ted英语演讲稿我们为什么快乐演讲稿.docx

ted英语演讲稿我们为什么快乐演讲稿.docx

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ted英语演讲稿我们为什么快乐演讲稿

ted英语演讲稿我们为什么快乐演讲稿

Whenyouhave21minutestospeak,twomillionyearsseemslikeareallylongtime.Butevolutionarily,twomillionyearsisnothing.Andyetintwomillionyearsthehumanbrainhasnearlytripledinmass,goingfromtheone-and-a-quarterpoundbrainofourancestorhere,Habilis,tothealmostthree-poundmeatloafthateverybodyherehasbetweentheirears.Whatisitaboutabigbrainthatnaturewassoeagerforeveryoneofustohaveone

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,isntitButthesearentthedata.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.

WhyBecausehappinesscanbesynthesized.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.

WhoarethesecharacterswhoaresodamnhappyWell,thefirstoneisJimWright.Someofyouareoldenoughtoremember:

hewasthechairmanoftheHouseofRepresentativesandheresignedindisgracewhenthisyoungRepublicannamedNewtGingrichfoundoutaboutashadybookdealhehaddone.Helosteverything.ThemostpowerfulDemocratinthecountry,helosteverything.Helosthismoney;helosthispower.WhatdoeshehavetosayalltheseyearslateraboutitIamsomuchbetteroffphysically,financially,mentallyandinalmosteveryotherway.WhatotherwaywouldtherebetobebetteroffVegetablyMinerallyAnimallyHesprettymuchcoveredthemthere.

MoreeseBickhamissomebodyyouveneverheardof.MoreeseBickhamutteredthesewordsuponbeingreleased.Hewas78yearsold.Hespent37yearsinaLouisianaStatePenitentiaryforacrimehedidntcommit.Hewasultimatelyexonerated,attheageof78,throughDNAevidence.AndwhatdidhehavetosayabouthisexperienceIdonthaveoneminutesregret.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.WhatarethesetermsNaturalhappinessiswhatwegetwhenwegetwhatwewanted,andsynthetichappinessiswhatwemakewhenwedontgetwhatwewanted.Andinoursociety,wehaveastrongbeliefthatsynthetichappinessisofaninferiorkind.WhydowehavethatbeliefWell,itsverysimple.Whatkindofeconomicenginewouldkeepchurningifwebelievedthatnotgettingwhatwewantcouldmakeusjustashappyasgettingit

WithallapologiestomyfriendMatthieuRicard,ashoppingmallfullofZenmonksisnotgoingtobeparticularlyprofitablebecausetheydontwantstuffenough.Iwanttosuggesttoyouthatsynthetichappinessiseverybitasrealandenduringasthekindofhappinessyoustumbleuponwhenyougetexactlywhatyouwereaimingfor.Now,Imascientist,soImgoingtodothisnotwithrhetoric,butbymarinatingyouinalittlebitofdata.

Letmefirstshowyouanexperimentalparadigmthatisusedtodemonstratethesynthesisofhappinessamongregularoldfolks.Andthisisntmine.Thisisa50-year-oldparadigmcalledthefreechoiceparadigm.Itsverysimple.Youbringin,say,sixobjects,andyouaskasubjecttorankthemfromthemosttotheleastliked.Inthiscase,becausetheexperimentImgoing