Who are you, really? The puzzle of personality | Brian Little | TED

翻译人员: Hong Li 校对人员: Mingyu Cui

What an intriguing group of individuals you are ...

你们是多么有趣的一群人啊……

to a psychologist.

当然，是对心理学家而言。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I've had the opportunity over the last couple of days

在过去几天里，我有机会

of listening in on some of your conversations

倾听你们的交谈，

and watching you interact with each other.

观察你们的互动。

我想我已经可以大胆地说，

And I think it's fair to say, already,

that there are 47 people in this audience,

此时此刻，在你们中间，

at this moment,

有47个人，

displaying psychological symptoms I would like to discuss today.

已经表现出了精神病症状， 我今天就想聊聊这个。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And I thought you might like to know who you are.

我想你们都很想知道 到底是谁有精神病。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But instead of pointing at you,

我不会直接指出来，

which would be gratuitous and intrusive,

因为那样很没必要，也不礼貌，

I thought I would tell you a few facts and stories,

我会列举一些事实和情况，

in which you may catch a glimpse of yourself.

你们可以跟自己对照一下。

I'm in the field of research known as personality psychology,

我从事的是人格心理学研究，

which is part of a larger personality science

它属于人格科学的范畴

which spans the full spectrum, from neurons to narratives.

人格科学的研究领域跨度很大， 从神经元到叙述学。

And what we try to do,

而我们的研究方向，

in our own way,

是用我们的方式，

is to make sense of how each of us --

来弄清楚，为什么 我们每一个人——

each of you --

在座的每一位——

is, in certain respects,

在某些方面，

like all other people,

跟其他所有人都一样，

like some other people

或者只跟部分人一样，

and like no other person.

或者跟谁都不一样。

Now, already you may be saying of yourself,

也许你们会评价自己

"I'm not intriguing.

“我不是个有趣的人。

I am the 46th most boring person in the Western Hemisphere."

我在西半球最无趣 排行榜上排第46名。”

Or you may say of yourself,

也许你会评价自己，

"I am intriguing,

“我是个有趣的人，

even if I am regarded by most people as a great, thundering twit."

尽管大部分人 都觉得我是个傻瓜。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But it is your self-diagnosed boringness and your inherent "twitiness"

但正是你们这种自我认知的无聊 或者内在的“傻”，

that makes me, as a psychologist, really fascinated by you.

让我这个心理学家觉得非常有趣。

So let me explain why this is so.

我来解释一下为什么。

One of the most influential approaches in personality science

人格心理学中最有影响力的方法

is known as trait psychology,

叫做特质理论，

and it aligns you along five dimensions which are normally distributed,

它用5个正态分布的维度判定你，

and that describe universally held aspects of difference between people.

这5个维度描述了被广泛认同的人与人之间不同的5个方面。

They spell out the acronym OCEAN.

这5个方面的首字母缩写是OCEAN。

So, "O" stands for "open to experience,"

“O”代表“开放性”，

versus those who are more closed.

与之对立的是 那些不愿冒险的人。

"C" stands for "conscientiousness,"

“C”代表的是“责任感”，

in contrast to those with a more lackadaisical approach to life.

与之相反的是 那些懒散随意的人。

"E" -- "extroversion," in contrast to more introverted people.

“E”指的是“外向性”， 与之相对的是内向的人。

"A" -- "agreeable individuals,"

“A”——“宜人性”

in contrast to those decidedly not agreeable.

与之相对的是 不那么和善的人。

And "N" -- "neurotic individuals,"

最后是“N”—— “神经质”

in contrast to those who are more stable.

与之相对的是那些 更加稳定平和的人。

All of these dimensions have implications for our well-being,

这5个方面影响我们的健康，

for how our life goes.

影响我们的人生走向。

And so we know that, for example,

众所周知，

openness and conscientiousness are very good predictors of life success,

开放性和责任感 往往意味着成功，

but the open people achieve that success through being audacious

但开放的人在通往 成功之路上变得大胆，

and, occasionally, odd.

有时甚至古怪。

The conscientious people achieve it through sticking to deadlines,

有责任感的人会紧守 最后期限，获得成功，

to persevering, as well as having some passion.

他们坚持不懈，他们怀有激情。

Extroversion and agreeableness are both conducive

外向性和宜人性都有助于

to working well with people.

与人和谐相处。

Extroverts, for example, I find intriguing.

比如，外向的人， 我就觉得很有趣。

With my classes, I sometimes give them a basic fact

在课堂上，我有时 会讲一个基本事实

that might be revealing with respect to their personality:

能揭示人的性格特点：

I tell them that it is virtually impossible for adults

我说，一个成年人无法

to lick the outside of their own elbow.

舔到他们的手肘外侧。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Did you know that?

你们知道这事吗？

Already, some of you have tried to lick the outside of your own elbow.

你们中有些人已经 尝试过舔自己的手肘外侧了。

But extroverts amongst you

但你们中那些外向的人

are probably those who have not only tried,

不但已经尝试过（舔自己的手肘）

but they have successfully licked the elbow

而且连坐他们旁边的人的手肘

of the person sitting next to them.

也没有放过。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Those are the extroverts.

这就是外向的人。

Let me deal in a bit more detail with extroversion,

让我再讨论一下 外向性格的一些细节

because it's consequential and it's intriguing,

因为它影响深远而且很有意思，

and it helps us understand what I call our three natures.

能帮我们理解人类的三种天性。

First, our biogenic nature -- our neurophysiology.

第一种是生物学天性—— 我们的神经生理学。

Second, our sociogenic or second nature,

第二种是社会学天性， 又叫第二天性，

which has to do with the cultural and social aspects of our lives.

与我们的文化和社会属性相关。

And third, what makes you individually you -- idiosyncratic --

而第三种，让你成为独一无二的“你”

what I call your "idiogenic" nature.

我称之为场景特定天性。

Let me explain.

下面我来解释一下。

One of the things that characterizes extroverts is they need stimulation.

外向性格的人的一大特征 就是他们需要刺激。

And that stimulation can be achieved by finding things that are exciting:

这种刺激可以是令人兴奋的事：

loud noises, parties and social events here at TED --

比如巨大的声响、热闹的聚会 和TED这样的社交事件——

you see the extroverts forming a magnetic core.

你会发现外向者会形成 一个磁性的内核。

They all gather together.

他们会聚集到一起。

And I've seen you.

所以我才会在这里遇见你们。

The introverts are more likely to spend time in the quiet spaces

而内向的人更喜欢上到二楼

up on the second floor,

找个安静的地方待着，

where they are able to reduce stimulation --

以减少外界刺激——

and may be misconstrued as being antisocial,

这样做可能会被 误认为不喜欢社交，

but you're not necessarily antisocial.

但其实这并不绝对。

It may be that you simply realize that you do better

也许你只是单纯地知道

when you have a chance to lower that level of stimulation.

自己在外界刺激较低 的时候状态更好。

Sometimes it's an internal stimulant, from your body.

这也包括内在刺激， 来自你的体内。

Caffeine, for example, works much better with extroverts than it does introverts.

比如说，咖啡因有时候对外向的人 比内向的人更有效。

When extroverts come into the office at nine o'clock in the morning

当外向者早上9点走进办公室，

and say, "I really need a cup of coffee,"

说，“我需要一杯咖啡。”

they're not kidding --

他们没开玩笑——

they really do.

他们是真需要。

Introverts do not do as well,

内向者就不会这么做，

particularly if the tasks they're engaged in --

尤其是当他们正在干的活儿——

and they've had some coffee --

而且他们已经喝过咖啡了——

if those tasks are speeded,

如果这些活儿很急，

and if they're quantitative,

而且有量化标准，

introverts may give the appearance of not being particularly quantitative.

内向者会表现得好像 这些活儿没有特别的量化标准。

But it's a misconstrual.

但这是一种误导。

So here are the consequences that are really quite intriguing:

因此我们能得出一些 非常有趣的结论：

we're not always what seem to be,

我们经常会表里不一，

and that takes me to my next point.

这就引出了我下一个观点。

I should say, before getting to this,

我事先声明，我要说的，

something about sexual intercourse,

是关于做爱的事情，

although I may not have time.

但我的时间可能不太够。

And so, if you would like me to --

所以，如果你们想让我说的话——

yes, you would?

什么？你们很想听？

OK.

好吧。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

There are studies done

有人做过，

on the frequency with which individuals engage in the conjugal act,

关于人做爱频率的研究，

as broken down by male, female; introvert, extrovert.

分类标准有男性、女性、 内向者、外向者。

So I ask you:

我想问大家：

How many times per minute --

每分钟做多少次——

oh, I'm sorry, that was a rat study --

哦，对不起，每分钟多少次 说的是老鼠——

(Laughter)

（笑声）

How many times per month

内向的男性

do introverted men engage in the act?

每个月有多少次性行为？

3.0.

3.0次。

Extroverted men?

外向的男性呢？

More or less?

更多还是更少？

Yes, more.

没错，更多。

5.5 -- almost twice as much.

5.5次，差不多是2倍。

Introverted women: 3.1.

内向的女性：3.1次。

Extroverted women?

外向的女性呢？

Frankly, speaking as an introverted male,

老实说，作为一个内向的男性，

which I will explain later --

——关于这一点我稍后会解释——

they are heroic.

我觉得她们太厉害了。

7.5.

7.5次。

They not only handle all the male extroverts,

她们不但搞定了 所有外向的男人，

they pick up a few introverts as well.

还顺便挑了几个内向的。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

We communicate differently, extroverts and introverts.

外向者和内向者的交流方式有所不同。

Extroverts, when they interact,

外向者在与人互动时，

want to have lots of social encounter punctuated by closeness.

喜欢肢体接触， 喜欢亲近对方。

They'd like to stand close for comfortable communication.

他们喜欢靠近对方， 近距离交流。

They like to have a lot of eye contact,

他们喜欢眼神接触，

or mutual gaze.

甚至相互凝视。

We found in some research

有研究表明

that they use more diminutive terms when they meet somebody.

外向者更喜欢使用昵称。

So when an extrovert meets a Charles,

比如当一个外向者 遇见一个叫查尔斯的人，

it rapidly becomes "Charlie," and then "Chuck,"

很快就会开始叫他“查理”， 然后变成“查克”，

and then "Chuckles Baby."

然后变成“小查查”。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Whereas for introverts,

而内向者呢，

it remains "Charles," until he's given a pass to be more intimate

会一直叫他“查理”， 直到对方认为

by the person he's talking to.

他俩的关系已经足够亲密。

We speak differently.

外向者和内向者的说话方式也不同。

Extroverts prefer black-and-white, concrete, simple language.

外向者喜欢确定、 具体、简洁的语言。

Introverts prefer -- and I must again tell you

而内向者喜欢 ——我必须再次提醒大家

that I am as extreme an introvert as you could possibly imagine --

我是一个十足的内向者——

we speak differently.

我们说话方式很不一样。

We prefer contextually complex,

我们内向者更喜欢说一些复杂难懂，

contingent,

模棱两可，

weasel-word sentences --

云山雾罩的话——

(Laughter)

（笑声）

More or less.

或多或少吧。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

As it were.

基本是这样。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Not to put too fine a point upon it --

不把话说死——

like that.

就像刚才那样。

When we talk,

我们在说话的时候，

we sometimes talk past each other.

经常会打太极，推来推去。

I had a consulting contract I shared with a colleague

我跟一名同事共同 负责一项咨询业务，

who's as different from me as two people can possibly be.

我跟他是截然不同的两个人。

First, his name is Tom.

首先，他叫汤姆。

Mine isn't.

我不叫汤姆。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Secondly, he's six foot five.

其次，他身高1米96。

I have a tendency not to be.

我这辈子是不指望了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And thirdly, he's as extroverted a person as you could find.

第三点，他是个及其外向的人。

I am seriously introverted.

而我十分内向。

I overload so much,

我心思很重，

I can't even have a cup of coffee after three in the afternoon

我要是下午三点之后喝了杯咖啡，

and expect to sleep in the evening.

那晚上就别想睡了。

We had seconded to this project a fellow called Michael.

我们还有一个助手，叫麦克。

And Michael almost brought the project to a crashing halt.

麦克几乎把整个项目给搞砸了。

So the person who seconded him asked Tom and me,

麦克的继任者问我和汤姆，

"What do you make of Michael?"

“你们怎么评价麦克？”

Well, I'll tell you what Tom said in a minute.

我稍后再告诉你 汤姆是怎么说的。

He spoke in classic "extrovert-ese."

他的回答是非常典型的外向型。

And here is how extroverted ears heard what I said,

而我的回答嘛，其实在外向者听来，

which is actually pretty accurate.

应该是非常精确的。

I said, "Well Michael does have a tendency at times

我说，“其实，麦克有时候

of behaving in a way that some of us might see

的一些做法， 在我们某些人看来

as perhaps more assertive than is normally called for."

也许过于自信了， 可能有时候有点过分。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Tom rolled his eyes and he said,

汤姆翻了个白眼，说，

"Brian, that's what I said:

“布莱恩，这不就是我刚刚说的：

he's an asshole!"

他就是个混蛋！”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

Now, as an introvert,

作为一名内向者，

I might gently allude to certain "assholic" qualities

我也许会委婉地暗示， 这个人的行为

in this man's behavior,

确实比较混蛋，

but I'm not going to lunge for the a-word.

但我不会直接使用“混蛋”这个词。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But the extrovert says,

但外向者会说，

"If he walks like one, if he talks like one, I call him one."

“如果他表现得像个混蛋， 我就会称他混蛋。”

And we go past each other.

这就是我们的不同。

Now is this something that we should be heedful of?

这一点我们是不是需要留意呢？

Of course.

那是当然。

It's important that we know this.

这一点非常重要。

Is that all we are?

但这就完了吗？

Are we just a bunch of traits?

我们就只有这几种特点吗？

No, we're not.

并非如此。

Remember, you're like some other people

别忘了，你们跟一些人很像

and like no other person.

但又独一无二。

How about that idiosyncratic you?

这个独一无二的你 到底是什么样的呢？

As Elizabeth or as George,

伊丽莎白们或者乔治们，

you may share your extroversion or your neuroticism.

你们可能都有些 外向或者神经过敏。

But are there some distinctively Elizabethan features of your behavior,

但你们的行为中是不是 有些伊丽莎白独有的

or Georgian of yours,

或者乔治独有的特点，

that make us understand you better than just a bunch of traits?

能让我们更好地了解你？ 而不是简单地对号入座？

That make us love you?

能让我们喜欢上你？

Not just because you're a certain type of person.

不仅仅因为你是 某种特定类型的人。

I'm uncomfortable putting people in pigeonholes.

我不喜欢把人放进鸽子笼里， 然后贴上标签。

I don't even think pigeons belong in pigeonholes.

我甚至觉得鸽子 都不应该待在鸽子笼里。

So what is it that makes us different?

究竟是什么让我们与众不同呢？

It's the doings that we have in our life -- the personal projects.

是我们一生的所作所为—— 我们的个人事业。

You have a personal project right now,

你们大家都有个人事业，

but nobody may know it here.

但可能谁都没有意识到。

It relates to your kid --

也许这事业跟孩子有关——

you've been back three times to the hospital,

你已经去医院三趟了，

and they still don't know what's wrong.

医生们还是查不出你孩子的病因。

Or it could be your mom.

或者生病的是你母亲。

And you'd been acting out of character.

你会做一些跟你的 性格不相符的事情。

These are free traits.

这些是可变的性格特点。

You're very agreeable, but you act disagreeably

你本和善可亲， 却表现得咄咄逼人，

in order to break down those barriers of administrative torpor

只为了对抗如今医院里 无处不在的

in the hospital,

懒散风气，

to get something for your mom or your child.

让自己的母亲 或者孩子得到及时治疗。

What are these free traits?

这些可变的性格特点到底是什么？

They're where we enact a script

那是我们演的一出戏，

in order to advance a core project in our lives.

为了达成我们生命中 最重要的目标。

And they are what matters.

而这才是最重要的。

Don't ask people what type you are;

不要问别人是什么性格的人，

ask them, "What are your core projects in your life?"

而要问他们，“你们生命中 最重要的事是什么？”

And we enact those free traits.

然后我们身上的可变 性格特点就会被激发。

I'm an introvert,

我是一个内向的人，

but I have a core project, which is to profess.

但我最重要的事业是教书。

I'm a professor.

我是一名教授。

And I adore my students,

我热爱我的学生，

and I adore my field.

也热爱我的事业领域。

And I can't wait to tell them about what's new, what's exciting,

我总是迫不及待地想 与他们分享，

what I can't wait to tell them about.

那些新奇有趣的事情。

And so I act in an extroverted way,

因此我会表现得 像一个外向的人，

because at eight in the morning,

因为早上8点，

the students need a little bit of humor,

学生需要一点幽默，

a little bit of engagement to keep them going

需要一点激励，

in arduous days of study.

才能熬过一天紧张的学习。

But we need to be very careful

但是当我们扮演 其他性格的时候

when we act protractedly out of character.

需要万分小心。

Sometimes we may find that we don't take care of ourselves.

（因为）有时候我们 对自己太狠。

I find, for example, after a period of pseudo-extroverted behavior,

我发现自己在假装 外向性格一段时间之后，

I need to repair somewhere on my own.

我需要自己躲起来疗伤。

As Susan Cain said in her "Quiet" book,

就像苏珊•凯恩在 《安静》这本书中所写，

in a chapter that featured the strange Canadian professor

其中一章提到一位 古怪的加拿大教授，

who was teaching at the time at Harvard,

当时他在哈佛大学教书，

I sometimes go to the men's room

他有时候会跑到男厕所，

to escape the slings and arrows of outrageous extroverts.

为了躲避烦人的 外向者投来的明枪暗箭。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I remember one particular day when I was retired to a cubicle,

有一次我自己 也躲进了小隔间，

trying to avoid overstimulation.

为了暂避外界纷扰。

And a real extrovert came in beside me -- not right in my cubicle,

这时来了一个外向者，到我旁边， ——当然不是在一个小隔间

but in the next cubicle over --

是在我旁边的小隔间——

and I could hear various evacuatory noises,

我听见了一连串物体 落水的声音，

which we hate -- even our own,

这声音是很烦人的 ——哪怕是我们自己的，

that's why we flush during as well as after.

所以我们才会在 上大号的中途也冲水。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And then I heard this gravelly voice saying,

随后我就听到了 一个沙哑的声音，

"Hey, is that Dr. Little?"

“嘿，请问是利特尔博士吗？”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

If anything is guaranteed to constipate an introvert for six months,

如果有什么事情 能让内向者便秘6个月，

it's talking on the john.

那一定是在上大号的时候聊天。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

That's where I'm going now.

我现在就想去洗手间静静。

Don't follow me.

别跟着我。

Thank you.

谢谢您啦。

(Applause)

（掌声）