Jamil Zaki: How to escape the cynicism trap | TED

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

This is it.

就是這一刻了。

Here we all are, together at last,

終於，大家都聚在這裡，

to talk about optimism.

談論樂觀。

If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.

如果這樣還不算好， 我不知道什麼才好了。

Here's the problem: it's 2021.

問題如下：現在是 2021 年。

We are living through a global plague,

我們正在經歷全球性的瘟疫，

one that revealed our worst instincts at the worst times.

這場瘟疫揭露出我們在 最糟糕的時刻有最糟糕的直覺。

We are so divided that public health has become a power struggle.

我們的分裂很嚴重，以致於 公共衛生變成權力鬥爭。

We pioneered a vaccine, a moon-landing level innovation,

我們開創出了疫苗， 登月等級的創新，

and then kept it among wealthy countries while poor ones suffered.

然後把它留在富裕的國家， 而貧窮的國家還在苦難中。

Against this backdrop, isn't talking about optimism,

在這個背景之下，

談論樂觀不就好像是討論

like discussing pagers or horse-drawn carriages?

呼叫器或是馬車？

Isn't optimism obsolete, backwards and naive,

我們經歷這些事的前提下， 樂觀不是已過時、開倒車，

given all we've been through?

且太天真了嗎？

Shouldn't it be replaced

不是該把它換成

with a more up-to-date cognitive technology?

更現代的認知科技嗎？

Well, lots of people have replaced it with cynicism:

嗯，很多人用憤世嫉俗取代了樂觀：

the notion that humanity is greedy, selfish and dishonest.

他們認為人類很貪婪、 自私、不誠實。

In 1972, 45 percent of Americans thought that most people can be trusted.

1972 年，有 45% 美國人 認為大部分人可被信賴。

By 2018, that had dropped to about 30 percent.

到了 2018 年，只剩 30%。

We are living through a cynicism epidemic.

我們正在經歷憤世嫉俗的大流行。

I should know --

這我很清楚——

last year, it infected me, and I'm supposed to be immune.

去年，我被感染了， 而我應該是能免疫的。

I'm a psychologist and neuroscientist,

我是心理學家和神經科學家，

and my whole career, I've studied the sunny side of human nature.

我的整個職涯都在 研究人性的陽光面。

My lab and I have found that giving away money

我和我的實驗室發現

送錢給別人會啟動的大腦區域 和吃巧克力很相近，

activates similar parts of your brain as eating chocolate,

and that helping other people through their stress calms our own.

協助他人度過壓力 能讓你自己平靜下來。

Our punch line is clear:

我們的點睛之語很清楚：

there is good in us, and it does good for us.

我們心中有善，且它對我們有益。

Now, people love hearing this,

大家都很愛聽這句話，

but in 2020, I started to hate saying it.

但在 2020 年，我開始討厭說它了。

I was building hope in others while losing my own.

我在幫他人建立希望的同時， 自己卻在失去希望。

I was evangelizing for human kindness all day

我白天都在傳播福音， 宣揚人性的仁慈，

and then doomscrolling at night.

晚上卻在滑手機看愁雲慘霧。

I was peddling something that I would never want to buy anymore.

我在兜售的，是我自己 永遠都不會再買的東西。

I felt like a fraud,

我覺得自己像騙子，

or, at best, maybe a fax-machine salesman.

或者，最好的說法 就是傳真機銷售員。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But here's the thing.

但，重點來了。

You might think that cynicism is a system upgrade

你可能會認為， 憤世嫉俗是種系統更新，

that allows us to see who we really are.

讓我們看見自己的真貌。

It's not.

並不是。

It traps us in a version of the world we don't want to live in,

它把我們困在一種世界裡， 我們不會想在這種世界生活，

and one we don't have to.

我們也不用在那種世界生活。

One of my favorite studies of all time occurred in southeastern Brazil.

我最喜歡的研究之一， 是在巴西東南部進行的研究。

Two fishing villages there are separated by just 30 miles.

那裡有兩個漁村，相隔三十哩。

One sits by the ocean,

一個在海邊，

where fishing requires large boats and heavy equipment.

捕魚會需要大型船隻和重裝備。

To make a living there, fishermen must work together.

在那裡，要謀生，漁夫就得要合作。

The other sits by a lake,

另一個在湖邊，

where fishermen strike out alone on small boats

漁夫自己獨自乘小船去捕魚，

and compete with one another.

彼此競爭。

Years ago,

數年前，研究者去測試 這兩個漁村的人

researchers tested how people in each of these villages

對一系列社會實驗會有什麼反應。

responded to a set of social experiments.

Ocean fishermen trusted strangers and cooperated with their neighbors.

海洋漁夫會相信陌生人， 並和鄰居合作。

Lake fishermen competed and mistrusted instead.

湖泊漁夫反而相互競爭，不信任。

But here's the crazy part.

但瘋狂的是

These folks didn't start out any different from each other,

這些人在一開始時並沒有什麼不同。

but the longer fishermen worked on the lake,

但漁夫在湖泊上工作越久，

the more they competed.

他們就越會與人競爭；

The longer they worked on the ocean, the less they did.

在海洋上工作越久， 就越不會去競爭。

Some families, schools and companies are like ocean villages.

有些家庭、學校，和公司 就像是靠海的漁村。

People trust, because they know others will earn it.

大家彼此信任，因為知道 別人能贏得這份信任。

Some are like lake towns --

有些則像是湖泊漁村——

people look out for themselves, because no one else will.

大家自顧自的，因為 沒有別人會照顧他們。

Our social worlds shape us, like clay,

就像黏土，我們的社交世界 會把我們形塑成

into hopeful or cynical versions of ourselves.

抱持希望版本 或憤世嫉俗版本的我們。

And right now,

而此時，

many of us are living in a lake town of historic proportion.

我們許多人身處在歷史上 屬於湖泊漁村的時期。

Inequality has soared, injustice is all around,

不平等暴漲，不公正無所不在，

self-interest might as well be pumped into the water supply.

可以說自私自利被灌入水源中。

These forces raise cynicism,

這些力量促成了憤世嫉俗，

and so do times of disaster.

災難時期亦是如此。

After the last 18 months,

十八個月過去了，

there's a real chance we could tip into a sort of cynical permafrost.

我們真的有可能會掉入到 某種憤世嫉俗永久凍土層中。

Now,

我猜，今天的觀眾當中可能 有一些驕傲的憤世嫉俗者，

I'm going to guess there may be some proud cynics in the audience today,

and you might be thinking, "Good.

也許你們在想：「很好。

More people should turn to the dark side.

應該有更多人加入黑暗的一方。

Optimism might feel nice --

樂觀的感覺可能很好—— 但把提拉米蘇稱為健康食物也一樣，

so would calling tiramisu a health food,

but we don't get to go around believing whatever we like."

但我們不會到處去相信 我們想相信的事。」

George Bernard Shaw tells us

蕭伯納告訴我們，

that the power of accurate observation is commonly called "cynicism"

精確觀察的力量 通常被沒這種力量的人

by those who haven't got it.

稱為「憤世嫉俗」。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

107 years later,

一百零七年後，

the cartoon philosopher Lisa Simpson

卡通裡的哲學家莉莎·辛普森告誡我們

taught us that as intelligence goes up, happiness goes down.

智力越高，快樂越少。

Maybe hope does, too.

也許希望也會越少。

Maybe cynicism is the price of being right.

也許憤世嫉俗就是正確的代價。

Most people think so.

大部分的人都這麼認為。

70 percent think cynics are smarter than noncynics;

70% 的人認為憤世嫉俗者 比不憤世嫉俗者更聰明。

85 percent think they would make better lie detectors.

85% 的人認為憤世嫉俗者 更能偵測出謊言。

Most people are wrong.

大部分的人都錯了。

It turns out that cynics tend to perform less well than noncynics

結果發現，

憤世嫉俗者在認知測驗的表現 不如非憤世嫉俗者；

on cognitive tests.

They earn less money,

他們賺的錢較少；

and they lose more often in negotiations.

在談判中他們比較常是輸家；

They're not even good at spotting bad guys.

他們甚至不擅長辨視出壞人。

In one study,

在一項研究中，研究者 進行了假的工作面試，

researchers conducted mock job interviews,

asking half the candidates to lie and half to tell the truth.

請一半應徵者說謊，另一半說實話。

Cynics and noncynics watched videos of these interviews

憤世嫉俗者和非憤世嫉俗者 看了這些面談影片，猜測誰在說謊。

and guessed who was lying.

And cynics did way worse.

憤世嫉俗者的表現糟糕很多。

More generally, they assume liars are everywhere

通常，他們會假設騙子比比皆是，

so can't pick real ones out of a crowd.

反而無法從人群中挑出真騙子。

So cynicism might not be as smart as you think it is,

所以，憤世嫉俗可能沒有 你想的那麼聰明，

but it's still powerful,

但它仍然很強大，

because our stories about each other become self-fulfilling.

因為我們彼此編的故事最後會成真。

Cynics are more likely to refuse intimacy and cooperation.

憤世嫉俗者比較可能會 拒絕親密感和合作；

They hurt others to avoid being hurt.

他們傷害他人，以避免被他人傷害；

They tend to spy on their colleagues and suspect their friends,

他們傾向會監視同事、懷疑朋友。

and other people, unsurprisingly, react badly --

並不意外，其他人的反應會很糟——

sometimes, acting selfishly in response.

有時，會用自私的反應來回應。

In other words, by mistreating others,

換言之，因為對別人不好，

cynics create the exact conditions they fear.

憤世嫉俗者反而創造出了 他們所懼怕的情況。

They tell a story full of villains and end up living in it.

他們描述的故事中滿是壞蛋， 最後自己就活在這樣的故事中。

I call this the cynicism trap,

我稱之為憤世嫉俗陷阱，

and my lab explores ways that people fall into it.

我的實驗室在探究 人如何落入這種陷阱。

In one study, we asked people how happiness works.

我們有一項研究詢問大家 快樂怎麼運作。

Some thought that it's a zero-sum game,

有人認為快樂是種零和遊戲，

meaning that as one person's happiness goes up,

意即，當一個人的快樂上升，

another person's must go down.

另一個人的快樂就一定會下降。

Now they're wrong.

他們是錯的。

It turns out that when we act generously towards others,

結果發現，當我們大方對待別人時，

that tends to increase our happiness.

通常會增加我們的快樂。

But cynics acted on their illusion.

但憤世嫉俗者的行為根據 是他們的幻覺。

When given chances to help strangers, they were less likely to do so.

有機會協助陌生人時， 憤世嫉俗者比較不會去做。

They ended up less happy as well.

最後他們也比較不快樂。

By hoarding well-being,

他們想積聚幸福，

they lost out on one of its key ingredients --

反而因此失去了 幸福的一個重要成份——

other people.

別人。

In other work,

我們做了另一個研究， 詢問共和黨和民主黨員

we asked Republicans and Democrats

what it would mean to empathize with the other side.

同理另一黨的意涵是什麼？

Some people saw politics as a war,

有些人把政治視為戰爭，

and thought empathy would be as useful as bringing cotton candy to a gunfight.

認為同理心的用處 和帶著棉花糖去槍戰中差不多。

These folks didn't want to cooperate with the other side,

這些人並不想和另一黨合作，

or even to know them at all.

甚至不想認識他們。

In one study,

我們做了一個研究，測量大學生 對同理心的憤世嫉俗程度，

we measured college students' cynicism about empathy

and asked about the friends they made on campus.

並問及他們在校園中認識的朋友。

Here, each dot is a person,

圖上的每一點代表一個人，

coded blue to red based on ideology,

藍到紅的顏色代表他們的意識形態，

and each line is a friendship.

每條線都代表友誼。

Now, this was a pretty liberal campus,

這是個很開放校園，

but nonetheless, noncynics managed to find ideologically diverse friends.

但，非憤世嫉俗者想辦法 找到了各種意識形態的朋友。

Cynics stuck to their own kind.

憤世嫉俗者只和同類在一起。

Now that's, of course, their right.

當然，他們有權如此。

But most of us wish our country was less divided,

但大部分人希望 我國少一點分裂，

and empathy is critical to moving us towards that goal.

要朝那個目標邁進， 同理心就很重要。

By giving up on it, cynics lose that chance.

憤世嫉俗者放棄了同理心， 因而失去了那個機會。

Our studies and many others

我們的研究及許多其他研究 清楚描繪了憤世嫉俗陷阱。

give us a clear picture of the cynicism trap.

When we decide everyone's out for themselves,

當我們認定人人為己時， 就不會再看見他們的仁慈。

we stop seeing their kindness.

When we think the world is zero-sum,

當我們認為世界是零和的， 每個人都會成為潛在的敵人。

everyone becomes a potential enemy.

These views spread across us, too.

這些觀點也會在我們之間傳播。

Parents pass on their suspicions to their kids.

父母會把他們的疑心 傳給他們的孩子。

Politicians act in bad faith

政治人物做出惡意的行為， 傷害了選民對彼此的信心。

and damage voters' faith in each other.

Media companies trade in judgment and outrage.

媒體公司用評斷和惡行來做交易。

Our cynicism is their product,

我們的憤世嫉俗是他們的產品，

and it is a growth industry.

且這是個成長產業。

So no, cynicism doesn't help us see reality more clearly,

所以，不，憤世嫉俗並不會 讓我們把現實看得更清楚，

but it does change reality,

但它的確會改變現實，

poisoning our relationships, our lives and our culture.

毒害我們的關係、生活，和文化。

It is not a system upgrade,

它不是系統升級，

it's mental malware.

而是心靈的惡意軟體。

But we don't have to accept it.

但我們不用接受它。

We can take control of our stories.

我們可以控制我們怎麼編故事。

To escape the cynicism trap, we have to.

想要逃過憤世嫉俗陷阱， 我們就得這麼做。

My lab tries to help.

我的實驗室想要幫忙。

In one study,

我們做了一項研究， 教導大家快樂並不是零和遊戲，

we taught people that happiness is not a zero-sum game,

and that helping others helps us, too.

且協助他人對我們自己也會有助益。

These folks, compared to those in a cynical condition,

和其他在憤世嫉俗條件下的人相比，

donated more to charity afterwards,

這些人後來捐了比較多錢 給慈善機構，

and they ended up happier as well.

他們最後也比較快樂。

In other work, we changed how people thought about empathy in politics.

換言之，我們改變大家 怎麼看待政治中的同理心。

Some people were randomly chosen to read a cynical essay.

我們隨機選出一些人， 讓他們閱讀憤世嫉俗的短文。

It began, and I'm paraphrasing,

讓我引述短文的開頭：

"You might think empathy is a weakness

「你可能認為同理心是弱點， 會讓你爭不贏別人，

that will make you lose every argument,

那你是對的。」

and you'd be right."

Afterwards, we asked these folks to write a note about gun control

之後，

我們請這些人寫一段 關於槍枝控制的訊息

to someone they disagreed with,

給他們不認同的人，

and they sniped at each other.

而他們會中傷彼此。

Here’s a voice actor reading what one Democrat wrote to a Republican.

以下是聲音演員讀出某民主黨員 寫給某共和黨員的內容。

Recording: “It’s hard not to state this bluntly.

錄音：「這件事很難不直說。

You should be in favor of stricter gun laws

你應該要支持更嚴格的槍枝法律，

because you should care about the lives of other people

因為你應該要在乎其他人的性命，

more than your outdated feelings of machismo."

而不是你那過時的大男人主義感。

Jamil Zaki: And here’s a Republican writing to a Democrat.

講者：再來是某共和黨員 寫給某民主黨員的內容。

錄音：「人民需要知道他們有 攜帶武器的權力，才能保護自己。

Recording: "People need to know

they're able to have the freedom to bear arms

in order to protect themselves.

你們民主黨不可以 奪走我們的自由。」

You democrats don't get to take that away from us."

JZ: Basically, we recreated Twitter, by accident.

講者：基本上，我們 不小心又創造出了推特。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Other people read a different essay.

其他人則閱讀另一篇短文。

It began,

開頭如下：

"You might think empathy is a weakness that will make you lose every argument,

「你可能認為同理心是弱點， 會讓你爭不贏別人，

那你就錯了。」

and you'd be wrong."

接著描述在政治中同理心是長處。

... and went on to describe empathy as a strength in politics.

Again, we asked these folks to write to an opponent about gun control,

同樣的，我們也請他們寫一段 關於槍枝控制的訊息給對手，

but this time, things changed.

但這次卻發生了改變。

Here’s a Democrat.

以下是某民主黨員寫的。

Recording: "There are some common-sense regulations

錄音：「我們應該要導入一些 常識法規定來確保人民安全。

that we should implement to keep people safe.

我們都是為了國家好，

We all want what is best for the country,

and there are things we can meet in the middle on

我們可以找到折衷平衡點， 來處理槍枝暴力的問題。」

to tackle the issue of gun violence."

JZ: And a Republican.

講者：再來是共和黨員寫的。

Recording: "Horrible crimes can be committed using guns ...

錄音：「槍枝可以被用來 犯下可怕的犯罪……

everything from school shootings

從校園槍擊案，

to murders because of racism and white supremacy.

到種族主義和白人至上者 造成的謀殺。

It's very understandable that you think it makes sense

可以理解你會認為 把槍枝法律加嚴是合理的。

to make gun laws more strict.

We're all reasonable people,

我們都是理性的人， 只是在為我們所愛的人著想。」

and we just want what's best for our loved ones."

JZ: To us, this was wild.

講者：對我們而言，這很狂。

Remember,

記住這就像海洋和湖泊的漁夫。

just like ocean and lake fishermen,

這些人一開始沒什麼不同，

these people did not start out any different,

but just reading one essay turned some of them into new optimists

但光是讀了一篇短文， 就能讓一些人變成新樂觀主義者，

and others into new cynics.

其他人變成新憤世嫉俗者。

This shaped how they acted, and their effect on other people.

這形塑了他們的行為， 以及他們對他人的影響。

We sent all of these notes

我們把這些訊息通通

to people who really disagreed with the writer about gun control,

發送給真正和作者在槍枝控制 議題上意見不同的人，

and found that notes written by new optimists

發現新樂觀主義者所寫的訊息

were more persuasive than those written by new cynics,

比新憤世嫉俗者寫的更有說服力，

更有可能改變他人的心意。

more likely to make other people change their mind.

In other words,

換言之，我們教這些人 同理心很有用，

we taught these people that empathy was useful,

他們用了同理心， 同理心就變有用了。

they used it, and it became useful.

This is what I want you to remember and what I want you to know:

這就是我希望各位 能記住並了解的事：

that if cynical stories can become self-fulfilling,

如果憤世嫉俗的故事最後會成真，

our work shows that hopeful ones can as well.

我們的研究顯示， 帶有希望的故事也能成真。

Now, cynicism is not the only root of our problems,

我們的問題不僅是憤世嫉俗 造成的，光靠樂觀也無法補救。

and optimism alone will not fix them.

But it's hard to change a broken system

但如果你認為有問題的體制 只是反映出我們有問題的本性，

if you think it's a mirror reflecting our broken nature.

那就難以改變它。

If people are selfish to our core,

如果人本來就自私到骨子裡，

then toxic laws and practices are here to stay.

那麼有害的法律和做法 也會持續存在。

But we can all choose to tell a different story.

但我們都可以選擇改變敘事。

We can be skeptical --

我們可以抱持懷疑—— 在相信人之前先要求證據——

demanding evidence before we believe in people --

but hopeful, knowing they can change for the better.

但要懷抱希望， 知道他們可以變得更好。

We can notice their kindness even when the media doesn’t

我們可以留意他們的仁慈， 即使媒體沒，

and envision systems built on that kindness.

我們可以展望 以那種仁慈為基礎的體制。

We can find other people in our neighborhoods,

我們可以在鄰里、公會、信仰團體中

unions and faith communities who want the same thing.

找到一些人 和我們想要一樣的東西。

We can use our collective optimism

我們可以用我們集體的樂觀

to build pockets of solidarity and mutual aid,

建立互助的團體，

miniature ocean villages that can grow over time.

那會隨著時間成長的小型海洋村落。

Now, this is the part of the talk

演說到了這個時點，

where I'm supposed to tell you how I cured my own cynicism.

我應該要告訴大家， 我怎麼治好我的憤世嫉俗。

But the truth is, I still struggle.

但事實是，我仍在努力。

Depending on the day or the hour,

要看那一天或那一個小時的狀況，

I promise, I can be as cynical as anyone here.

我保證我和在座任何人一樣憤世嫉俗；

But I see cynicism for what it is --

但我看見的憤世嫉俗的真面目

a psychological quicksand

是一種心理流沙，

that will pull me in deeper, the more I move through it.

我越是努力穿越，反而陷得更深。

So I fight to believe in people,

所以，我會為了相信人類而戰，

not because it feels good,

並非因為感覺良好，

but because stories matter,

而是因為故事很重要，

and we're telling ours all the time, together.

而我們時時刻刻一起 訴說著我們的故事。

We all get stuck in quicksand --

我們有時難免會陷入流沙中， 那沒關係。

sometimes, that's OK.

But the next time you manage to pull yourself out,

但下一次，你要想辦法脫身，

and find some faith in humanity,

找到一些對人類的信念，

try to remember to reach back and grab someone else who's stuck,

別忘了回過頭伸出手 拉一把其他陷在裡面的人，

until more of us can make it to solid ground.

直到我們有更多人 能爬到堅實的地面上。

Because optimism is not a relic of the past.

因為樂觀並不是過去的遺物，

It's one key to building a better future by letting us see it more clearly.

而是建造更美好未來的關鍵之一，

它讓我們把未來看得更清楚。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）