Laura Carstensen: Older people are happier

譯者: I-Hsiang Lin 審譯者: Gina Wang

People are living longer and societies are getting grayer.

現代人較為長壽

社會中銀髮族也愈來愈多

你不停聽到人家這麽說

You hear about it all the time.

報紙上這麽說

You read about it in your newspapers.

電視上也這麽說

You hear about it on your television sets.

有時候我會擔心

Sometimes, I'm concerned

that we hear about it so much that we've come to accept longer lives

我們聼太多了

我們變成用種自滿

with a kind of a complacency, even ease.

甚至輕鬆的態度

來接受長壽的事實

但是別誤會了

But make no mistake, longer lives can --

我認爲長壽可以

and, I believe, will improve quality of life at all ages.

也將會

讓各種年紀的人

增進生活品質

為了正確的看待這件事

Now to put this in perspective, let me just zoom out for a minute.

先讓我暫時抽離主題

20世紀時

More years were added to average life expectancy in the 20th century

所增加的

人類平均壽命

比起先前人類演化

than all years added across all prior millennia

幾千年以來所增加的歲數

都還要來的多

of human evolution combined.

只是在一眨眼間

In the blink of an eye,

我們的壽命幾乎就

we nearly doubled the length of time that we're living.

增加了兩倍

So if you ever feel like you don't have this aging thing quite pegged,

所以如果你對長壽沒有特別的感覺

別怪你自己

don't kick yourself.

It's brand new.

這是個全新的現象

And because fertility rates fell across that very same period

同時間

因為生育率下降

平均壽命延長

that life expectancy was going up,

that pyramid that has always represented the distribution of age in the population,

用來表示

人口年齡分佈的金字塔

底層原本有很多年輕人

with many young ones at the bottom winnowed to a tiny peak of older people

經篩選後只剩金字塔尖端的少數人

who make it and survive to old age,

成功地存活到老年

is being reshaped into a rectangle.

現在金字塔正逐漸變型

成為長方形

如果你是對人口統計資料

And now, if you're the kind of person

特別有興趣的人

who can get chills from population statistics,

(Laughter)

these are the ones that should do it.

這些便是讓你「有感覺」的資料

Because what that means

因為這表示

is that for the first time in the history of the species,

人類歷史上第一次

在已開發國家中

the majority of babies born in the developed world

出生的大多數嬰兒

are having the opportunity to grow old.

有機會能夠

活到老

這是怎麽辦到的？

How did this happen?

Well, we're no genetically hardier than our ancestors were 10,000 years ago.

我們的基因組合並沒有比我們1萬年前的祖先

還來得強韌

平均壽命的增加

This increase in life expectancy is the remarkable product of culture --

是令人讚嘆的文化產物 --

是經過嚴峻考驗

the crucible that holds science and technology

透過科學和科技

and wide-scale changes in behavior that improve health and well-being.

和大規模的行為改變

以增進健康和福祉

透過文化變遷

Through cultural changes, our ancestors largely eliminated early death

我們的祖先

大量地排除了早逝的機會

so that people can now live out their full lives.

所以現在人們能度過完整的一生

Now there are problems associated with aging --

現今老化也帶來了一些問題 --

diseases, poverty, loss of social status.

疾病、貧窮、失去社會地位

It's hardly time to rest on our laurels.

幾乎無法安享晚年

但當我們對老化了解越多

But the more we learn about aging,

我們更清楚

the clearer it becomes that a sweeping downward course

這種越老越糟的人生觀

是非常不正確的

is grossly inaccurate.

老化也帶來一些非常卓越的改進 --

Aging brings some rather remarkable improvements --

increased knowledge, expertise --

智慧的增加、學有專精 --

還有改善生活的情感部分

and emotional aspects of life improve.

沒錯

That's right, older people are happy.

老年人很快樂

They're happier than middle-aged people, and younger people, certainly.

他們確實比中年人

和年輕人快樂

(Laughter)

研究一再顯示

Study after study is coming to the same conclusion.

相同的結果

The CDC recently conducted a survey

疾病管制局最近做了一個調查

where they asked respondents simply to tell them

他們要受訪者告訴他們

whether they experienced significant psychological distress

在過去一週裡，是否有經歷

重大的精神苦難

in the previous week.

And fewer older people answered affirmatively to that question

回答是的老年人人數很少

相較於中年人

than middle-aged people, and younger people as well.

和年輕人

最近一次的蓋洛普民調

And a recent Gallup poll asked participants

問受訪者

how much stress and worry and anger they had experienced the previous day.

在受訪的前一天經歷了

多少壓力、擔憂和憤怒

And stress, worry, anger

這些壓力、擔憂和憤怒

都隨年齡增加而減低

all decrease with age.

Now social scientists call this the paradox of aging.

社會科學家稱這為老化的矛盾

I mean, after all, aging is not a piece of cake.

畢竟變老不是件簡單的事

所以我們問了各式各樣的問題

So we've asked all sorts of questions to see if we could undo this finding.

看是否能找出解答

We've asked whether it may be that the current generations of older people

我們想知道是不是因為

目前這一代的老年人

一直以來都是

are and always have been the greatest generations.

最棒的世代

That is that younger people today may not typically experience

意思是說，現今的年輕人

變老時可能也無法再經歷

these improvements as they grow older.

這樣的進步

We've asked,

我們也問

well, maybe older people are just trying to put a positive spin

或許老年人只是試著在令人沮喪的生存中

on an otherwise depressing existence.

過得樂觀一點

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

但當我們試著要推翻這理論

But the more we've tried to disavow this finding,

the more evidence we find to support it.

我們也發現越多可支持它

的證據

Years ago, my colleagues and I embarked on a study

幾年前，我和我的同事作了個研究

我們用10年的時間追蹤了一組人

where we followed the same group of people over a 10-year period.

一開始這組樣本的年紀為18歲到94歲

Originally, the sample was aged 18 to 94.

And we studied whether and how their emotional experiences changed

我們研究他們的情感經歷是否隨著

年齡增長而改變

as they grew older.

參加的人要戴著電子呼叫器

Our participants would carry electronic pagers

每次一個星期

for a week at a time,

and we'd page them throughout the day and evenings at random times.

我們會在白天和晚上隨意地呼叫他們

每當我們呼叫他們時

And every time we paged them,

我們會問幾個問題 --

we'd ask them to answer several questions --

用1分到七7分來評分，你現在有多開心

"On a one to seven scale, how happy are you right now?"

你現在有多難過

"How sad are you right now?"

"How frustrated are you right now?" --

你現在有多沮喪

so that we could get a sense of the kinds of emotions and feelings they were having

於是我們可以了解

在日復一日的生活中

當下他們有何種情感和感覺

in their day-to-day lives.

透過這種密集的

And using this intense study of individuals,

個體研究

we find that it's not one particular generation

我們發現沒有特別一個世代

that's doing better than the others,

表現得比其它還要好

but the same individuals over time

但是經過時間歷練

come to report relatively greater positive experience.

同一個人相對地會呈現

更正面的經驗

你可以看到年紀很大的時候

Now you see this slight downturn at very advanced ages.

此曲線微微往下彎曲

即使往下彎曲

And there is a slight downturn.

But at no point does it return to the levels we see in early adulthood.

但這曲線不可能回到

你所看到的成人早期時

的水平

Now it's really too simplistic to say that older people are "happy."

我們不能過分單純地下定論說

老年人過得很「開心」

In our study, they are more positive.

在我們的研究中，他們較積極

但他們比起年輕人

But they're also more likely than younger people

較能體驗綜合的情緒

to experience mixed emotions --

sadness at the same time you experience happiness;

體驗開心時同時覺得傷心；

你懂吧，當你對一個朋友微笑時

you know, that tear in the eye when you're smiling at a friend.

眼眶中泛著淚水的感覺

And other research has shown that older people seem to engage with sadness

另外一個研究顯示出

老年人似乎能更坦然地

和悲傷共處

more comfortably.

They're more accepting of sadness than younger people are.

比起年輕人，他們更能接受悲傷

And we suspect that this may help to explain

我們的懷疑是，這可能有助於解釋

why older people are better than younger people

為什麼老年人比年輕人更能

at solving hotly charged emotional conflicts and debates.

解決激烈的情緒衝突和爭論

老年人可以用同情心

Older people can view injustice with compassion,

而非絕望

來看待不正義

but not despair.

And all things being equal,

在一切平等的情況下

older people direct their cognitive resources, like attention and memory,

老年人將他們的認知能力

像是注意力和記憶

to positive information more than negative.

導向正面，而非負面的資訊

If we show older, middle-aged, younger people images,

如果我們展示影像給老年人、中年人和年輕人

像是你在螢幕上看到的照片

like the ones you see on the screen,

and we later ask them to recall all the images that they can,

之後我們要求他們

盡可能回想所有的影像

老年人，而非年輕人

older people, but not younger people,

remember more positive images than negative images.

想起的正面影像多於

負面影像

We've asked older and younger people to view faces in laboratory studies,

在實驗室研究中

我們也要求老年人和年輕人看不同的臉

有些在皺眉，有些在微笑

some frowning, some smiling.

Older people look toward the smiling faces and away from the frowning, angry faces.

老年人看著微笑的臉

避開皺眉，生氣的臉

在日復一日的生活中

In day-to-day life, this translates into greater enjoyment and satisfaction.

這些轉變成較多的享受

和滿足感

But as social scientists, we continue to ask about possible alternatives.

但身為社會科學家，我們持續的問

其他可能的原因

我們想過或

We've said, well, maybe older people report more positive emotions

老年人有較正面的情感

because they're cognitively impaired.

是因為他們認知受損

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

我們也想過，有沒有可能

We've said, could it be

that positive emotions are simply easier to process than negative emotions,

處理正面情感比負面情感還來的容易

所以人們會轉換成正面情感？

and so you switch to the positive emotions?

或許我們腦中的神經中心

Maybe our neural centers in our brain

已經退化到

are degraded such that we're unable to process negative emotions anymore.

不再能處理負面的情感的程度

But that's not the case.

但這些都不是解答

The most mentally sharp older adults

愈是思考敏銳的老年人

越能顯示出正面的結果

are the ones who show this positivity effect the most.

當處於危急的情況下

And under conditions where it really matters,

older people do process the negative information

老年人會處理負面資訊

像他們處理正面資訊一樣

just as well as the positive information.

So how can this be?

這倒底是怎麼辦到的？

在我們的研究中

Well, in our research,

我們發現這些改變

we've found that these changes are grounded fundamentally

是建立在

人類獨特的控制時間能力的基礎上 --

in the uniquely human ability to monitor time --

不單單只是時鐘和日曆的時間

not just clock time and calendar time, but lifetime.

還有人一生的時間

And if there's a paradox of aging,

如果說老化有矛盾

it's that recognizing that we won't live forever

那就是體認到我們沒有永生

changes our perspective on life in positive ways.

改變了我們對生命的見解

變得更正面

當我們覺得時間既長又朦朧

When time horizons are long and nebulous, as they typically are in youth,

如同典型的青年時期

人們一直在準備

people are constantly preparing,

trying to soak up all the information they possibly can,

試著盡可能沉浸在所有資訊中

作冒險的事，探索世界

taking risks, exploring.

我們可能會花時間在我們不喜歡的人身上

We might spend time with people we don't even like

為了些看似有趣的原因

because it's somehow interesting.

We might learn something unexpected.

我們可能學習到未預期的東西

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

We go on blind dates.

我們和不認識的人約會

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

畢竟

You know, after all,

if it doesn't work out, there's always tomorrow.

就算行不通，總還是有明天

超過50歲的人

People over 50 don't go on blind dates.

不會和不認識的人約會

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

當我們年紀愈來愈大

As we age, our time horizons grow shorter and our goals change.

我們的時間水平線也變短

我們的目標改變

When we recognize that we don't have all the time in the world,

當我們意識到我們沒有世界上所有的時間

we see our priorities most clearly.

我們更清晰地了解事物的優先順序

我們比較不注意繁瑣小事

We take less notice of trivial matters.

我們品嘗生命

We savor life.

我們更有欣賞力

We're more appreciative,

更能接受和解

more open to reconciliation.

We invest in more emotionally important parts of life,

我們投資在生命中情感上要重要的部分

and life gets better,

於是生活得更好

so we're happier day-to-day.

所以我們一天比一天開心

But that same shift in perspective

但這種看法上的轉變

leads us to have less tolerance than ever for injustice.

引導我們更不能容忍

不正義

到2015年時

By 2015,

在美國，超過60歲的人

there will be more people in the United States

比15歲以下的人

over the age of 60 than under 15.

還要多。

老年人占大多數的社會

What will happen to societies that are top-heavy with older people?

會發生什麼事？

人數不會決定

The numbers won't determine the outcome.

結果

Culture will.

文化會

If we invest in science and technology

如果我們投資科學和技術

and find solutions for the real problems that older people face

而且找出老年人所面臨真正問題的

解決方案

and we capitalize on the very real strengths of older people,

而且善加利用

老年人的

優點

那麼年齡的增加

then added years of life can dramatically improve quality of life at all ages.

可以大幅地改善所有年齡層的

生活品質

社會中有了幾百萬位

Societies with millions of talented, emotionally stable citizens

有才能的，情緒穩定的居民

who are healthier and better educated than any generations before them,

而且他們比任何更早的世代

更健康且教育水平更高

armed with knowledge about the practical matters of life

擁有實際生活經驗

的知識

and motivated to solve the big issues

而且積極地

想解決重大問題

這可以成為比任何我們知道的

can be better societies than we have ever known.

還要更好的社會

我父親，今年92歲

My father, who is 92, likes to say,

喜歡說：

「不要一再只說

"Let's stop talking only about how to save the old folks

要如何拯救老年人

and start talking about how to get them to save us all."

要開始說

如何讓他們拯救我們。」

謝謝。

Thank you.

(Applause)

(掌聲)