[转帖][分享]The Secret to Happiness （幸福的秘密） [推广有奖]

Saturday, February 10, 2007

The Secret to Happiness 幸福的秘密

From Chicago economist Luis Rayo, via today's Washington Post. Or you can read his research with Gary Becker.

来自于芝加哥大学经济学家Luis Rayo，见今天的华盛顿邮报。或者，你可以读读他和Gary Becker的研究。

Monks, Not McMansions, May Hold the Key to Happiness

By Katherine Salant

Most people think economists study money.

许多人以为，经济学家是研究孔方兄的。

In fact, economists use various analytic tools to predict behavior. True, the majority of economists' predictions deal with financial matters. When economists talk about new houses, for example, their focus is invariably on the factors that determine prices, such as mortgage interest rates.

实际上，经济学家使用不同的分析工具，来预测行为。确实，大部分经济学家的预测，都与财务相关。譬如，经济学家谈到新房时，他们毫无例外地总是关注，决定价格的因素，比如抵押贷款利率。

But some economists have gone in a different direction. Rather than study dollars and cents, they have used the tools of their discipline to explain other phenomena, such as why people make certain choices.

然而，有一些经济学家却另辟蹊径。他们不研究花花绿绿的钞票，而是运用这个学科的工具，解释其他的现象，比如人们为什么会做出特定的选择。

In the past, economists assumed that an individual's choices were always guided by rational self-interest. Today they recognize that human foibles, biases and our hunter-gatherer origins can often be critical factors.

过去，经济学家假设，个人的选择始终受到理性的自利动机的主导。现在，他们认识到，人性的缺点、偏见和打猎-采摘的起源，这些因素通常也很关键。

University of Chicago economists Luis Rayo and Gary Becker, a Nobel laureate, have carried this approach one step further and used economics tools to predict which choices make people happy. Their research is based in part on study of recent developments in psychology, biology, evolution and neuroscience, including brain scans.

芝加哥大学的经济学家Luis Rayo和诺奖得主Gary Becker，把这种方法推进了一步。他们使用经济学的工具，预测什么样的选择会使人们幸福。他们的研究部分依赖于一些学科的最新进展，如，心理学、生物学、进化论以及包括脑部扫描的神经科学。

In a recent interview, Rayo discussed their research on happiness as it applies to the purchase of a new house, an enterprise that most find is fraught with emotion.

最近一次的访谈中，Rayo谈到了对于幸福的研究，研究中运用了购买新房的行为。买房是一个事业，对许多人来说充满了感情。（附注：还记得咱们说的那“几个人”的笑话吗？里面就讲了enterprise，即是企业，又是事业。）

Before you fall off your chair guffawing, insisting that you know happiness when you see it and that some economist couldn't possibly say anything helpful, listen up. You're likely to find that much of Rayo and Becker's research resonates with your own experience.

听到这些，你也许会笑得从椅子上滚下来。人们坚信，当他看到了幸福，就懂得了幸福。经济学家根本不可能给出什么妙方。不过，请先听一听。也许你会发现，Rqyo和Becker的某些研究跟你的经验，存在某些共鸣。

Rayo began our conversation on a philosophical note. "What is happiness, exactly? Much of what we call 'happiness' is relative and based on comparison," he said. "We are always comparing what we have to something else. But, we're not anticipating that no matter what we have we will always be comparing it to something else. In fact, we're not even aware that we are doing this."

Rayo用一个哲学上的词，开启了我们的谈话。“确切地说，什么是幸福？很多我们所谓的‘幸福’都与比较有关，或者基于比较之上。”他说，“我们总是将自己拥有的东西与其他东西进行比较。但是没有料到，无论拥有什么，我们总是能找到与之相比较的东西。实际上，我们如此行为的时候，甚至没有意识到这个问题。”

The choices that make people happy are all over the map, but when you examine the data carefully, similar patterns emerge, Rayo said. In that respect, buying a new house is not so different from buying a car or choosing a restaurant.

使人们幸福的选择，历历可见。但是仔细地去检查一下数据，就会发现相似的模式。Rayo说道，从这个角度看，购买一处新居，跟买辆车，或者是选个饭店，差别不大。

When you start to think about buying a new and bigger house, your initial comparison and reference point is size, Rayo said. When you start to look at the big, new houses that are for sale, however, you discover that size is only one of many comparisons. Size, price, location and floor plans soon loom large and become new reference points. Rayo characterized them as "moving targets, which constantly change."

当你想着要买一个更大的新房子的时候，最初的比较面和参考点是大小，Rayo说。然而，当你开始寻找一个待售的又大又新的房子时，会发现大小仅仅只是一个比较点。大小、价格、位置和房型很快会浮现在脑海中，成了新的比较点。Rayo将这些描述为“移动的目标，而且总是在变化”。

Eventually, you pick a builder and a model, build and move in. The change is dramatic. Nonetheless, you quickly become accustomed to your new surroundings. These become your new benchmark against which you now make new comparisons, such as how your house stacks up against the others in your neighborhood or what you could have done with the money instead.

最终，你选定了一个建筑商，一个样板，建成后住了进去。多么激动人心的变化！然而，很快你就习惯了新环境。这些成了新的基点，你又开始新的比较。比如，拿自己的房子跟邻居的房子比；或者，如果这个钱不用来建房，你会做的其他事情。

You start shopping for furniture to put in those empty rooms in your bigger house. At the furniture store, you find they have 20 oversize sofas on the floor -- more comparisons! You select several pieces for your family room and quickly move on to considering an outdoor deck for summer. You keep expecting that you will finally become sated with all things related to the new house, but the considerations are endless. The deck project leads to discussions about possible decking materials, as well as outdoor grills. . . .

你开始四处购买家具，去填满那空洞洞的大房子。家具店里摆放着20张大沙发――又有了更多的比较！选了几件沙发后，很快你又要考虑夏天用的户外露台。你一直期待，最终将对新房子的一切心满意足，但是，要操心的事无穷无尽。想到露台，就要讨论可能的露台材料，室外烧烤架，诸如此类……

Meanwhile, you discover several unpleasant aspects to your new place. A house that's twice as big requires twice as long to clean, and the commuting time to your office is now two hours a day instead of 30 minutes. Though it's easy to become accustomed to a positive change and move on, you never get used to activities that are painful and irritating such as a long commute, Rayo said.

同时，你会发现新房子也有些不合意之处。房子太大了，其实自己只需要一半大就够了；打扫的时间太久了，要花费两倍的时间；往返上班的时间太长了，以前每天只要30分钟，现在需要两个小时。虽然，一个人很容易适应好的变化，但对于那些带来痛苦的、让人烦躁的变化，比如太长的交通时间，可很难习惯。Rayo如是说。

This unending cycle of serial interests and constant impulse to compare what we have now with what we might have in the future is wired into our brains, and there's an evolutionary reason for it, Rayo explained. Fifty thousand years ago, when we were hunter-gatherers, it served us well. To elude predators, our eyes developed the ability to judge moving objects and colors by comparing them with the background landscape. To ensure there would be enough food and water for everyone, our brains developed the ability to continually look ahead and press on to find new food sources.

一波又一波的好奇，持续不断的冲动，让我们总是在现在有的与将来可能有的东西之间进行比较。这种永无止境的怪圈，将我们紧紧纠缠。Rayo解释道，这是进化的结果。5万年前，当我们还在打猎和收割的时代，这样比较会让我们活得很好。为了躲开食肉动物，我们的眼睛逐渐发展出一种能力，通过跟背景比较，来判断移动的目标和色彩。为了保证每个人有充足的食物和水，我们的大脑逐渐发展出一种能力，不断地朝前看，尽量找到新的食物来源。

In today's world, this strategy does not always serve us well, Rayo pointed out.

如今这个世界，这种策略，却并不总是让我们活得很好，Rayo指出。

More important, he went on to say, the psychology literature and surveys clearly show that not all happiness is ephemeral and geared to endlessly moving targets. With nonmaterial things, the target does not move.

更为重要的是，他继续讲到，心里学文献和调查清楚地表明，并非所有的幸福都是昙花一现的，并非所有的幸福都来自于不停变动的目标。一些非物质的目标，并不会改变。

"Exercise will absolutely make you feel better. Your social network, family and friends can bring permanent happiness. Longtime relationships can bring long-term satisfaction."

“锻炼会让人感觉不错。社交网络，家庭朋友会带来永久的幸福。长期的关系会带来长期的满足。”

One reason for this, Rayo said, is that our relationships with friends and families do not have a lot of "status differentiation." Though you may think that this sounds ridiculous, Rayo said that brain scans and hormone fluctuations in our bloodstream show that our brains are designed to know where we fit into the pecking order, and we're uncomfortable when we're not among equals. Our brains are also very sensitive to material success and who has more or less than we do.

一个理由，Rayo说道，就是我们与亲朋好友的关系，没有多少“身份地位的差别。”虽然听起来有些可笑，Rayo说脑部扫描和荷尔蒙波动均显示，我们的大脑天生知道，在团体中的合适位置；当我们处于不同等的位置时，感觉就不舒服。同时，我们的大脑还对于物质的成功很是敏感，对于那些比我们多或比我们少的人，也会格外注意。

How does this square with choosing a house that will make us happy? Rayo suggests a house with enough space to meet your needs while accommodating a practical, relaxing lifestyle. Everyone's situation is different, but as you make the decision, he said, be honest about your motivation.

这些，与让我们幸福的房子有什么关系呢？Rayo认为，一所有充足空间的房子，除了满足个人的需要外，还提供了一种实用的、放松的生活方式。每个人的情形都不一样，但是做决策时，都对自己的动机诚实。

Will the added square feet in the big, new house make you more comfortable?

一所崭新的大房子里，再多加一平米，会让我们更舒适吗？

If the goal is to impress your peers and friends, "You'll lose the race of winning and you'll be stressed," he said. Is your kitchen a place to hang out and be comfortable or will it be, as Rayo put it, a "slick intimidation statement about my wealth?" Will the $50,000 array of solar panels on your new roof that will generate all your household electricity needs "bring a sense of personal satisfaction or give you bragging rights?"

如果，目标旨在让同辈和朋友印象深刻，“这样做可能会无济于事，而且还倍感压力，”他说。你的厨房大得可以溜达吗？舒适吗？或者它会成为，按照Rayo的叙述，“财富的一个不利证据吗？”5万美元的太阳能电池，铺设在屋顶，产生的电能足够家庭之需。这会“带来个人的满足感呢还是增添了夸耀的资本？”

The latter are "not a sustainable source of happiness," Rayo said. "When consumption extends beyond your needs and the goal is to impress others, you should be suspicious; it will not lead to happiness."

夸耀是一种“难以为继的幸福来源”，Rayo说道。“当消费超越了你的需求，当目标成了给他人以印象，你应该打个问号；这些不会导致幸福。”

Does Rayo follow his own advice? He lives in a condo in downtown Chicago that is a 10-minute train commute from his office. He doesn't have a car. His condo is a modestly sized, two-bedroom unit. He spends a lot of time with his wife, he exercises, but he confessed, "I'm not immune to status seeking. I spend a lot of time working."

Rayo的言行一致吗？他居住在一所公寓里，地处芝加哥市中心，坐火车到办公室只要10分钟。他没有车，公寓很小，只有两间房子。他花了大量的时间陪妻子，做锻炼。他也承认，“我并非对社会地位毫不在意。我用了很多时间在工作上。”

What is the scientific proof that a modest lifestyle is the path to happiness? Rayo said one example is Buddhist monks. They eat the same food and wear the same clothes every day. With years of meditation they lose interest in the "next new thing and the moving target," he said. "And their brain scans show that they are happier than most people in a scientifically measurable way."

朴素的生活就是通往幸福之路，这一点有没有什么科学证据呢？Rayo举了个例子就是和尚。他们吃一样的饭菜，穿一样的衣服，日复一日。数年的沉思冥想，让他们失掉了对“新鲜事物和移动目标”的兴趣，他说，“脑部扫描显示，他们比很多人都幸福，这可是按科学的方法测量到的结果。”