Why You Should Embrace Mediocrity | Crispin Thurlow | TED

翻译人员: Jia Z 校对人员: suya f.

So a few years ago,

几年前，

I had to make a work trip to Stockholm.

我去斯德哥尔摩出差。

And because it was the school holidays,

而且因为当时学校放假，

I needed to take my two kids along with me.

我需要带着我的两个孩子一起去。

And at the time they were 14 and 12.

当时他们分别是 14 岁和 12 岁。

Anyway, my local colleagues, needless to say,

不用说，我的当地同事

were really very supportive.

确实非常支持。

And in fact, knowing that I do research on language and social class,

事实上，他们知道 我在研究语言和社会阶层，

they'd also clearly enjoyed arranging to put us into a hotel

他们显然也很乐意安排我们

belonging by a large Swedish chain called Elite Hotels.

入住一家名为“精英酒店” 的瑞典大型连锁酒店。

So on the day that we arrived,

因此，在我们到达的那一天，

we checked in and then we made our way straight up to our room.

我们办理了入住手续， 然后直接去了房间。

But as soon as we crossed the threshold,

但是当我们进门之后，

my oldest son declared with genuine frustration,

我的大儿子就非常沮丧的说：

"But this isn't elite."

“但这不算精英。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And I was a little bit surprised,

我有点惊讶，

but also kind of really curious to know exactly what he meant.

但也很想知道他到底是什么意思。

So I sort of pressed him, and he quickly explained to me

于是我问他，他很快向我解释说

that the room was just not big enough to be elite.

房间还不够大，算不上精英。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So in that moment,

所以在那一刻，

I realized that my son had already learned two really important lessons

我意识到我的儿子已经学了 两堂关于日常语言的

about everyday language.

非常重要的课。

First, that words are very influential,

首先，词语是很有影响力的，

but their meaning can often be slippery.

但它们的含义往往很微妙。

And second, that the language of superiority and comparison

其次，优越感和对比性的语言

can lead to disappointment.

可能会让人失望。

But it's tough.

但这很难。

Nowadays we're bombarded with messages about excellence,

如今，我们的生活充斥着关于卓越、

distinction and success,

优异和成功的信息，

and we hear voices telling us you should be a top student,

我们听到有人告诉我们 你应该成为顶尖学生、

or a winner, or a leader, or preferably all three.

赢家、领导者， 或者最好是三者兼而有之。

And it's this that's started me to think a little bit more

正是这个让我开始更多的思考

about what's going on here.

这里发生的事情。

How do we manage this?

我们如何管理它们？

Because all of this leads to a profound sense

因为所有这些都导致了

of what the philosopher Alain de Botton has called status anxiety.

哲学家阿兰·德波顿所说的 “身份焦虑”的深刻感受。

And for me, this is a kind of anxiety that arises through our constant worry

对我来说，这种焦虑源于我们一直担心

about not being good enough,

自己不够好，

or always needing to be someone better,

或者总是需要成为一个更好的人，

or to have something better.

或者需要有更好的东西。

But the reality is this.

但现实是这样的。

Not everyone can be a top student.

不是每个人都能成为顶尖学生。

Not everyone can be a winner,

不是每个人都能成为赢家，

and not everyone can be a leader.

也不是每个人都能成为领导者。

By the simple law of averages,

根据简单的平均定律，

most of us have to live a life more ordinary.

我们大多数人过上的是 更加平凡的生活。

Well, it's for this reason that I've started to rethink

正是出于这个原因我开始重新思考，

or perhaps even reclaim the notion of mediocrity.

甚至可能重拾平庸的概念。

And I've even been challenging myself to consider the possibility

我甚至一直在挑战自己，

of embracing mediocrity.

考虑拥抱平庸的可能性。

Now, obviously, I understand that mediocrity has a bad reputation

很明显，我明白平庸并非一个好词，

with sort of connotations like average quality

它有种品质一般，

or not very good.

或者品质不太好的含义。

But the sociolinguist in me insists on digging just a little bit deeper,

但是我内心的社会语言学家 坚持要更深入地挖掘，

maybe listening to some of the word's origins

也许可以倾听这个词的一些起源，

and unearthing some of its other meaning potentials.

发掘它的一些其他含义。

In actual fact,

实际上，

the word mediocre has its roots in the Indo-European "medial,"

平庸一词起源于 印欧语系的“medial”，

meaning "middle."

意思是 “中间”。

So essentially then, mediocrity is just about existing

因此，从本质上讲，平庸几乎存在于

between two extremes,

两个极端之间，

hence middling or average

因此处于中等水平或平均水平，

or otherwise unexceptional or ordinary.

或者平淡无奇，或者普通。

So, as I say, statistically speaking,

因此，正如我所说，从统计学上讲，

life in the middle is inevitable and unavoidable for most of us.

对于我们大多数人来说， 处于中间是不可避免的。

And in fact, it seems to me

事实上，在我看来

that the middle is not such a terrible place to be.

中间并不是一个糟糕的位置。

In fact, it's quite a privileged place to be.

实际上，这是一个非常荣幸的位置。

It may not be as good as being at the top,

它可能不如位居榜首那么好，

but it's surely not as bad as being at the bottom.

但肯定不如处于最后那么糟糕。

And the trick, I suppose, is to learn to recognize our mediocrity,

我想，秘诀就是学会认识我们的平庸，

or at least our averageness or our ordinariness,

或者至少是我们的中庸或平凡，

without allowing other people to make us feel like failures or losers.

而别让其他人让我们觉得 自己像失败者。

Needless to say, this is quite a bit harder to do than it is to say.

毋庸置疑，这做起来比说起来要难得多。

And I think especially so nowadays.

我认为现在尤其是这样。

When we’re surrounded by these voices pressuring us to be the best

当我们被这些迫使我们成为最好

and to be better,

和变得更好的声音所包围时，

we find ourselves, I think, in a world that is bombarded

我认为，我们发现自己 处在一个不断受到轰炸

or confronted constantly with what I've come to think of

或经常要面对我所认为的

as a relentless language of superiority and comparison.

优越性和对比性的持续的语言世界中。

And it's as a sociolinguist

作为一名社会语言学家，

that I've been tracking this language for quite some time.

我追踪这种语言已有一段时间了。

And in this work, what I've been trying to do

在这部作品中，我一直在努力证明

is show that this is not just a relentless language,

这不仅是一种持续的语言，

but it's also often a very sneaky, surreptitious language.

而且通常也是一种非常隐秘的语言。

And it's with this in mind that I want to just share with you

考虑到这一点，我只想和大家分享

a couple of my favorite examples of what this looks like.

几个我最喜欢的例子， 来说明这是什么样。

These are my two favorite case studies.

这是我最喜欢的两个案例研究。

And the first of these is the word “elite” itself.

其中第一个是“精英” 一词本身。

And this is a word that circulates everywhere in our lives,

这个词在我们的生活中无处不在，

which is, as my son discovered in Stockholm.

就像我儿子在斯德哥尔摩发现的那样。

But take a look at a few of the many examples that I've also been collecting.

但是，看看我也一直在收集的 众多例子中的几个。

So here we have an elite grocery store in Denmark,

我们在丹麦有一家精英杂货店，

we have an elite nail salon in Seattle,

在西雅图有一家精英美甲沙龙，

we've got an elite phone shop in the UK,

在英国有一家精英电话商店，

an elite electrician's in Switzerland, actually in Bern,

瑞士有精英电工， 实际上是在伯尔尼，

and then an elite pastry shop or bakery in Poland.

然后是波兰的一家 精英糕点店或面包店。

And all of these, I can assure you,

我可以向你保证，所有这些

appear in decidedly non-elite spaces.

都绝非出现在精英区域。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But when I say that elite crops up everywhere, I mean really everywhere.

但是当我说精英无处不在时， 我的意思真的是无处不在。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I promise that after this talk,

我保证，在听完这次演讲后，

you are going to start noticing elite everywhere too.

你也会开始注意到到处都是精英。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And I've never been quite sure what we're supposed to think

当被告知我们的泡菜或纸巾是精英时，

when we're being told that our pickles are elite or our tissues.

我一直不知道该怎么想。

What exactly, I wonder, does an elite condom offer?

我想知道，精英避孕套 到底能提供什么？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And I don't know about you,

我不知道你，

but it's going to take a lot more than the word elite

但要说服我相信小便池是享有盛誉的

to convince me that a urinal is in any way prestigious.

光靠“精英”这个词可不够。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But the use of the word “elite” like this

但是现在这样使用 “精英” 一词

is a very, very common language game nowadays.

是一种非常常见的语言游戏。

We see this word attached to all sorts of goods and services,

我们看到这个词与各种 商品和服务息息相关，

kind of meaning everything and nothing at the same time.

在某种程度上意味着所有， 同时又什么都没有。

And in some ways I suppose it's all perfectly harmless,

在某些方面， 我想这一切都是完全无害的，

a bit playful even.

甚至有点好玩。

But I can't help but think,

但我忍不住想，

and in fact, I genuinely believe that these ubiquitous,

事实上，我真的相信， 这些无处不在，

constant appeals to eliteness

持续的精英吸引力

are trying to persuade us that superiority really does matter

试图说服我们优越感确实很重要，

and that status is something

而这种地位

that we should be thinking about all the time.

是我们应该时刻考虑的问题。

And these little one-word messages also suggests to us

这些单个词语的信息也向我们表明，

that superiority is easily obtained.

优越感很容易获得。

To be very clear,

说得更清楚些，

the language of superiority and comparison

优越感和对比性的措辞确实

is really good for business.

对生意有好处。

All of these relentless little one-word messages,

所有这些持续的单个词的小信息，

and ones like them,

以及类似的信息，

are trying to keep us aspiring upwards all the time.

都在尽力让我们始终向上努力。

And if we're aspiring, we're also acquiring.

而且，如果我们有抱负， 我们也在收获。

In other words, we're shopping.

换句话说，我们在购物。

And for this, they don't even need us aspiring to be the best.

为此，他们甚至不需要我们 渴望成为最好的。

Just aspiring to be better is often enough.

仅仅渴望变得更好通常就足够了。

Which brings me to my second little case study.

这就到了我的第二个小案例研究。

The one little, one-word message that I'm talking about

这里，我要说的一个小词语是

in this instance is “premium,”

“高端”，

and a good example of this appears

这方面一个很好的例子

in the so-called premium economy services

是所谓的高端经济舱服务，

offered by most major international airlines nowadays.

当今大多数国际航空公司 都提供这种服务。

And it's no coincidence that premium economy

对于航空公司来说，高端经济舱

can be more profitable for airlines than business class.

比商务舱更有利可图，而这绝非偶然。

But what's interesting about this little one-word message

但是，这个单个词语的有趣之处在于，

is that it's precisely not about being the best.

它完全不是要成为最好的。

Premium is all about having just a little bit extra

高端就是要好一点

or a little bit more,

或者多一点，

and especially a little bit extra or a little bit more

尤其是与其他产品相比，

compared with others.

好一点或多一点。

And to be sure, marketers know only too well

平心而论，营销人员非常清楚

that people will pay good money for feeling better off.

人们会因为感觉更好而支付更多钱。

Even that is when this comparison doesn't make us feel

即便这种比较并不能使我们

very good for very long.

在很长一段时间内感觉良好。

But the most striking thing about the word premium

但是，“高端”一词最引人注目的是，

is that it really crops up in way more banal spaces.

它确实出现在更加平庸的地方。

And I'm offering you a few more examples than before,

我再给你多举几个例子，

because I really want to impress upon you

因为我真的想让你深刻的感受到，

just how far-reaching this one-word message is.

这个单个词语传达的信息有多深远。

So we have premium chocolates in Sweden (not Switzerland),

我们瑞典（不是瑞士）有高端巧克力，

we have premium chips in Spain, premium coffee in Australia,

西班牙有高端薯条， 澳大利亚有高端咖啡，

premium tomatoes in New Zealand and burgers in Denmark.

新西兰有高端番茄， 丹麦有高端汉堡。

What we seem to have in Switzerland are premium cigarettes

在瑞士，我们似乎有高端香烟

and premium barbecue charcoal.

和高端的烧烤木炭。

Elsewhere, we've got premium puzzles, premium haircuts

在其他地方，我们有 高端拼图、高端发型，

and my most recent encounter in Poland, premium baby diapers.

还有我最近在波兰遇到的 高端婴儿尿布。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Again, premium is just about having a little bit more

再说一遍，高端就是比其好一点

or a little bit extra compared with others.

或多一点。

And as I say, these comparisons are usually built on illusions,

正如我所说，这些对比通常 是建立在幻想之上的，

and these comparisons just don't make us feel good for very long.

而这些对比并不能让我们 在很长一段时间内感觉良好。

In fact, all of these silly little language games

事实上，所有这些愚蠢的语言游戏

are a perfect example

都是著名社会学家

of what the famous sociologist Pierre Bourdieu called symbolic violence.

皮埃尔·布尔迪厄所说的 “象征性暴力”的完美例子。

And in a nutshell,

简而言之，

this is about the way that we allow words to manipulate us,

这是关于我们允许 言语操纵我们的方式，

even when it's against our own best interests.

即使这违背了 我们自己的最大利益。

So while social comparison may indeed be in our nature,

因此，尽管社会对比 可能确实是我们的本性，

it invariably leaves us feeling insecure, inadequate, unsatisfied.

它总是会让我们感到不安全、 不够、不满意。

There will always be something more or something better.

总会有更多或更好的东西。

And there will always be someone better and better off.

而且总会有比我们好的人， 而且越来越好。

So the question for me is this:

所以我面临的问题是：

how can we avoid doing symbolic violence to ourselves?

我们怎样才能避免对自己 进行象征性暴力？

Well, personally,

就我个人而言，

I find myself returning once again

我发现自己又回到了

to the possibility that mediocrity might hold the key or a key.

平庸或许是答案。

Now I understand that embracing mediocrity

现在我明白，对于某些人来说，

might feel just a little bit extreme or uncomfortable for some people,

拥抱平庸可能会让人感到 有点极端或不舒服，

which I think is fair enough.

我认为这并没有问题。

But the point is really just about coming to terms

但其实只要接受我们

with the inevitability of our averageness

不可避免的平凡，

and maybe finding a way

也许还能找到一种方法

to find the value and perhaps the privilege in being unexceptional.

来发现价值甚至成为卓越。

And for this, we've got to keep reminding ourselves that it really is OK

为此，我们必须不断提醒自己，

not to be the best.

可以不是最好的。

And it's certainly OK not to always want to be someone better

不总是想成为更好的人

or to have something better.

或拥有更好的东西当然是可以的。

But I think that nowadays,

但我认为，如今，

especially when we are surrounded by this relentless language

尤其是当我们被这种持续的

of superiority and comparison,

优越感和对比性的语言所包围时，

it takes determination

想要平凡需要决心，

and it also takes real courage to be ordinary.

也需要真正的勇气。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）