Want to be happier? Stay in the moment | Matt Killingsworth

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

翻译人员: Meng Wang 校对人员: Candice Wang

So, people want a lot of things out of life,

众所周知，人类为了各种各样的理想而奋斗，

but I think, more than anything else, they want happiness.

但是我认为，归根究底，他们要的是幸福。

Aristotle called happiness "the chief good," the end

亚里士多德把称幸福为“至高无上的精神享受，”

towards which all other things aim.

所有奋斗和追求的终极目标。

According to this view, the reason we want a big house

根据这个观点，我们之所以渴望一间大房子

or a nice car

或者一辆豪车

or a good job

或者一个好工作

isn't that these things are intrinsically valuable.

本质上来说，并不是因为这些东西对我们特别有价值。

It's that we expect them to bring us

而是因为我们期待这些财富能给我们带来

happiness.

幸福。

Now in the last 50 years, we Americans have gotten

在过去的50年里，我们美国人的物质生活

a lot of the things that we want. We're richer.

达到了前所未有的高度。我们更富有了。

We live longer. We have access to technology

平均寿命更长了。廉价而又实用的科技产品

that would have seemed like science fiction

使我们的生活看起来犹如科幻小说一般

just a few years ago.

仅仅是几年的功夫。

The paradox of happiness is that even though the

但是令人费解的是，虽然

objective conditions of our lives have improved dramatically,

客观上我们的物质生活水平有了极大的提高，

we haven't actually gotten any happier.

我们的幸福感却一点也没增加，

Maybe because these conventional notions of progress

也许是因为这些传统意义上能增加幸福感的方法

haven't delivered big benefits in terms of happiness,

其实对幸福感并没有什么大的影响，

there's been an increased interest in recent years

近些年来越来越多的人对

in happiness itself.

幸福本身产生了浓厚的兴趣。

People have been debating the causes of happiness

很长一段时间，大家都在争论到底是什么带给人类

for a really long time, in fact for thousands of years,

幸福感，事实上这场争论已经持续了数千年之久，

but it seems like many of those debates remain unresolved.

但是看起来这些争论都没有令人信服的结果。

Well, as with many other domains in life, I think

恩，如同生活中很多领域一样，我认为

the scientific method has the potential to answer this question.

科学研究是可以来回答这个问题的。

In fact, in the last few years, there's been an explosion

其实，在过去的数年里，对于幸福的研究

in research on happiness. For example, we've learned a lot

有了一些突破性的进展。比如，我们通过对

about its demographics, how things like income

人口统计学的研究了解到，外界因素诸如收入

and education, gender and marriage relate to it.

和教育，性别与婚姻状况对幸福感有一定的影响。

But one of the puzzles this has revealed is that

但是令人觉得矛盾的是

factors like these don't seem to have a particularly strong effect.

上面提过的这些都不是决定性的因素。

Yes, it's better to make more money rather than less,

的确，多挣些钱是件好事，

or to graduate from college instead of dropping out,

大学毕业肯定比中途辍学好很多，

but the differences in happiness tend to be small.

但是这些对幸福感的影响都微乎其微。

Which leaves the question, what are the big causes of happiness?

这不禁让我们陷入思考中，什么才是幸福感的决定性因素呢？

I think that's a question we haven't really answered yet,

我觉得这个问题我们还没有百分之百肯定的答案，

but I think something that has the potential to be an answer

但是我认为我们已经找到一种很可能是答案的观点

is that maybe happiness has an awful lot to do with

就是 也许幸福感是取决于

the contents of our moment-to-moment experiences.

生活中各式各样的瞬间感受。

It certainly seems that we're going about our lives,

这就好像我们正面对的日常生活中，

that what we're doing, who we're with, what we're thinking about,

我们正在做的事情，我们和谁在一起，我们正在考虑什么，

have a big influence on our happiness, and yet

对我们的幸福指数有很大的影响，不仅如此

these are the very factors that have been very difficult,

还有很多因素他们很难，

in fact almost impossible, for scientists to study.

事实上几乎是不可能，作为研究的素材。

A few years ago, I came up with a way to study people's happiness

几年前，我找到一种研究幸福感的方法

moment to moment as they're going about their daily lives

随时随地进行研究在人们日常生活中

on a massive scale all over the world, something we'd never

并在全世界范围内开展，这些我们曾经

been able to do before. Called trackyourhappiness.org,

想都不敢想的事。我们把它命名为 trackyourhappiness.org(网址）

it uses the iPhone to monitor people's happiness in real time.

它能通过Iphone实时监测大家的幸福指数。

How does this work? Basically, I send people signals

它的工作原理是什么呢？基本上，我会联系他们

at random points throughout the day, and then I ask them

在一个随机的时间，随后我会问他们

a bunch of questions about their moment-to-moment experience

一些问题关于他们的即时感受

at the instant just before the signal.

在我联系他们之前的那一瞬间。

The idea is that, if we can watch how people's happiness

这么做的原因是，如果我们可以观察到他们的幸福指数

goes up and down over the course of the day,

上升或者下降伴随着这一天的进行，

minute to minute in some cases,

有些案例是每分钟联系一次，

and try to understand how what people are doing,

并且尽量找出大家在做什么

who they're with, what they're thinking about, and all

他们和谁在一起，他们在想什么，和其它

the other factors that describe our day, how those might

所有能描述我们生活的因素，这些因素是如何

relate to those changes in happiness, we might be able

跟幸福指数联系在一起的，我们也许能通过它

to discover some of the things that really have

去发现那些真正能

a big influence on happiness.

对幸福感产生重大影响的东西。

We've been fortunate with this project to collect

我们很幸运的通过这个途径

quite a lot of data, a lot more data of this kind than I think

收集到了大量的资料，比我预期的还要多的资料

has ever been collected before,

前所未有的多，

over 650,000 real-time reports

超过65万的即时信息

from over 15,000 people.

来自超过1万5千名志愿者。

And it's not just a lot of people, it's a really diverse group,

不但人数众多，而且分布广泛，

people from a wide range of ages, from 18 to late 80s,

志愿者分布在不同的年龄层，从18岁到80岁，

a wide range of incomes, education levels,

不同的收入阶层，教育层次，

people who are married, divorced, widowed, etc.

已婚的，离婚的，丧偶的，等等。

They collectively represent every one of

这些志愿者出在

86 occupational categories and hail from over 80 countries.

86个不同行业并且来自超过80个国家。

What I'd like to do with the rest of my time with you today

在今天剩下的时间里我要做的是

is talk a little bit about one of the areas that we've been

和大家探讨一下其中一部分我们已经

investigating, and that's mind-wandering.

研究了一段时间的东西，那就是走神。

As human beings, we have this unique ability

作为人类，我们有这种独一无二的能力

to have our minds stray away from the present.

把我们的注意力从眼前的事物转移到别处。

This guy is sitting here working on his computer,

这个人正坐在电脑前工作，

and yet he could be thinking about

但是他可能正在回味

the vacation he had last month,

上个月的旅行，

wondering what he's going to have for dinner.

考虑一会去哪儿吃晚饭。

Maybe he's worried that he's going bald. (Laughter)

可能他正在担心自己快要秃了。（笑声）

This ability to focus our attention on something other

这个能力使我们能让我们把更多注意力转移到其它地方

than the present is really amazing. It allows us to learn

而不是当下正在做的事 这实在是太惊人了。这个能力让人类

and plan and reason in ways that no other species of animal can.

以自己独有的方式学习，设计和理解。

And yet it's not clear what the relationship is

至今我们还是不能确定使用这种能力

between our use of this ability and our happiness.

和我们的幸福感有什么关系。

You've probably heard people suggest that you should

你肯定曾经听到别人建议你

stay focused on the present. "Be here now,"

做事情要专心致志。“不要走神，”

you've probably heard a hundred times.

你肯定听得耳朵都长茧了。

Maybe, to really be happy, we need to stay completely

也许，想要幸福，我们应该沉浸

immersed and focused on our experience in the moment.

并且专注在我们曾经经历过的美好瞬间。

Maybe these people are right. Maybe mind-wandering

也许这些人是对的。也许走神

is a bad thing.

不是件好事。

On the other hand, when our minds wander,

但另一方面，走神可以让

they're unconstrained. We can't change the physical reality

我们的思想无拘无束。我们不能改变在我们

in front of us, but we can go anywhere in our minds.

面前的现实世界，但是我们的思想却可以飞到任何地方。

Since we know people want to be happy, maybe

我们知道人类渴望得到幸福，也许

when our minds wander, they're going to someplace happier than the place

当我们走神时，思想正飞往比眼前

that they're leaving. It would make a lot of sense.

更幸福的地方。这样就说得通了。

In other words, maybe the pleasures of the mind

换句话说，也许思想中的愉悦

allow us to increase our happiness with mind-wandering.

通过走神提高了我们的幸福感。

Well, since I'm a scientist, I'd like to try to

好吧，作为一个科学工作者，我希望尽量

resolve this debate with some data, and in particular

用数据来解决这个争论，所以我会特别想

I'd like to present some data to you from three questions

展示一些数据给大家。这些数据来自与三个

that I ask with Track Your Happiness. Remember, this is from

我在追踪幸福指数中问到过的问题。请记住，这些都来自

sort of moment-to-moment experience in people's real lives.

人们日常生活中的瞬间感受。

There are three questions. The first one is a happiness question:

这里有三个问题。第一个问题关于快乐：

How do you feel, on a scale ranging from very bad

你心情怎么样，衡量标准从非常差

to very good? Second, an activity question:

到非常好？第二个问题，关于行为：

What are you doing, on a list of 22 different activities

你在干嘛，我们的清单上记录了22中不同的活动

including things like eating and working and watching TV?

包括吃饭，工作和看电视？

And finally a mind-wandering question:

和一个关于 走神的问题：

Are you thinking about something other

你在想些别的事吗

than what you're currently doing?

而不是专心在眼下正在做的这件？

People could say no -- in other words, I'm focused only on my task --

有人会回答 没有--或者换个说法，我正专注在我的工作上--

or yes -- I am thinking about something else --

有人会说 是的--我正在想些别的事--

and the topic of those thoughts are pleasant,

这些事可能是高兴的，

neutral or unpleasant.

平淡无奇的或者不高兴的。

Any of those yes responses are what we called mind-wandering.

这些事就是我们所谓的走神了。

So what did we find?

所以我们发现什么了什么？

This graph shows happiness on the vertical axis,

这些柱状图为我们描述了各种状态下的幸福指数，

and you can see that bar there representing how happy

大家可以看到 眼前这个柱状图代表了

people are when they're focused on the present,

人们集中精神在当下时的幸福指数，

when they're not mind-wandering.

当他们没有走神的时候。

As it turns out, people are substantially less happy

事实证明，人们的幸福指数明显降低了

when their minds are wandering than when they're not.

当他们走神的时候相对于没走神时。

Now you might look at this result and say, okay, sure,

现在看着眼前的结果大家可能会说，好吧，一定是这样，

on average people are less happy when they're mind-wandering,

普遍情况下人们在走神的状态下会觉得不幸福，

but surely when their minds are straying away

但是很有可能当人们的注意力从

from something that wasn't very enjoyable to begin with,

一些令人不爽的事情上转移到其它地方时，

at least then mind-wandering should be doing something good for us.

至少这个时候走神能让我们觉得快乐一点。

Nope. As it turns out,

不是的。事实证明，

people are less happy when they're mind-wandering

人们并不会因为走神而变得更幸福

no matter what they're doing. For example,

无论他们正在干嘛。例如，

people don't really like commuting to work very much.

所有人都很不喜欢每日通勤这档子事。

It's one of their least enjoyable activities, and yet

它是公认的最令人不愉快的活动,即便如此

they are substantially happier when they're focused

当人们只把注意力放在赶路上的时候

only on their commute than when their mind is going

依然会感觉比走神到其它事情上

off to something else.

更快乐一点。

It's amazing.

太让人吃惊了。

So how could this be happening? I think part of the reason,

是什么导致了这样的结果呢？我认为部分原因是，

a big part of the reason, is that when our minds wander,

很大程度上吧，是因为当我们走神的时候，

we often think about unpleasant things, and they are

我们经常会想起一些不太愉快的事情，这些事情比

enormously less happy when they do that,

眼下正在做的事情悲惨多了，

our worries, our anxieties, our regrets,

我们的担心，忧虑，心中的悔恨，

and yet even when people are thinking about something

即便是当人们正在想一些

neutral, they're still considerably less happy

平淡无奇的事情，人们的幸福指数依然低于

than when they're not mind-wandering at all.

集中精神的时候。

Even when they're thinking about something they would describe as pleasant,

甚至当人们想着那些令人愉悦的事情时，

they're actually just slightly less happy

人们的幸福指数依然略低于

than when they aren't mind-wandering.

不走神的时候。

If mind-wandering were a slot machine, it would be like

如果把走神看成一台老虎机，跟它赌只有三种结果

having the chance to lose 50 dollars, 20 dollars

输50块，输20块

or one dollar. Right? You'd never want to play. (Laughter)

或者输一块钱。对吧？你肯定不想玩它。（笑声）

So I've been talking about this, suggesting, perhaps,

索然我已经说了很多关于幸福感的，建议，假设，

that mind-wandering causes unhappiness, but all

走神也许会降低我们的幸福感，但是

I've really shown you is that these two things are correlated.

我真正想为大家展示的是 “走神”和“幸福感”两者是有关联的。

It's possible that's the case, but it might also be the case

也许走神会降低幸福感，但是也有可能是另一种情况

that when people are unhappy, then they mind-wander.

人们因为觉得不幸福才走神。

Maybe that's what's really going on. How could we ever

也许这才是真相。我们怎么才能

disentangle these two possibilites?

从这两种可能性中解脱出来？

Well, one fact that we can take advantage of, I think a fact

好吧，我们可以利用一个事实，我认为这个事实

you'll all agree is true, is that time goes forward, not

大家都同意它的存在，这就是时间总是向前的，而不是

backward. Right? The cause has to come before the effect.

倒退的。对吧？原因一定出现在结果之前。

We're lucky in this data we have many responses from each person,

我们很幸运的从大家那里搜集到这些数据，

and so we can look and see, does mind-wandering

据此我们可以观察并且找出，是走神

tend to precede unhappiness, or does unhappiness

在痛苦之前出现，还是痛苦

tend to precede mind-wandering, to get some insight

在走神之前出现，通过这种以因果为导向

into the causal direction.

的方法。

As it turns out, there is a strong relationship between

事实证明，很多时候人们会觉得不快乐

mind-wandering now and being unhappy a short time later,

当他们刚刚走神了以后，

consistent with the idea that mind-wandering is causing people to be unhappy.

这很符合我们对于走神会降低幸福指数的推测.

In contrast, there's no relationship between being unhappy

相比之下，没有证据表明走神发生在

now and mind-wandering a short time later.

人们觉得不快乐之后。

In other words, mind-wandering very likely seems to be

换句话说，走神看起来很像是

an actual cause, and not merely a consequence, of unhappiness.

是导致不幸福的真正原因，而不是结果，不幸福的后果。

A few minutes ago, I likened mind-wandering

就在刚才，我把走神比喻成

to a slot machine you'd never want to play.

一台无人问津的老虎机。

Well, how often do people's minds wander?

恩，人们走神的频率有多高呢？

Turns out, they wander a lot. In fact, really a lot.

数据证明，走神的现象非常普遍。事实上，简直是无时无刻。

Forty-seven percent of the time, people are thinking

47%的时间里，人们都在思考别的事情

about something other than what they're currently doing.

而不是眼下正在做的。

How does that depend on what people are doing?

走神与否跟正在做的事情有什么关系呢？

This shows the rate of mind-wandering across 22 activities

这里我们可以看到22种活动的走神比重

ranging from a high of 65 percent — (Laughter) —

有的活动走神时间长达65%——（笑声）——

when people are taking a shower, brushing their teeth,

当人们洗澡，或者刷牙的时候，

to 50 percent when they're working,

当人们在工作的时候50%的时间出在走神中，

to 40 percent when they're exercising,

当人们在运动的时候40%的时间出在走神中，

all the way down to this one short bar on the right

依次往下直到最短的这个柱状图

that I think some of you are probably laughing at.

我相信很多人都会笑出来的。

Ten percent of the time people's minds are wandering

10%的时间在走神

when they're having sex. (Laughter)

当他们在做爱的时候。（笑声）

But there's something I think that's quite interesting in this graph,

但是我认为这张图告诉了我们意见很有意思的事情，

and that is, basically with one exception,

这就是，基本上没有例外，

no matter what people are doing, they're mind-wandering

无论人们在做什么，他们都会走神

at least 30 percent of the time, which suggests, I think,

至少在30%的时间里走神，这告诉我们，我认为，

that mind-wandering isn't just frequent, it's ubiquitous.

走神不仅仅频繁的出现，走神无处不在。

It pervades basically everything that we do.

走神遍布在所有的人类活动中。

In my talk today, I've told you a little bit about mind-wandering,

我们聊了这么多，我已经给大家讲了一些关于走神的观点，

a variable that I think turns out to be fairly important

一个已被明确证实得

in the equation for happiness.

存在于幸福方程式中的变量。

My hope is that over time, by tracking people's

我希望随着时间的过去，通过追踪人们的

moment-to-moment happiness and their experiences

即时幸福指数和他们的经历

in daily life, we'll be able to uncover a lot of important causes of happiness,

在日常生活中，我们可以找出那些真正影响我们幸福感的因素，

and then in the end, a scientific understanding of happiness

最后，我相信科学并且系统的理解幸福

will help us create a future that's not only richer

将会为我们创造一个更美好的未来 不仅仅是更富有

and healthier, but happier as well.

更健康，也更加幸福。

Thank you. (Applause)

谢谢你们。（喝彩）

(Applause)

（喝彩）