Renata Salecl: Our unhealthy obsession with choice

譯者: Ana Choi 審譯者: Tingyu Qiu

When I was preparing for this talk,

當我在準備這個演說的時候，

I went to search for a couple of quotes

我搜索了幾個引用句

that I can share with you.

可以與跟大家分享。

Good news: I found three

好消息是，我找到三個

that I particularly liked,

我特別喜歡的，

the first by Samuel Johnson, who said,

第一句是来自約翰遜博士，

"When making your choice in life,

「當在生活中要做出選擇時，

do not forget to live,"

不要忘了生活 」。

the second by Aeschylus, who reminded us that

第二句来自 (古希臘悲劇詩人) 埃斯庫羅斯，提醒我們，

"happiness is a choice that requires effort,"

「 幸福是需要努力的選擇」。

and the third is one by Groucho Marx

第三句是来自(喜劇演員)格勞喬·馬克思，

who said, "I wouldn't want to choose to belong

他說，「 我不想選擇屬於任何一個

to any club that would have me as a member."

會接受我成為會員的俱樂部」。

Now, bad news:

現在，壞消息是：

I didn't know which one of these quotes

我不知道該選擇哪一個引用句

to choose and share with you.

來和大家分享。

The sweet anxiety of choice.

那甜美的選擇焦慮。

In today's times of post-industrial capitalism,

在如今的後工業資本主義，

choice, together with individual freedom

選擇，與個人自由

and the idea of self-making,

和自我決策的思想連在一起，

has been elevated to an ideal.

已經提升到一種理想主義。

Now, together with this, we also have a belief

現在，連同這一點，我們同時也有着

in endless progress.

永無止境地進展的信念。

But the underside of this ideology

但這種意識形態的另一面

has been an increase of anxiety,

是焦慮一直在增加，

feelings of guilt,

內疚感，

feelings of being inadequate,

認為自我不足，

feeling that we are failing in our choices.

感覺我們選擇的差錯。

Sadly, this ideology of individual choice

可悲的是，這個人選擇的思想意識

has prevented us from thinking about social changes.

妨礙了我們思考社會的變革。

It appears that this ideology was actually

看來，這種思想實際上是非常有效地

very efficient in pacifying us

安撫我們

as political and social thinkers.

作政治和社會思想家。

Instead of making social critiques,

我們越來越多從事自我批判，

we are more and more engaging in self-critique,

而不是批評社會，

sometimes to the point of self-destruction.

有時還直到自我毀滅的地步。

Now, how come that ideology of choice

現在，為什麼選擇的意識，

is still so powerful,

仍是如此強大有力，

even among people who have

即使對那些沒有

not many things to choose among?

太多東西選擇的人都如是?

How come that even people who are poor

為什麼很窮的人

very much still identify with the idea of choice,

還有鑑別選擇的想法,

the kind of rational idea of choice

那種我們對有理性選擇

which we embrace?

的信奉?

Now, the ideology of choice is very successful

然而, 選擇的意識非常成功地

in opening for us a space to think

開放了我們對未來的

about some imagined future.

一些想像空間。

Let me give you an example.

My friend Manya,

我的朋友瑪雅，

when she was a student at university in California,

當她還是個在加州上大學的學生，

was earning money

當時她是在做

by working for a car dealer.

汽車經銷商賺錢。

Now, Manya, when she encountered

當瑪雅遇到

the typical customer, would debate with him

她的典型客戶，會跟他辯論

about his lifestyle,

他的生活方式，

how much he wants to spend,

how many children he has,

他想花多少錢，

他有幾個小孩，

what does he need the car for?

為什麼他需要車？

They would usually come to a good conclusion

他們通常會得出一個好的結論

what would be a perfect car.

哪一輛是最適當的車。

Now, before Manya's customer would go home

在瑪雅的客戶回家

and think things through,

考慮之前，

she would say to him,

她就對他說，

"The car that you are buying now is perfect,

「你現在會買的那輛車是最最適當的，

but in a few year's time,

但過幾年時間，

when your kids will be already out of the house,

當你的孩子們將已搬了家，

when you will have a little bit more money,

你會有多一點錢，

that other car will be ideal.

那另一輛車將會更理想，

But what you are buying now is great."

但現在你所購買的已是很棒了。」

Now, the majority of Manya's customers

大多數瑪雅的客戶

who came back the next day

第二天回來

bought that other car,

都會買另一輛車，

the car they did not need,

那輛他們並不需要的車，

the car that cost far too much money.

那輛花費太多錢的車。

Now, Manya became so successful in selling cars

現在，瑪雅暢銷汽車如此成功，

that soon she moved on to selling airplanes.

不久後她會轉移到賣飛機。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And knowing so much about the psychology of people

理解這麼多關於人的心理

prepared her well for her current job,

為她準備好她目前的工作，

which is that of a psychoanalyst.

這便是一個精神分析學家。

Now, why were Manya's customers so irrational?

為什麼瑪雅的客戶會這樣不理智呢？

Manya's success was that she was able

瑪雅成功在於她能夠

to open in their heads an image

在他們的思維開設一個

of an idealized future,

理想化的未來形象，

an image of themselves

一個他們自己

when they are already more successful, freer,

已經更成功的形象，更自由，

and for them, choosing that other car

對他們來說，選擇那另一輛車

was as if they are coming closer to this ideal

就如他們更接近這個理想,

in which it was as if Manya already saw them.

就像瑪雅已經看見了他們的那個形象。

Now, we rarely make really totally rational choices.

我們其實很少真正做出完全理性的選擇。

Choices are influenced by our unconscious,

by our community.

由我們的社會影響。

We're often choosing

我們的選擇經常通過猜測，

by guessing, what would other people

通過猜測，別人會怎樣想

think about our choice?

我們的選擇呢？

Also we are choosing

此外，我們會通過

by looking at what others are choosing.

看別人怎麼選擇而選擇。

We're also guessing what is socially acceptable choice.

Now, because of this, we actually

正因如此，我們其實

even after we have already chosen,

即使已經選擇了，

like bought a car,

就像買了一輛車，

endlessly read reviews about cars,

仍然會無休止地閱讀關於汽車的評論，

as if we still want to convince ourselves

如我們仍然要說服自己，

that we made the right choice.

確定我們做出了正確的選擇。

Now, choices are anxiety-provoking.

選擇是會引起焦慮。

They are linked to risks, losses.

They are highly unpredictable.

Now, because of this,

正因如此，

people have now more and more problems

人們現在有越來越多的問題，

that they are not choosing anything.

因為他們沒有選擇任何東西。

Not long ago, I was at a wedding reception,

不久以前，我在一個婚禮上，

and I met a young, beautiful woman

我遇見了一個既年輕，又漂亮的女人,

who immediately started telling me about her anxiety over choice.

她立刻開始跟我談起她對選擇的焦慮。

She said to me, "I needed one month

to decide which dress to wear."

決定穿哪一套裙。」

Then she said, "For weeks I was researching

然後她說，「幾個星期以來我正在研究，

which hotel to stay for this one night.

在哪一間酒店留宿一晚。

And now, I need to choose a sperm donor."

現在，我需要選擇一個精子捐贈者。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I looked at this woman in shock.

我震驚地看著這個女人。

"Sperm donor? What's the rush?"

「捐精者？急什麼？」

She said, "I'm turning 40 at the end of this year,

她說，「我在今年年底便40歲，

and I've been so bad in choosing men in my life."

但我對男人的選擇一直糟糕。」

Now choice, because it's linked to risk,

選擇，因為它聯繫到風險，

is anxiety-provoking,

是會引起焦慮，

and it was already the famous

這已經是著名的

Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard

丹麥哲學家索倫•克爾凱郭爾誰

who pointed out that anxiety

指出，焦慮是因為我們聯繫

is linked to the possibility of possibility.

可能性的可能性。

Now, we think today that we can prevent these risks.

今時今日，我們覺得我們能避免這些風險。

We have endless market analysis,

我們有無盡的市場分析，

projections of the future earnings.

未來盈利的預測。

Even with market, which is about chance,

即使是市場，關於機會的市場，

randomness, we think we can predict rationally

有隨機性，我們認為我們可以合理地

where it's going.

預測其去向。

Now, chance is actually becoming very traumatic.

Last year, my friend Bernard Harcourt

去年，我的朋友伯納·哈考特

at the University of Chicago organized an event,

在芝加哥大學舉辦活動，

a conference on the idea of chance.

會議是關於對機會的思想。

He and I were together on the panel,

and just before delivering our papers —

在介紹我們的論文之前一刻 —

we didn't know each other's papers —

我們不知道對方的論文 —

we decided to take chance seriously.

我們決定真的把機會當認真。

So we informed our audience

所以我們告訴我們的聽眾，

that what they will just now hear

他們聽到的將是

will be a random paper,

一篇隨機的論文，

a mixture of the two papers

這兩篇論文是

which we didn't know what each was writing.

我們不知內容的混合物。

Now, we delivered the conference in such a way.

我們以這樣的方式表發論文。

Bernard read his first paragraph,

伯納讀他的第一段，

I read my first paragraph,

我讀我的第一個段落，

Bernard read his second paragraph,

伯納讀他的第二段，

I read my second paragraph,

我讀我的第二段，

in this way towards the end of our papers.

這樣的直到論文結束。

Now, you will be surprised

你會驚奇地發現，

that a majority of our audience

我們大多數的觀眾沒有想到，

did not think that what they'd just listened to

他們剛剛聽了的

was a completely random paper.

是一篇完全隨機的論文。

They couldn't believe that

他們簡直不相信，

speaking from the position of authority

從兩位像我們

like two professors we were,

有權威的教授，

we would take chance seriously.

我們對機會這樣嚴肅。

They thought we prepared the papers together

他們以為我們一起準備好論文，

and were just joking that it's random.

以為我們說隨機的只是在開玩笑。

Now, we live in times with a lot of information,

現在，我們生活在一個有大量信息，

big data,

大數據，

a lot of knowledge about the insides of our bodies.

對我們身體內部有大量知識的時候。

We decoded our genome.

We know about our brains more than before.

But surprisingly, people are more and more

turning a blind eye in front of this knowledge.

人們越來越視而不見。

Ignorance and denial are on the rise.

Now, in regard to the current economic crisis,

we think that we will just wake up again

我們以為，只要我們再次醒來，

and everything will be the same as before,

一切都會和以前一樣，

and no political or social changes are needed.

而不需要任何政治或社會的變遷。

In regard to ecological crisis,

至於生態危機，

we think nothing needs to be done just now,

我們認為此刻沒有什麼需要做的，

or others need to act before us.

或者是別人比我們需要更先採取行動。

Or even when ecological crisis already happens,

甚至當生態危機已經發生，

like a catastrophe in Fukushima,

就像在福島災難，

often we have people living in the same environment

往往有人生活在同一個環境中,

with the same amount of information,

收到同數量的信息，

and half of them will be anxious about radiation

其中一半是擔心輻射，

and half of them will ignore it.

另一半會忽略它。

Now, psychoanalysts know very well

不過，精神分析學家也很清楚，

that people surprisingly don't have

人出奇地熱愛的

passion for knowledge

不是知識，

but passion for ignorance.

而是熱愛無知。

Now, what does that mean?

這是什麼意思？

Let's say when we are facing

a life-threatening illness,

一個危及生命的疾病，

a lot of people don't want to know that.

很多人並不想知道。

They'd rather prefer denying the illness,

他們寧願否認生病，

which is why it's not so wise to inform them

這就是為什麼如果他們不問,

if they don't ask.

告訴他們其實不是那麼明智的做法。

Surprisingly, research shows that sometimes

出人意料的是，研究表明，

people who deny their illness

有時有些否認自己病情的人

live longer than those who are rationally choosing

會活得比那些合理地選擇

the best treatment.

最佳治療方案的人跟更長久。

Now, this ignorance, however,

但是這種無知，

is not very helpful on the level of the social.

不是對社會水平非常有幫助。

When we are ignorant about where we are heading,

當我們不知道我們正朝著哪裡，

a lot of social damage can be caused.

這可以引起大量的社會傷害。

Now, on top of facing ignorance,

除了面對無外，

we are also facing today

我們今天還面臨著

some kind of an obviousness.

一些那種顯而易見的事情。

Now, it was French philosopher

它便是法國哲學家

Louis Althusser who pointed out

阿爾都塞所指出，

that ideology functions in such a way

意識形態的一種功能，

that it creates a veil of obviousness.

它創造了一瓣顯而易見的面紗。

Before we do any social critique,

在我們做任何社會批判之前，

it is necessary really to lift that veil of obviousness

有必要真正解除顯而易見性的面紗，

and to think through a little bit differently.

並通過一點不同的想法。

If we go back to this ideology

如果我們要回到

of individual, rational choice

我們常接受的思想, 個人

we often embrace,

和理性的選擇，

it's necessary precisely here

有必要在這裡

to lift this obviousness

解除這一種顯見，

and to think a little bit differently.

並添一點點不同的思想。

Now for me, a question often is

對我來說，有一個問題往往就是,

why we still embrace this idea of a self-made man

白手興家的構想, 根本是起源於對資本主義的依賴,

on which capitalism relied from its beginning?

為什麼我們仍然接受這種構想?

Why do we think that we are really such masters

為什麼我們認為我們真的精通了生活，

of our lives that we can rationally

我們可以理性地做出

make the best ideal choices,

最佳最理想的選擇，

that we don't accept losses and risks?

令到我們因此不接受損失和風險？

And for me, it's very shocking to see sometimes very poor people,

對我來說，是非常令人震驚地看到有時很貧窮的人，

for example, not supporting the idea

例如，不支持對富有的人

of the rich being taxed more.

納稅更多的想法。

Quite often here they still identify

經常在這性質的事例，他們仍然

with a certain kind of a lottery mentality.

認同某種彩票的心態。

Okay, maybe they don't think that they will make it

好吧，也許他們不認為他們將在未來會成功，

in the future, but maybe they think,

但也許他們認為，

my son might become the next Bill Gates.

我的兒子會成為下一個比爾·蓋茨。

And who would want to tax one's son?

誰會願意兒子被徵稅？

Or, a question for me is also,

或者，另一個問題是，

why would people who have no health insurance

為什麼沒有醫療保險的人

not embrace universal healthcare?

不支持全民醫療？

Sometimes they don't embrace it,

有時他們的確不接受它，

again identifying with the idea of choice,

再一次是選擇的想法識別，

but they have nothing to choose from.

即使他們沒有什麼選擇。

Now, Margaret Thatcher famously said

戴卓爾夫人的一句名言，

that there is nothing like a society.

沒有什麼像一個社會。

Society doesn't exist, it is only individuals

社會並不存在，存在的只是個人

and their families.

及其家庭。

Sadly, this ideology still functions very well,

可悲的是，這種意識還是非常好的運作，

which is why people who are poor might feel

這就是為什麼窮人可能會對

ashamed for their poverty.

自己貧窮感到羞愧。

We might endlessly feel guilty that we are

我們可能會無休止地對沒有做出

not making the right choices,

正確的選擇感到內疚，

and that's why we didn't succeed.

並認為這就是我們沒有成功的原因。

We are anxious that we are not good enough.

我們擔心我們做得不夠好。

That's why we work very hard,

這就是為什麼我們非常努力，

long hours at the workplace

在工作花上長時間,

and equally long hours on remaking ourselves.

在重塑自己上花同樣的長時間。

Now, when we are anxious over choices,

但當我們對選擇急於憂慮，

sometimes we easily give our power of choice away.

有時我們很容易地放棄了我們的選擇權力。

We identify with the guru

我們信賴着

who tells us what to do,

告訴我們該怎麼做的大師，

self-help therapist,

自助治療師，

or we embrace a totalitarian leader

或者我們依賴一個

who appears to have no doubts about choices,

對選擇似乎毫不猶疑的，

who sort of knows.

全知的極權主義領袖。

Now, often people ask me,

經常有人問我，

"What did you learn by studying choice?"

「那你通過學習選擇學到什麼呢？」

And there is an important message that I did learn.

我確實學到了一個重要的信息。

When thinking about choices,

I stopped taking choices too seriously, personally.

我個人避免太沉重的對待選擇。

First, I realized a lot of choice I make

首先，我意識到很多我做的選擇

is not rational.

是不理性的。

It's linked to my unconscious,

它連接到我的潛意識，

my guesses of what others are choosing,

我猜測別人怎麼選擇的，

or what is a socially embraced choice.

或是一個社會接受的選擇。

I also embrace the idea

我也接受到，

that we should go beyond

我們應該超越

thinking about individual choices,

想著個人的選擇，

that it's very important to rethink social choices,

而是非常重要的重新思考社會的選擇，

since this ideology of individual choice has pacified us.

因為個人選擇這種意識已經平息了我們。

It really prevented us to think about social change.

阻止了我們思考社會變革。

We spend so much time choosing things for ourselves

我們花那麼多時間為自己挑選東西，

and barely reflect on

只勉強反映

communal choices we can make.

我們可以做到的公共選擇。

Now, we should not forget that choice

不過，我們不應該忘記，選擇

is always linked to change.

和改變總是連在一起的。

We can make individual changes,

我們可以把個人變化，

but we can make social changes.

我們可以把社會變革。

We can choose to have more wolves.

我們可以選擇有更多狼。

We can choose to change our environment

我們可以選擇改變我們的環境

to have more bees.

有更多蜜蜂。

We can choose to have different rating agencies.

我們可以選擇不同的評級機構。

We can choose to control corporations

我們可以選擇控制，

instead of allowing corporations to control us.

而不是讓企業控制我們的公司。

We have a possibility to make changes.

我們有可能做出改變。

Now, I started with a quote from Samuel Johnson,

我開始時引用了約翰遜的名句，

who said that when we make choice in life,

說到當我們在生活中做出選擇時，

we shouldn't forget to live.

我們不應該忘記生活。

Finally, you can see

最後，你可以看到

I did have a choice

我確實在演說開始時的

to choose one of the three quotes

三個名句中

with which I wanted to start my lecture.

作出了一個選擇。

I did have a choice,

我確實有一個選擇，

such as nations, as people,

如國家，作為人民，

we have choices too to rethink

我們有太多選擇，我們實在要

in what kind of society we want to live in the future.

重新思考在未來要活在什麼樣的社會。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

(掌聲)

(掌聲)