TED英语演讲稿我们为什么快乐.docx

TED英语演讲稿我们为什么快乐.docx

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TED英语演讲稿我们为什么快乐

TED英语演讲稿：

我们为什么快乐？

well,itturnsoutwhenbrainstripleinsize,theydontjustgetthreetimesbigger;theygainnewstructures.andoneofthemainreasonsourbraingotsobigisbecauseitgotanewpart,calledthefrontallobe.andparticularly,apartcalledthepre-frontalcortex.nowwhatdoesapre-frontalcortexdoforyouthatshouldjustifytheentirearchitecturaloverhaulofthehumanskullintheblinkofevolutionarytime?

well,itturnsoutthepre-frontalcortexdoeslotsofthings,butoneofthemostimportantthingsitdoesisitisanexperiencesimulator.flightpilotspracticeinflightsimulatorssothattheydontmakerealmistakesinplanes.humanbeingshavethismarvelousadaptationthattheycanactuallyhaveexperiencesintheirheadsbeforetheytrythemoutinreallife.thisisatrickthatnoneofourancestorscoulddo,andthatnootheranimalcandoquitelikewecan.itsamarvelousadaptation.itsuptherewithopposablethumbsandstandinguprightandlanguageasoneofthethingsthatgotourspeciesoutofthetreesandintotheshoppingmall.

now--（laughter）--allofyouhavedonethis.imean,youknow,benandjerrysdoesnthaveliver-and-onionicecream,anditsnotbecausetheywhippedsomeup,trieditandwent,yuck.itsbecause,withoutleavingyourarmchair,youcansimulatethatflavorandsayyuckbeforeyoumakeit.

letsseehowyourexperiencesimulatorsareworking.letsjustrunaquickdiagnosticbeforeiproceedwiththerestofthetalk.herestwodifferentfuturesthatiinviteyoutocontemplate,andyoucantrytosimulatethemandtellmewhichoneyouthinkyoumightprefer.oneofthemiswinningthelottery.thisisabout314milliondollars.andtheotherisbecomingparaplegic.so,justgiveitamomentofthought.youprobablydontfeellikeyouneedamomentofthought.

interestingly,therearedataonthesetwogroupsofpeople,dataonhowhappytheyare.andthisisexactlywhatyouexpected,isntit?

butthesearentthedata.imadetheseup!

thesearethedata.youfailedthepopquiz,andyourehardlyfiveminutesintothelecture.becausethefactisthatayearafterlosingtheuseoftheirlegs,andayearafterwinningthelotto,lotterywinnersandparaplegicsareequallyhappywiththeirlives.

now,dontfeeltoobadaboutfailingthefirstpopquiz,becauseeverybodyfailsallofthepopquizzesallofthetime.theresearchthatmylaboratoryhasbeendoing,thateconomistsandpsychologistsaroundthecountryhavebeendoing,haverevealedsomethingreallyquitestartlingtous,somethingwecalltheimpactbias,whichisthetendencyforthesimulatortoworkbadly.forthesimulatortomakeyoubelievethatdifferentoutcomesaremoredifferentthaninfacttheyreallyare.

fromfieldstudiestolaboratorystudies,weseethatwinningorlosinganelection,gainingorlosingaromanticpartner,gettingornotgettingapromotion,passingornotpassingacollegetest,onandon,havefarlessimpact,lessintensityandmuchlessdurationthanpeopleexpectthemtohave.infact,arecentstudy--thisalmostfloorsme--arecentstudyshowinghowmajorlifetraumasaffectpeoplesuggeststhatifithappenedoverthreemonthsago,withonlyafewexceptions,ithasnoimpactwhatsoeveronyourhappiness.

why?

becausehappinesscanbesynthesized.sirthomasbrownwrotein1642,iamthehappiestmanalive.ihavethatinmethatcanconvertpovertytoriches,adversitytoprosperity.iammoreinvulnerablethanachilles;fortunehathnotoneplacetohitme.whatkindofremarkablemachinerydoesthisguyhaveinhishead?

well,itturnsoutitspreciselythesameremarkablemachinerythatalloffushave.humanbeingshavesomethingthatwemightthinkofasapsychologicalimmunesystem.asystemofcognitiveprocesses,largelynon-consciouscognitiveprocesses,thathelpthemchangetheirviewsoftheworld,sothattheycanfeelbetterabouttheworldsinwhichtheyfindthemselves.likesirthomas,youhavethismachine.unlikesirthomas,youseemnottoknowit.（laughter）

wesynthesizehappiness,butwethinkhappinessisathingtobefound.now,youdontneedmetogiveyoutoomanyexamplesofpeoplesynthesizinghappiness,isuspect.thoughimgoingtoshowyousomeexperimentalevidence,youdonthavetolookveryfarforevidence.

asachallengetomyself,sinceisaythisonceinawhileinlectures,itookacopyofthenewyorktimesandtriedtofindsomeinstancesofpeoplesynthesizinghappiness.andherearethreeguyssynthesizinghappiness.iamsomuchbetteroffphysically,financially,emotionally,mentallyandalmosteveryotherway.idonthaveoneminutesregret.itwasagloriousexperience.ibelieveitturnedoutforthebest.

whoarethesecharacterswhoaresodamnhappy?

well,thefirstoneisjimwright.someofyouareoldenoughtoremember:

hewasthechairmanofthehouseofrepresentativesandheresignedindisgracewhenthisyoungrepublicannamednewtgingrichfoundoutaboutashadybookdealhehaddone.helosteverything.themostpowerfuldemocratinthecountry,helosteverything.helosthismoney;helosthispower.whatdoeshehavetosayalltheseyearslateraboutit?

iamsomuchbetteroffphysically,financially,mentallyandinalmosteveryotherway.whatotherwaywouldtherebetobebetteroff?

vegetably?

minerally?

animally?

hesprettymuchcoveredthemthere.

moreesebickhamissomebodyyouveneverheardof.moreesebickhamutteredthesewordsuponbeingreleased.hewas78yearsold.hespent37yearsinalouisianastatepenitentiaryforacrimehedidntcommit.hewasultimatelyexonerated,attheageof78,throughdnaevidence.andwhatdidhehavetosayabouthisexperience?

idonthaveoneminutesregret.itwasagloriousexperience.glorious!

thisguyisnotsaying,well,youknow,thereweresomeniceguys.theyhadagym.itsglorious,awordweusuallyreserveforsomethinglikeareligiousexperience.

harrys.langermanutteredthesewords,andhessomebodyyoumighthaveknownbutdidnt,becausein1949hereadalittlearticleinthepaperaboutahamburgerstandownedbythesetwobrothersnamedmcdonalds.andhethought,thatsareallyneatidea!

sohewenttofindthem.theysaid,wecangiveyouafranchiseonthisfor3,000bucks.harrywentbacktonewyork,askedhisbrotherwhosaninvestmentbankertoloanhimthe3,000dollars,andhisbrothersimmortalwordswere,youidiot,nobodyeatshamburgers.hewouldntlendhimthemoney,andofcoursesixmonthslaterraycrochadexactlythesameidea.itturnsoutpeopledoeathamburgers,andraycroc,forawhile,becametherichestmaninamerica.

andthenfinally--youknow,thebestofallpossibleworlds--someofyourecognizethisyoungphotoofpetebest,whowastheoriginaldrummerforthebeatles,untilthey,youknow,senthimoutonanerrandandsnuckawayandpickedupringoonatour.well,in1994,whenpetebestwasinterviewed--yes,hesstilladrummer;yes,hesastudiomusician--hehadthistosay:

imhappierthaniwouldhavebeenwiththebeatles.

okay.theressomethingimportanttobelearnedfromthesepeople,anditisthesecretofhappiness.hereitis,finallytoberevealed.first:

accruewealth,power,andprestige,thenloseit.（laughter）second:

spendasmuchofyourlifeinprisonasyoupossiblycan.（laughter）third:

makesomebodyelsereally,reallyrich.（laughter）andfinally:

nevereverjointhebeatles.（laughter）

ok.nowi,likezefrank,canpredictyournextthought,whichis,yeah,right.becausewhenpeoplesynthesizehappiness,asthesegentlemenseemtohavedone,weallsmileatthem,butwekindofrolloureyesandsay,yeahright,youneverreallywantedthejob.ohyeah,right.youreallydidnthavethatmuchincommonwithher,andyoufiguredthatoutjustaboutthetimeshethrewtheengagementringinyourface.

wesmirkbecausewebelievethatsynthetichappinessisnotofthesamequalityaswhatwemightcallnaturalhappiness.whataretheseterms?

naturalhappinessiswhatwegetwhenwegetwhatwewanted,andsynthetichappinessiswhatwemakewhenwedontgetwhatwewanted.andinoursociety,wehaveastrongbeliefthatsynthetichappinessisofaninferiorkind.whydowehavethatbelief?

well,itsverysimple.whatkindofeconomicenginewouldkeepchurningifwebelievedthatnotgettingwhatwewantcouldmakeusjustashappyasgettingit?

withallapologiestomyfriendmatthieuricard,ashoppingmallfullofzenmonksisnotgoingtobeparticularlyprofitablebecausetheydontwantstuffenough.iwanttosuggesttoyouthatsynthetichappinessiseverybitasrealandenduringasthekindofhappinessyoustumbleuponwhenyougetexactlywhatyouwereaimingfor.now,imascientist,soimgoingtodothisnotwithrhetoric,butbymarinatingyouinalittlebitofdata.

letmefirstshowyouanexperimentalparadigmthatisusedtodemonstratethesynthesisofhappinessamongregularoldfolks.andthisisntmine.thisisa50-year-oldparadigmcalledthefreechoiceparadigm.itsverysimple.youbringin,say,sixobjects,andyouaskasubjecttorankthemfromthemosttotheleastliked.inthiscase,becausetheexperimentimgoingtotellyouaboutusesthem,thesearemonetprints.so,everybodycanrankthesemonetprintsfromtheonetheylikethemost,totheonetheyliketheleast.nowwegiveyouachoice:

wehappentohavesomeextraprintsinthecloset.weregoingtogiveyouoneasyourprizetotakehome.wehappentohavenumberthreeandnumberfour,wetellthesubject.thisisabitofadifficultchoice,becauseneitheroneispreferredstronglytotheother,