The psychology of inequality and political division | Keith Payne

翻译人员: Lark Yu 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

You've probably heard by now

各位或许听说过，

that economic inequality is historically high,

贫富差距已经达到了历史最高点，

that the wealthiest one-tenth of one percent in the United States

在美国最富有的 1% 人口中，

have as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent combined,

10% 的人财富总量相当于 最底层 90% 人群的财富总和；

or that the wealthiest eight individuals in the world

换言之，全球最富有的 8 个人的财富总量

have as much wealth

相当于

as the poorest 3.5 billion inhabitants of the planet.

世界上最贫穷的 35 亿人的财富总和。

But did you know that economic inequality is associated with shorter lifespans,

但各位知道吗， 经济不平等与寿命缩短、

less happiness,

幸福感降低、

more crime

犯罪数量上升，

and more drug abuse?

以及毒品滥用加剧 都有着密切的联系。

Those sound like problems of poverty,

这些听起来似乎是 贫困所带来的问题，

but among wealthy, developed nations

但在富裕的发达国家中，

those health and social problems

和绝对收入的差异相比，

are actually more tightly linked to inequality between incomes

这些健康和社会问题实际上

与收入不平等的联系更密切。

than to absolute incomes.

And because of that,

正因如此，

the United States,

与其他发达国家相比，

the wealthiest and the most unequal of nations,

美国，这个最富裕 但也最不平等的国家，

actually fares worse than all other developed countries.

实际上情况更加糟糕。

Surveys show that large majorities of Americans,

研究表明，大量的美国民众——

both Democrats and Republicans,

民主党也好，共和党也罢——

believe inequality is too high and want more equal pay.

都认为贫富差距的问题非常严重， 希望实现更公平的薪资待遇。

And yet as a society, we don't seem to be able to find the common ground,

而从社会层面出发，针对这个问题， 我们似乎始终无法找到共同点，

the consensus, the political will to do anything about it.

也无法达成共识或共同的政治意愿， 从而也就无法采取一致的行动。

Because, as inequality has risen in recent decades,

因为，随着贫富差距 在最近几十年不断加剧，

political polarization has risen along with it.

政治两极化也愈演愈烈。

We see those who disagree with us as idiots or as immoral.

我们把与我们意见相左的人 称作“白痴”或“缺德的人”。

Nearly half of Democrats and Republicans

将近半数的民主党人和共和党人，

now think that the other side is not just mistaken

认为对方不只是犯错而已，

but a threat to the nation.

而是国家的祸患。

And that animosity prevents us from finding the common ground

而那种敌意阻碍了 人们寻求共同利益，

to change things.

进而也阻碍了变革。

I'm a social psychology professor at the University of North Carolina,

我是北卡罗莱纳大学的 一名社会心理学教授，

and I study the effects of inequality on people's thinking and behavior.

主要研究贫富差距 对人的思想和行为的影响。

I'm going to argue that it's not just an unfortunate coincidence

我想说的是，贫富差距 和政治分歧的同时出现

that inequality and political division have risen together.

不仅仅是一个不幸的巧合。

There are good psychological reasons

有充分的心理原因表明，

that inequality drives wedges in our politics.

是贫富差距造成了 我们政治中的裂痕。

That means there are good psychological paths

这同时也意味着， 良好的心理学方法

to improve both at once.

可以实现二者的同步改善。

To understand why inequality is so powerful,

为了理解贫富差距 影响巨大的原因，

you have to first understand that we are constantly comparing ourselves

必须首先理解，我们会不断拿自己

to other people,

和他人进行比较，

and when we do that,

一旦这样做了，

we really like to come out on top,

我们就会非常希望自己处于优势，

and we find it painful to be on the bottom.

如果处于劣势，就会感觉非常挫败。

Psychologists call it the "better-than-average effect."

心理学将这种现象 称为“中上等效应”。

Most people believe they're better than average

大多数人认为 他们在任何他们关心的事情上

at just about anything they care about,

都比一般人做得好，

which isn't strictly possible, because that's just what average means.

这是不可能的， 因为这就是“一般”的意思。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But that's the way people feel.

但这却恰恰就是人们的感觉。

Most people think they're smarter than average,

大多数人觉得他们比一般人聪明、

harder working than average

工作比普通人更加卖力，

and more socially skilled.

而且更加擅长社交。

Most people think they're better drivers than average.

大多数人还觉得他们的 驾驶技术高于平均水平。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

That's true even if you do the study with a sample of people

即使针对正在住院治疗的 交通事故肇事者

currently hospitalized for a car accident that they caused.

抽样进行研究，结论依然如此。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So we really want to see ourselves as better than average,

所以我们由衷的希望看到 自己比一般人好，

and if we find out otherwise,

而且如果我们发现事与愿违，

it's a painful experience that we have to cope with.

就必须痛苦的面对这一事实。

And we cope with it by shifting how we see the world.

而我们的应对方法， 就是换一套方式去看待这个世界。

To understand how this works,

为了搞明白这背后的机制，

我和合作者进行了一项试验。

my collaborators and I ran an experiment.

We asked participants to complete a decision-making task to earn some money,

我们要求参与者做一个决定， 从而获取一定数目的报酬，

and in reality, everyone earned the same amount of money.

实际上，每人所获金额是相同的。

But we randomly divided them into two groups,

但我们随机将他们分成两组，

and we told one group that they had done better than average,

告诉其中一组参与者， 他们的表现好于平均水平，

and we told the other group they had done worse than average.

而告诉另一组， 他们的表现低于平均水平。

So now we have one group that feels richer and one group that feels poorer,

因此一组人觉得他们更富有， 而另一组人觉得他们更贫穷，

but for no objective reason.

只是没有客观原因。

And then we asked them some questions.

接下来我们询问了他们一些问题。

When we asked them, "How good are you at making decisions?"

当我们询问他们： “你们的决策水平如何？”

the better-than-average group said that they were more competent

优于平均水平的组说，

相比低于平均水平的组， 他们在这方面的能力更强。

than the below-average group.

The better-than-average group said that their success

优于平均水平的组说， 他们的成就

was a fair outcome of a meritocracy.

是优胜劣汰的自然结果。

The below-average group thought the system was rigged,

低于平均水平的组则觉得 体制存在漏洞和弊病，

and in this case, of course, they were right.

当然，在这个实验中， 他们说的倒是没错。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Even though the two groups had the same amount of money,

尽管两组的报酬相同，

the group that felt richer said we should cut taxes on the wealthy,

感觉更富有的测试组说， 我们应该对富人减税，

cut benefits to the poor.

削减穷人福利，

Let them work hard and be responsible for themselves, they said.

并且表示，应该让穷人 努力工作，对自己负责。

These are attitudes that we normally assume are rooted in deeply held values

我们通常认为这些态度 是根植于根深蒂固的价值观

and a lifetime of experience,

和人生的经历，

but a 10-minute exercise

但一个让人们感受到贫富差距的

that made people feel richer or poorer

10 分钟测试，

was enough to change those views.

就足以改变这些看法。

This difference between being rich or poor and feeling rich or poor is important,

实际富有或贫穷与 感觉富有或贫穷之间的区别很重要，

because the two don't always line up very well.

因为这两种情况 不能简单的混为一谈。

You often hear people say with nostalgia,

我们经常听到人们 带着怀旧之情说，

"We were poor, but we didn't know it."

“我们很穷，但我们并没有感觉到。”

That was the case for me growing up,

我就是在这种环境中长大的，

until one day,

直到有一天，

in the fourth-grade lunch line,

在四年级的午餐领取窗口，

we had a new cashier who didn't know the ropes,

新来了一位收银员，不了解情况，

and she asked me for 1.25 dollars.

她向我收取了 1.25 美金，

I was taken aback, because I had never been asked to pay for my lunch before.

我深感震惊，因为我之前 从没被要求支付午餐费用。

I didn't know what to say, because I didn't have any money.

我一时语塞，因为我身无分文。

And suddenly, I realized for the first time

突然间，我生平第一次意识到

that we free lunch kids were the poor ones.

我们这些享受免费午餐的孩子 其实都是穷人家的孩子。

That awkward moment in the school lunch line

而在学校餐厅窗口的 那一狼狈时刻

changed so much for me,

彻底改变了我，

because for the first time, I felt poor.

因为这是我第一次感受到贫穷。

We didn't have any less money than the day before,

那天之前，我们家的钱 丝毫没有减少，

but for the first time,

但生平第一次，

I started noticing things differently.

我开始以不同的视角 看待周遭的一切，

It changed the way I saw the world.

它改变了我看世界的方式。

I started noticing how the kids who paid for their lunch

我开始留意那些 支付午餐费用的孩子，

seemed to dress better than the free lunch kids.

他们似乎比 吃免费午餐孩子的穿着更好。

I started noticing the big yellow blocks of government cheese

我开始留意家门口出现的 那些政府提供的

that showed up at our door

黄色奶酪块，

and the food stamps my mother would pull out at the grocery store.

以及在副食店妈妈拿出的食品券。

I was always a shy kid,

我一直是个腼腆的孩子，

but I hardly talked at all after that at school.

但从那以后， 我在学校更少言寡语了。

Who was I to speak up?

我能和谁讲话呢？

For decades, social scientists looked for evidence

几十年来，社会学家 一直在寻找证据证明，

that feeling deprived compared to other people

感觉到自己比其他人更贫穷

would motivate political action.

能够激励政治行动。

They thought it would mobilize protests, strikes,

他们认为这样的做法 会引发抗议、罢工，

maybe even revolutions.

甚至可能是变革运动。

But again and again what they found was that it paralyzed people,

但他们接二连三发现的结论是， 这种状态反而会麻痹民众，

because the truth is,

因为真相是，

feeling less than other people

感觉不如别人

brings shame.

会带来羞耻感。

It makes people turn away,

让人们有意回避

disgusted with the system.

这令人不满的现有体系。

Feeling better than other people, though --

然而感觉比他人优秀

now that is motivating.

则会激励人心。

It motivates us to protect that position,

这种感觉会激励我们 捍卫现有地位，

and it has important consequences for our politics.

同时也会对我们的政治环境 带来重要影响。

To see why, consider another experiment.

究其原因， 用另外一个实验可以说明。

Again, we asked participants to make decisions to earn some money,

同样的，我们要求参与者 通过做出相关决定以换取报酬，

and we told one group that they had done better than average

同时告诉一组人员， 他们的收入高于均值，

而告诉另一组， 他们的收入低于均值。

and the other group that they had done worse than average.

同样的，高于均值的组说， 适者生存是公平的，

And again, the better-than-average group said it's a fair meritocracy,

cut taxes on the wealthy,

要对富人减税，

cut benefits on the poor.

削减穷人的福利。

But this time, we also asked them what did they think

与此同时，就那些问题， 我们也同样询问了他们

about other participants who disagree with them

对与他们意见相左的其他参与者

on those issues.

有何看法。

Are they smart or incompetent?

他们是聪明，还是能力不足？

Are they reasonable or are they biased?

他们富于理性，还是持有偏见？

The better-than-average group said anybody who disagrees with them

优于均值水平的组反馈说， 那些和他们意见相左的人，

must be incompetent, biased,

一定是能力不足，同时存在偏见，

blinded by self-interest.

被个人利益蒙蔽了双眼。

The below-average group

而低于均值水平的组则

didn't assume that about their opponents.

并没有对他们的对照组 持有同样的看法。

Now, there are lots of psychology studies

目前，有大量的心理学研究表明，

showing that when people agree with us,

在人们和我们持相同意见时，

we think they're brilliant,

我们会认为他们聪明智慧，

and when people disagree with us,

而当意见不同时，

we tend to think they're idiots.

则更倾向于认为对方是白痴。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But this is new because we found it was driven entirely by the group

但这是一个新现象， 因为我们发现

它完全是由那些感觉自己 比一般人更好的群体驱动的，

that felt better than average,

who felt entitled to dismiss those people who disagree with them.

他们觉得有权忽视那些 与他们意见相左的人。

So think about what this is doing to our politics,

那么思考一下，这种举动会 给我们的政治带来什么，

as the haves and have-nots spread further and further apart.

那些利益既得者和丧失利益者， 他们之间只会更加分裂。

Yes, a lot of us think that people on the other side are idiots,

是的，很多人会想， 站在对立面的人是“白痴”，

but the people politically engaged enough to be yelling at each other about politics

而那些向彼此吼叫着 政治口号的政治参与者，

are actually mostly the well-off.

实际上绝大多数都是既得利益者。

In fact, as inequality has grown in recent decades,

事实上，在最近几十年中， 随着贫富差距的不断加剧，

political interest and participation among the poor has plummeted.

穷人的政治兴趣 和参与度急剧下降。

Again, we see that people who feel left behind

我们也再一次看到， 那些感到被遗忘的人，

aren't taking to the streets to protest or organize voter registration drives.

并未走上街头参与抗议， 或组织投票登记运动。

Often, they aren't even voting.

通常，他们甚至都不参与投票。

Instead, they're turning away and dropping out.

相反，他们选择了回避和放弃。

So if we want to do something about extreme inequality,

所以，如果我们想对极端的 贫富差距有所行动，

we have to fix our politics.

就必须消除这些政治弊病。

And if we want to fix our politics,

而要达到这一目的，

we have to do something about inequality.

我们就必须在贫富差距上下功夫。

So what do we do?

那我们要做些什么呢？

The wonderful thing about spirals

螺旋的奇妙之处在于，

is that you can interrupt at any point in the cycle.

你可以在周期的任何一点中断它。

I think our best bet starts with those of us

我认为，我们最好从那些

who have benefited the most from inequality's rise,

从贫富差距加剧中 受益最多的这些人开始，

those of us who have done better than average.

从那些比一般人 表现更好的人开始。

If you've been successful,

如果你事业有成，

it's natural to chalk up your success to your own hard work.

将个人成就归功于 努力勤奋再自然不过。

But, like the studies I showed you,

但是，就像 我刚才提到的研究那样，

everybody does that,

每个人都会这样做，

whether or not it really was the hard work that mattered most.

不管勤奋工作是不是关键所在。

Every successful person I know

每个我认识的成功人士

can think of times when they worked hard and struggled to succeed.

都能回忆起他们卖力工作， 奋力获取成功的日子。

They can also think of times

他们也会想起那些

when they benefited from good luck or a helping hand

他们受益于好运气 或者他人帮助的时光，

but that part is harder.

只是那部分更容易被遗忘。

Psychologists Shai Davidai and Tom Gilovich

心理学家赛·戴维戴（Shai Davidai） 和汤姆·吉洛维奇（Tom Gilovich），

call it the "headwind-tailwind asymmetry."

称其为“逆风-顺风不对称原理”。

When you're struggling against headwinds,

当你在对抗逆风时，

those obstacles are all you can see.

你能看到的只有困难和障碍，

It's what you notice and remember.

它们令你印象深刻。

But when the wind's at your back and everything's going your way,

而当一切都顺风顺水，

all you notice is yourself

你的所有关注点都是自己，

and our own amazing talents.

和我们自己的过人天赋。

So we have to stop and think for a minute

因此我们需要停下来，思考一下，

to recognize those tailwinds helping us along.

清楚的认识到那些顺境 为我们一路提供的便利。

It's so easy to see what's wrong with people

我们轻而易举就能看到

和我们意见不同的人身上的问题。

who disagree with you.

Some of you decided that I was an idiot in the first two minutes,

在演讲开始的前两分钟， 有人就已经认定我是一个“白痴”，

就因为我说，贫富差距是有害的。

because I said inequality was harmful.

（笑声）

(Laughter)

The hard part is to recognize

难点在于，要认识到，

that if you were in a different position,

当你体会到了他人的处境，

you might see things differently,

或许就会 从不同的角度看待事物，

just like the subjects in our experiments.

就像那些实验参与者。

So if you're in the above-average group in life --

如果生活中你属于 优于均值水平的组——

and if you're watching a TED talk, you most likely are --

如果你正在看 TED 演讲， 你很可能就属于这一组——

(Laughter)

（笑声）

then I leave you with this challenge:

我想留给你们一个挑战：

the next time you're tempted to dismiss someone who disagrees with you

下次你忍不住要忽略 那个与你意见相左的人，

as an idiot,

认为对方是白痴，

think about the tailwinds that helped you get where you are.

想一想那个帮助你 实现个人理想的顺境，

What lucky breaks did you get

是否是幸运之神的垂青

that might have turned out differently?

让事情有了转机？

What helping hands are you grateful for?

你最感恩的帮助是什么？

Recognizing those tailwinds gives us the humility we need

认识到这些顺境 会让我们变得谦卑，

to see that disagreeing with us doesn't make people idiots.

并且能够看到，和自己意见不同 并不会让他人成为白痴。

The real hard work is in finding common ground,

真正的困难在于找到共同立场，

because it's the well-off who have the power

因为正是那些有权有势的人

and the responsibility to change things.

才有能力和责任去改变现状。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）