定是大脑的兴奋诱导器

It turned out that it wasn't,

结果发现 事实并非如此

that it really is a system of motivation,

这其实是一个激励系统

a system of wanting.

一个渴求系统

It gives objects what's called incentive salience.

产生一种兴奋作用

It makes something look so attractive

让事物看起来非常诱人

that you just have to go after it.

使你不得不去追求它

That's something different

这跟快感系统

from the system that is the pleasure system,

有区别

which simply says, "I like this."

快感系统是：“我喜欢。”

The pleasure system, as you see,

你可以看到 快感系统

which is the internal opiates, there is a hormone oxytocin,

是体内的兴奋剂

is widely spread throughout the brain.

大脑中遍布着一种催产素

Dopamine system, the wanting system,

多巴胺系统 也就是渴求系统

is much more centralized.

则更为集中

The other thing about positive emotions is that they have a universal signal.

积极情绪的另一个特点是具有同样的信号

And we see here the smile.

我们看这微笑

And the universal signal is not just raising the corner of the lips

这个信号并不只是嘴角上扬

to the zygomatic major.

至颧骨

It's also crinkling the outer corner of the eye,

它还包括外眼角

the orbicularis oculi.

即眼轮匝肌眯起

So you see, even 10-month-old babies, when they see their mother,

即使是十个月大的婴儿 当看到妈妈时

will show this particular kind of smile.

都会露出这样的微笑

Extroverts use it more than introverts.

性格外向的人比内向的人笑得更开

People who are relieved of depression

人们在压抑的情绪释放之后

show it more after than before.

比在此之前笑得更开怀

So if you want to unmask a true look of happiness,

如果你想判断一个人是否真的开心

you will look for this expression.

看这个表情就知道了

Our pleasures are really ancient.

人的快感有着很长的历史

And we learn, of course, many, many pleasures,

许多快感是习得的

but many of them are base. And one of them, of course, is biophilia --

但也有许多是最基本的 其中一个就是

that we have a response to the natural world

我们对自然界做出反应的自卫本能

that's very profound.

这非常重要

Very interesting studies

一些研究非常有意思

done on people recovering from surgery,

关于人们接受外科手术后的恢复情况

who found that people who faced a brick wall

对象为面对砖墙的人

versus people who looked out on trees and nature,

和面向树木和自然的人

the people who looked out on the brick wall

那些面对砖墙的人

were in the hospital longer, needed more medication,

住院的时间更长 需要更多药物

and had more medical complications.

并且出现更多并发症

There is something very restorative about nature,

大自然拥有非常强大的恢复力量

and it's part of how we are tuned.

它对我们的恢复发挥一定的作用

Humans, particularly so, we're very imitative creatures.

人类尤为如此 我们是善于模仿的造物

And we imitate from almost the second we are born.

我们几乎从一出生就开始模仿了

Here is a three-week-old baby.

这是个三周大的婴儿

And if you stick your tongue out at this baby,

如果你向他伸出舌头

the baby will do the same.

他会学你

We are social beings from the beginning.

我们自出世就是社会性的人

And even studies of cooperation

关于合作的研究

show that cooperation between individuals

也显示人与人之间的合作

lights up reward centers of the brain.

点亮大脑的犒赏中心

One problem that psychology has had

心理学的一个问题在于

is instead of looking at this intersubjectivity --

没有关注这一主体间性

or the importance of the social brain

或社会性头脑

to humans who come into the world helpless

对于初生于世 孤立无援

and need each other tremendously --

需要彼此的人类的重要性

is that they focus instead on the self

而关注的是自身

and self-esteem, and not self-other.

自尊心 而不是人与人之间的关系

It's sort of "me," not "we."

强调“我”而不是“我们”

And I think this has been a really tremendous problem

我认为这是个很严重的问题

that goes against our biology and nature,

违背了我们的生理和本质

and hasn't made us any happier at all.

并没有让我们变得更幸福

Because when you think about it, people are happiest when in flow,

人们最开心的时候是当他们处于心流之中

when they're absorbed in something out in the world,

醉心于外界的某项活动中

when they're with other people, when they're active,

与别人相处 身体动起来

engaged in sports, focusing on a loved one,

做运动 专情于某人

learning, having sex, whatever.

学习 性生活 等等

They're not sitting in front of the mirror

他们并不是坐在镜子前

trying to figure themselves out,

分析自己

or thinking about themselves.

或者琢磨自己

These are not the periods when you feel happiest.

这可不是你最快乐的时候

The other thing is, that a piece of evidence is,

还有一点 有证据显示

is if you look at computerized text analysis

在自杀者的

of people who commit suicide,

计算机文本分析中

what you find there, and it's quite interesting,

你会发现一些有意思的现象

is use of the first person singular --

里面有许多第一人称单数的用法

"I," "me," "my,"

“我” “我的”

not "we" and "us" --

而不是“我们”

and the letters are less hopeless

这些信中更多地表达的是孤独

than they are really alone.

而不是绝望

And being alone is very unnatural to the human.

孤独对人类来说是非常不自然的

There is a profound need to belong.

有归属是一种关键的需要

But there are ways in which our evolutionary history can really trip us up.

然而 进化史有许多容易误导人的地方

Because, for example, the genes don't care whether we're happy,

例如 基因并不关心我们快乐与否

they care that we replicate,

只关心我们复制

that we pass our genes on.

把基因传给后代

So for example we have three systems

我们有这样三个系统

that underlie reproduction, because it's so important.

是生殖的基础 因为这非常重要

There's lust, which is just wanting to have sex.

一个是性欲 也就是对性的渴望

And that's really mediated by the sex hormones.

这受性激素的调节

Romantic attraction,

吸引

that gets into the desire system.

这属于欲望系统

And that's dopamine-fed. And that's, "I must have this one person."

分泌多巴胺 也就是“我必须得到这个人。”

There's attachment, which is oxytocin,

还有依恋 也就是催产素

and the opiates, which says, "This is a long-term bond."

也就是“这是一段长期的关系。”

See the problem is that, as humans, these three can separate.

问题是 对于人类而言 这三者可以分开

So a person can be in a long term attachment,

也就是说 一个人可以处于一段长期关系中

become romantically infatuated with someone else,

同时喜欢上另一个人

and want to have sex with a third person.

并想要与第三个人发生性关系

The other way in which our genes can sometimes lead us astray

基因还可以通过社会地位

is in social status.

对我们产生误导

We are very acutely aware of our social status

我们对社会地位高度关注

and always seek to further and increase it.

总在寻求提高社会地位

Now in the animal world, there is only one way to increase status,

在动物世界里 只有一种方法能够提高地位

and that's dominance.

那就是胜者为王

I seize command by physical prowess,

身强力壮就能掌握权力

and I keep it by beating my chest,

通过捶胸来巩固权力

and you make submissive gestures.

而你做出服从的姿态

Now, the human has a whole other way to rise to the top,

而人类往上爬的方式则截然不同

and that is a prestige route,

是名声

which is freely conferred.

可以自由授予

Someone has expertise and knowledge, and knows how to do things,

一个人有专长和知识 有才干

and we give that person status.

我们就给这个人地位

And that's clearly the way for us to create many more niches of status

这样我们就创造了更多社会角色

so that people don't have to be lower on the status hierarchy

人们也就不会像动物世界那样

as they are in the animal world.

处于社会等级中处于下层了

The data isn't terribly supportive of money buying happiness.

数据显示 金钱并不能购买幸福

But it's not irrelevant.

但是金钱与幸福还是有关系的

So if you look at questions like this, life satisfaction,

看看这些问题 生活满足感

you see life satisfaction going up with each rung of income.

生活满足感随收入的增长而增加

You see mental distress going up with lower income.

精神抑郁随收入的降低而增加

So clearly there is some effect.

显然 金钱还是有一点影响的

But the effect is relatively small.

但是这种影响较小

And one of the problems with money is materialism.

关于金钱的另一个问题是拜金主义

What happens when people pursue money too avidly,

当人们过于热衷于金钱

is they forget about the real basic pleasures of life.

他们就会忽略生活中基本的快感

So we have here, this couple.

这里有一对夫妇

"Do you think the less-fortunate are having better sex?"

“那些相对穷的人是不是更享受性生活呢？”

And then this kid over here is saying, "Leave me alone with my toys."

这个孩子在说：“别碰我的玩具。”

So one of the things is that it really takes over.

所以 问题之一就是 拜金主义有些过头了

That whole dopamine-wanting system

这整个多巴胺－渴求系统

takes over and derails from any of the pleasure system.

占了主导并背离了整个快感系统

Maslow had this idea back in the 1950s

马斯洛在二十世纪五十年代提出

that as people rise above their biological needs,

当人们超越了生理需要

as the world becomes safer

当世界变得更安全

and we don't have to worry about basic needs being met --

我们就无需担心这些基本需要得不到满足

our biological system, whatever motivates us, is being satisfied --

激励我们的生理系统 已经得到了满足

we can rise above them, to think beyond ourselves

我们可以超越这些需要 超越自身思考

toward self-actualization or transcendence,

自我实现 自我超越

and rise above the materialist.

超越唯物者

So to just quickly conclude with some brief data

简短地概括一下这些数据

that suggests this might be so.

解释他说的可能是对的

One is people who underwent what is called a quantum change:

一是 正在经历一个叫做量子飞跃过程的人

they felt their life and their whole values had changed.

感觉他们的生活和价值观都改变了

And sure enough, if you look at the kinds of values that come in,

当然 你可以看到

you see wealth, adventure, achievement, pleasure, fun, be respected,

财富 冒险 成就 快感 娱乐等价值观

before the change,

在变化前都受到尊重

and much more post-materialist values after.

而变化后 则更为后唯物主义了

Women had a whole different set of value shifts.

女性的价值观变化截然不同

But very similarly, the only one that survived there was happiness.

但相似的是 只有幸福是两者皆有的

They went from attractiveness and happiness and wealth and self-control

从魅力 幸福 财富 自律

to generosity and forgiveness.

到慷慨与宽恕

I end with a few quotes.

我引用几句名言来结尾

"There is only one question:

“问题只有一个：

How to love this world?"

如何热爱世界？”

And Rilke, "If your daily life seems poor,

里尔克：“如果你的日常生活很贫寒

do not blame it; blame yourself.

别抱怨；怪你自己。

Tell yourself that you are not poet enough

告诉自己 你不够诗情画意

to call forth its riches."

招不来生活的丰富多彩。”

"First, say to yourself what you would be.

“首先，告诉自己你想成为什么样子。

Then do what you have to do."

然后做你该做的事情。”

Thank you.

感谢大家

(Applause)

（众人鼓掌）