The unforeseen consequences of a fast-paced world | Kathryn Bouskill

譯者: Pei-Chen Benson Liu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Do you ever wonder why we're surrounded with things that help us do everything

你納悶過嗎？為什麼生活中好多東西

幫助我們更快完成所有事情

faster and faster and faster?

Communicate faster,

溝通得更快

but also work faster, bank faster,

工作得更快、領錢存錢更快

travel faster, find a date faster,

更快的旅行、更快的遇見心儀對象

cook faster, clean faster and do all of it all at the same time?

花更少時間烹飪和清理 還要一心多用

How do you feel about cramming even more into every waking hour?

一睡醒，事情一塞再塞，大家作何感想？

Well, to my generation of Americans,

我這一代美國人

speed feels like a birthright.

覺得一生下來，便要追求速度

Sometimes I think our minimum speed is Mach 3.

有時我覺得，3 馬赫是基本要求

Anything less, and we fear losing our competitive edge.

再慢，與別人競爭的優勢就沒了

But even my generation is starting to question

但連我這代都開始質疑

whether we're the masters of speed

究竟是我們主宰速度

or if speed is mastering us.

還是速度掌控了我們

I'm an anthropologist at the Rand Corporation,

我在蘭德公司研究人類學

and while many anthropologists study ancient cultures,

雖然很多人類學家研究古文化

I focus on modern day cultures and how we're adapting

但我致力於研究現代文化

還有我們如何適應一切變動

to all of this change happening in the world.

Recently, I teamed up with an engineer, Seifu Chonde, to study speed.

最近我與 Seifu Chonde 合作 他是一位工程師，我們研究速度

We were interested both in how people are adapting to this age of acceleration

我們對於人們如何適應不斷加速的時代

還有加速造成的安全和政策隱憂，特別有興趣

and its security and policy implications.

What could our world look like in 25 years

如果變化來得越來越快

if the current pace of change keeps accelerating?

我們的世界 25 年後會是什麼樣子？

What would it mean for transportation,

交通

or learning, communication,

學習、溝通

manufacturing, weaponry

加工業、軍備

or even natural selection?

甚至是天擇又會是什麼樣子？

Will a faster future make us more secure and productive?

更快速的未來裡 會更安全、更有生產力嗎？

Or will it make us more vulnerable?

或我們只會更脆弱？

In our research, people accepted acceleration as inevitable,

我們的研究結果指出 人們無可避免步調變快

both the thrills and the lack of control.

也會感到緊張、沒法控制

They fear that if they were to slow down,

他們害怕如果放慢腳步

they might run the risk of becoming obsolete.

便會面臨風險，遭到淘汰

They say they'd rather burn out than rust out.

他們寧願筋疲力盡也不要趕不上時代

Yet at the same time,

但同時

they worry that speed could erode their cultural traditions

人們也擔心速度會讓傳統文化

and their sense of home.

和家的感覺流逝

But even people who are winning at the speed game

即使贏了這個速度競爭

admit to feeling a little uneasy.

人們也不免感到憂慮

They see acceleration as widening the gap between the haves,

他們認為加快步調會擴大貧富差距

the jet-setters who are buzzing around,

富人搭著噴射客機四處移動

and the have-nots,

但窮人

who are left in the digital dust.

卻迷失在數位沙漠之中

Yes, we have good reason to forecast that the future will be faster,

我們預計未來步調會更加快速 這個推測很合理

but what I've come to realize

但我卻漸漸瞭解到

is that speed is paradoxical,

追求速度是個自相矛盾的行為

and like all good paradoxes,

就像其他矛盾的事一樣

it teaches us about the human experience,

讓我們學到人類的經驗

as absurd and complex as it is.

本就建立在唐突和複雜之上

The first paradox is that we love speed,

第一個矛盾處：我們追求速度

and we're thrilled by its intensity.

也因此緊張兮兮

But our prehistoric brains aren't really built for it,

但我們這史前時期 就成形的大腦卻沒作好準備

so we invent roller coasters and race cars and supersonic planes,

所以人類發明了雲霄飛車 賽車和超音速飛機

but we get whiplash, carsick,

自己卻常拉傷頸部、暈車

jet-lagged.

為時差所苦

We didn't evolve to multitask.

我們一心多用的能力並沒進步

Rather, we evolved to do one thing with incredible focus,

反而愈加擅長極力專注完成一件事

like hunt -- not necessarily with great speed

例如打獵，不太用追求速度

but with endurance for great distance.

但要能跑好一段距離

But now there's a widening gap between our biology and our lifestyles,

現今，生理構造和生活方式 有了很大的差距

a mismatch between what our bodies are built for and what we're making them do.

我們要自己的身體做不適合的事

It's a phenomenon my mentors have called "Stone Agers in the fast lane."

我的導師比擬這現象為 「叫史前人類開車上快車道」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

A second paradox of speed is that it can be measured objectively. Right?

第二個矛盾處： 我們能客觀量測速度，對吧？

Miles per hour, gigabytes per second.

時速、秒速

But how speed feels,

但不同速度帶來的感覺

and whether we like it,

還有我們對速度的偏好

is highly subjective.

都非常主觀

So we can document

很多資料告訴我們

that the pace at which we are adopting new technologies is increasing.

人類要適應新科技越來越快

For example, it took 85 years from the introduction of the telephone

舉例來說，電話出現 85 年後

to when the majority of Americans had phones at home.

大部分美國人家裡才都有電話

In contrast, it only took 13 years for most of us to have smartphones.

但智慧型手機只花了 13 年 大家便人手一機

And how people act and react to speed

人們對速度有不同反應

varies by culture and among different people within the same culture.

因文化而異也因人而不盡相同

Interactions that could be seen as pleasantly brisk and convenient

有時，有些行為稀鬆平常又方便

in some cultures

但在其他文化

could be seen as horribly rude in others.

一樣的事情卻很沒禮貌

I mean, you wouldn't go asking for a to-go cup at a Japanese tea ceremony

就像是，參加日本茶道宴會時 大家不會還要求外帶

so you could jet off to your next tourist stop.

才能快點到下個景點

Would you?

你不會這樣做吧？

A third paradox is that speed begets speed.

第三個矛盾處：速度是連鎖反應

The faster I respond, the more responses I get,

我越是快點回應，就越多人回應我

the faster I have to respond again.

這樣我又得更快回應

Having more communication

動動指尖就能溝通

and information at our fingertips

或是查詢資料

at any given moment

不論什麼時候

was supposed to make decision-making easier and more rational.

應該要讓我們更容易、更理性做決定

But that doesn't really seem to be happening.

但似乎事與願違

Here's just one more paradox:

另外還有一個矛盾處

If all of these faster technologies were supposed to free us from drudgery,

如果更快速的科技應當免去苦差事

why do we all feel so pressed for time?

為什麼我們感到時間不足

Why are we crashing our cars in record numbers,

為什麼我們因為要即時回覆訊息

because we think we have to answer that text right away?

讓車禍此起彼落發生

Shouldn't life in the fast lane feel a little more fun

生活在迅速如快車道的環境中 不是應該充滿樂趣

and a little less anxious?

而非焦慮嗎？

German speakers even have a word for this:

德語甚至為此造一字

"Eilkrankheit."

「Eilkrankheit」

In English, that's "hurry sickness."

這個字的意思是「倉促不適感」

When we have to make fast decisions,

當我們很快得做出決定

autopilot brain kicks in,

自控式的大腦開始運轉

and we rely on our learned behaviors,

我們憑著學來的行為

our reflexes, our cognitive biases,

反應、認知偏誤

to help us perceive and respond quickly.

更快察覺事物、做出回應

Sometimes that saves our lives, right?

我們有時因此撿回小命，對吧？

Fight or flight.

正面迎擊或逃之夭夭

But sometimes, it leads us astray in the long run.

但這樣的機制長時間下來 我們有時無所適從

Oftentimes, when our society has major failures,

很多時候，我們的社會出現嚴重紕漏

they're not technological failures.

問題並非出自於科技

They're failures that happen when we made decisions too quickly

當大腦自控時，我們太快下決定

on autopilot.

才出這些差錯

We didn't do the creative or critical thinking required

我們面臨危急時，無法激盪出辦法

to connect the dots

把線索連起來

or weed out false information

或是剔除錯誤訊息

or make sense of complexity.

或是意識到事情很複雜

That kind of thinking can't be done fast.

這種決策急不來

That's slow thinking.

而是需要慢慢完成

Two psychologists, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky,

Daniel Kahneman 和 Amos Tversky 這兩位心理學家

started pointing this out back in 1974,

1974 年就提出這樣的想法

and we're still struggling to do something with their insights.

但我們仍無法達到他們所言

All of modern history can be thought of as one spurt of acceleration after another.

整段現代歷史都可以視為一次次的加速

It's as if we think if we just speed up enough,

好像只要我們思考得快一些

we can outrun our problems.

所有的事都能迎刃而解

But we never do.

但我們力有未逮

We know this in our own lives,

我們從生活中領悟到這樣的事實

and policymakers know it, too.

政府決策者也知道這樣的事情

So now we're turning to artificial intelligence

因此我們轉而追求人工智慧

to help us make faster and smarter decisions

幫助我們做出更快、更完善的決定

to process this ever-expanding universe of data.

處理不停擴張的巨量資訊

But machines crunching data are no substitute

但機器再怎麼分析數據

也無法取代人類

for critical and sustained thinking

應付緊急狀況或是長遠思考

by humans,

whose Stone Age brains need a little time to let their impulses subside,

我們這石器時代成形的大腦 需要一些時間平靜下來

to slow the mind

放慢思考

and let the thoughts flow.

讓想法自由發展

If you're starting to think that we should just hit the brakes,

如果你覺得我們該緊急煞車

that won't always be the right solution.

這樣做並非總是妥當

We all know that a train that's going too fast around a bend can derail,

我們都知道火車跑得太快 轉彎的時候會脫軌

but Seifu, the engineer,

但 Seifu，那位工程師

taught me that a train that's going too slowly around a bend can also derail.

告訴我火車轉彎太慢，也會脫軌

So managing this spurt of acceleration starts with the understanding

因此，要主宰速度，我們要先知道

that we have more control over speed than we think we do,

我們其實比想像中更能掌控速度

individually and as a society.

不管是個人或是整個社會

Sometimes, we'll need to engineer ourselves to go faster.

有時候，我們得想得更快、做得更急

We'll want to solve gridlock,

我們想要排解塞車車陣

speed up disaster relief for hurricane victims

或是加快救援風災的腳步

or use 3-D printing to produce what we need on the spot,

或是用 3D 列印技術當場製作所需

just when we need it.

只要我們需要，就可以做得到

Sometimes, though, we'll want to make our surroundings feel slower

我們有時候卻想要讓一切慢下來

to engineer the crash out of the speedy experience.

處理急忙後的雜亂無章

And it's OK not to be stimulated all the time.

偶爾逃離時間壓力是不錯的

It's good for adults

對成人有益

and for kids.

對小孩也是

Maybe it's boring, but it gives us time to reflect.

這樣可能很無聊 但我們卻有了時間深思

Slow time is not wasted time.

放慢腳步並非浪費時間

And we need to reconsider what it means to save time.

我們必須重新想想節省時間這個概念

Culture and rituals around the world build in slowness,

全世界的文化和習慣都經過長時間淬鍊

because slowness helps us reinforce our shared values and connect.

如此的平緩讓我們 強化共同的理念和連結

And connection is a critical part of being human.

這種連接是人性重要的一部分

We need to master speed,

我們必須主宰速度

在使用任何科技的同時 必須仔細端詳我們犧牲了什麼

and that means thinking carefully about the trade-offs of any given technology.

Will it help you reclaim time that you can use to express your humanity?

某項科技是否真的能節省時間 讓你更有人性？

Will it give you hurry sickness? Will it give other people hurry sickness?

還是你會感到「倉促不適感」？ 或是讓周遭的人也為之所苦？

If you're lucky enough to decide the pace that you want to travel through life,

如果你有幸能決定自己人生的步調

it's a privilege.

這是種特權

Use it.

請善加利用

You might decide that you need both to speed up

你可能決定有時加快腳步

and to create slow time:

有時放慢步調

time to reflect,

用自己感到舒適的步調

to percolate

來檢討

at your own pace;

沉澱

time to listen,

聆聽

to empathize,

替別人著想

to rest your mind,

讓心神歇息

to linger at the dinner table.

在餐桌旁逗留

So as we zoom into the future,

因此當我們投身未來

let's consider setting the technologies of speed,

讓我們決定科技的速度

the purpose of speed

決定加速的目的

and our expectations of speed

還有建立對速度的實際期待

to a more human pace.

讓我們活得更有人性

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）