Are you a striver, slacker or fantasist? 大城市已成拼搏者的天下?

By Simon Kuper 2012-02-09 (www.ftchinese.com)

It may be the defining London sight: people walking up escalators at Tube stations. In this city only tourists stand goggling blankly into space. That’s because London – like Manhattan, Hong Kong and other great cities – has fallen into the hands of strivers. They are driving everyone else out of town.
Philosophers and pop psychologists spent centuries trying to explain humankind, but only in 1996 did the South African novelist Jo-Anne Richards and I finally identify the three basic human types: strivers, slackers and fantasists.
Strivers are restless overachievers who walk up escalators. Their habitats include the City of London and Davos. Almost all political leaders are strivers, except ones who inherited their position, such as George W. Bush. As Richards explains in a now-dead book proposal: “Strivers start companies, build skyscrapers and finish marathons. But not all strivers rule the world. They also make the trains run on time, and organise charities.” A working-class female striver might become a head nurse. If the job market sidelines women altogether, she will strive vicariously, through her children. “Strivers,” writes Richards, “have the energy and discipline to make other people’s dreams come true.” Strivers make every minute count, and devote their leisure-time to self-improvement. Their drugs of choice are accelerators: coffee and cocaine.
By contrast, slackers do nothing. “They prefer to avoid effort rather than pursue pleasure,” writes Richards. “This in itself can be exhausting.” It’s hard to name any well-known slackers, because by definition slackers rarely become famous, except by accident. Sometimes a slacker will get an idea for a novel or for creating world peace, but then she sinks back into the sofa and the moment passes. Whereas business newspapers celebrate strivers, slacker newspapers celebrate lottery winners. Andrew Lamprecht, in his seminal article on slackers, writes that although they have “no idea what they want from life” they often compensate with “a catholic knowledge of television”.
If slackers devote their leisure time to anything, it’s extended adolescent hobbies such as surfing or collecting comics. Their drugs of choice are anaesthetics: vodka or cigarettes.
The third human type, the fantasist, lives inside his imagination. Fantasists have little desire to impose themselves on the world. A fantasist might spend years writing a short story, then discard it. Fantasists are never efficient and always miss deadlines. They are suckers for new age fads such as crystals. They do create a lot of art, which strivers buy. Fantasist drugs of choice stimulate fantasy: marijuana or ecstasy. When people are presented with the three human archetypes, most claim to be fantasists.
In truth, real people are usually a mix of the three archetypes. For instance, successful artists such as Steven Spielberg or Damien Hirst are generally striver-fantasists. However, most people tend towards one particular type: for instance, someone might be slacker-dominant, with fantasist streaks.
Naturally the three types irritate each other. A fantasist friend once told me an idea he had for a book. Being a striver, I began to strategise about finding a publisher. The more I talked, the less enthusiastic my friend became. Eventually, he changed the subject. He never intended to write the book. He just liked imagining it.
We strivers are even more at odds with slackers. Our force fields clash with theirs: our very presence makes them stressed, as if we were human deadlines. You see this clash in politics, where striver rulers are always exhorting slacker populations to pull their socks up: in Nicolas Sarkozy’s formulation: “Work harder to earn more.” Rulers hate the notion that someone somewhere might be slacking. Soviet leaders were forever promoting brick-laying contests or rationing vodka, unaware that they were fighting human nature. But slackers rarely revolt against striver rule. Instead, they dream up conspiracy theories.
No wonder the three archetypes have tended to segregate themselves. In big cities, strivers gravitate to financial districts, whereas fantasists establish enclaves such as Greenwich Village in 1950s New York or Belleville in today’s Paris. When strivers discover these enclaves and drive up prices, fantasists create more distant enclaves. Slackers generally avoid big cities, often preferring the parental home, writes Richards.
In the US, with its great geographic mobility, the separation of the three types was always marked. Strivers headed for Manhattan and Washington, whereas slackers preferred places such as Miami. You sense each city’s dominant mode the minute you arrive: at JFK airport in New York, the lady running the cab rank bellows, “Move it along, people! You, sir, take this cab.” She’s on her way up. At Miami airport, you can’t even find cabs.
However, segregation of the three human types is now proceeding faster than ever before. Rising house prices and growing inequality are driving non-strivers out of big cities, and even out of previously fantasist coastal towns such as Cape Town and San Francisco. Slackers and fantasists must be upset, but unless you read blogs their voices go unheard, and they certainly won’t do anything about it.

It may be the defining London sight: people walking up escalators at Tube stations. In this city only tourists stand goggling blankly into space. That’s because London – like Manhattan, Hong Kong and other great cities – has fallen into the hands of strivers. They are driving everyone else out of town.	这也许算是伦敦的标志性景象：人们沿着地铁站的自动扶梯向上爬。在这个城市，只有游客才会傻站着发呆。这是因为伦敦和曼哈顿、香港以及其他大城市一样，已经成为拼搏者的天下。他们正把所有其他人赶出城中心。
Philosophers and pop psychologists spent centuries trying to explain humankind, but only in 1996 did the South African novelist Jo-Anne Richards and I finally identify the three basic human types: strivers, slackers and fantasists.	哲学家和大众心理学家花费了数百年时间，试图理解人类，但直到1996年，南非小说家约-安妮•理查兹(Jo-Anne Richards)和我才终于确定，人类有三种基本类型：拼搏者、游手好闲者和幻想者。
Strivers are restless overachievers who walk up escalators. Their habitats include the City of London and Davos. Almost all political leaders are strivers, except ones who inherited their position, such as George W. Bush. As Richards explains in a now-dead book proposal: “Strivers start companies, build skyscrapers and finish marathons. But not all strivers rule the world. They also make the trains run on time, and organise charities.” A working-class female striver might become a head nurse. If the job market sidelines women altogether, she will strive vicariously, through her children. “Strivers,” writes Richards, “have the energy and discipline to make other people’s dreams come true.” Strivers make every minute count, and devote their leisure-time to self-improvement. Their drugs of choice are accelerators: coffee and cocaine.	拼搏者是那些沿着自动扶梯向上爬的、不知疲倦的“过分上进者”。他们的聚集地包括伦敦金融城(City of London)和达沃斯。几乎所有的政治领导人都是拼搏者，除了那些靠继承得到职位的人，比如乔治•W•布什(George W. Bush)。正如理查兹在一份已被否决的图书计划中所写的：“拼搏者创立公司、修建摩天大楼、跑完马拉松。但并不是所有的拼搏者都在统治世界。他们也保证列车准点和组织慈善活动。”一名工人阶级的女拼搏者可能成为护士长。如果就业市场彻底排除女性，她会通过她的子女间接地拼搏。“拼搏者，”理查兹写道，“拥有使其他人梦想成真的活力和自制力。”拼搏者使每一分钟都过得充实，并把他们的闲暇时光都用来完善自己。他们最喜欢的是兴奋剂：咖啡和可卡因。
By contrast, slackers do nothing. “They prefer to avoid effort rather than pursue pleasure,” writes Richards. “This in itself can be exhausting.” It’s hard to name any well-known slackers, because by definition slackers rarely become famous, except by accident. Sometimes a slacker will get an idea for a novel or for creating world peace, but then she sinks back into the sofa and the moment passes. Whereas business newspapers celebrate strivers, slacker newspapers celebrate lottery winners. Andrew Lamprecht, in his seminal article on slackers, writes that although they have “no idea what they want from life” they often compensate with “a catholic knowledge of television”.	相比之下，游手好闲者什么也不做。“他们更喜欢逃避劳动，而不是追求幸福，”理查兹写道。“这本身就可能使人精疲力尽。”人们很难说出有名的游手好闲者，因为从定义上讲，游手好闲者很难出名，除非是意外情况。有时，游手好闲者也会迸发出写小说或缔造世界和平的灵感，但随即她又会窝到沙发里，时光就这样虚度。尽管财经报纸在不停地赞美拼搏者，休闲报纸却为彩票中奖者大唱赞歌。安德鲁•兰普雷克特(Andrew Lamprecht)在他那篇影响巨大的关于游手好闲者的文章中写道，尽管他们“不知道想从生活中得到什么”，但他们却经常以“从电视中获得的广博的知识面”作为弥补。
If slackers devote their leisure time to anything, it’s extended adolescent hobbies such as surfing or collecting comics. Their drugs of choice are anaesthetics: vodka or cigarettes.	如果游手好闲者把闲暇时光用来做些什么的话，那一定是青春期爱好的延续，比如网上冲浪或收集漫画。他们最喜欢的是麻醉剂：伏特加或香烟。
The third human type, the fantasist, lives inside his imagination. Fantasists have little desire to impose themselves on the world. A fantasist might spend years writing a short story, then discard it. Fantasists are never efficient and always miss deadlines. They are suckers for new age fads such as crystals. They do create a lot of art, which strivers buy. Fantasist drugs of choice stimulate fantasy: marijuana or ecstasy. When people are presented with the three human archetypes, most claim to be fantasists.	第三类人是幻想者，他们活在自己的想象里。幻想者对于投身现实世界没什么兴趣。他们可能花费数年的时间写一篇短篇小说，然后丢到一旁。幻想者从来没有效率，总是错过最后期限。他们很容易对水晶这类新世纪的时尚着迷。他们确实创造了许多艺术作品，被拼搏者购买。幻想者最喜爱的是能刺激幻想的东西：大麻或摇头丸。当人们面对这三种类型时，大部分人都自称是幻想者。
In truth, real people are usually a mix of the three archetypes. For instance, successful artists such as Steven Spielberg or Damien Hirst are generally striver-fantasists. However, most people tend towards one particular type: for instance, someone might be slacker-dominant, with fantasist streaks.	实际上，真实的人通常是三者的结合。例如，像史蒂文•斯皮尔伯格(Steven Spielberg)和达米安•赫斯特(Damien Hirst)这样的成功艺术家，通常是拼搏型幻想家。不过，大部分人都偏向一种类型，比如，一个人可能主要是游手好闲者，同时具有一些幻想者的特点。
Naturally the three types irritate each other. A fantasist friend once told me an idea he had for a book. Being a striver, I began to strategise about finding a publisher. The more I talked, the less enthusiastic my friend became. Eventually, he changed the subject. He never intended to write the book. He just liked imagining it.	自然，这三类人互相不适应。一位幻想型朋友曾经告诉我，他想写一本书。作为拼搏者，我开始筹划寻找出版商。我说得越多，我的朋友越没有热情。最终，他改变了想法。他再也不想写这本书了。他只是喜欢幻想它。
We strivers are even more at odds with slackers. Our force fields clash with theirs: our very presence makes them stressed, as if we were human deadlines. You see this clash in politics, where striver rulers are always exhorting slacker populations to pull their socks up: in Nicolas Sarkozy’s formulation: “Work harder to earn more.” Rulers hate the notion that someone somewhere might be slacking. Soviet leaders were forever promoting brick-laying contests or rationing vodka, unaware that they were fighting human nature. But slackers rarely revolt against striver rule. Instead, they dream up conspiracy theories.	我们拼搏者与游手好闲者要更加格格不入。我们与他们气场不合：我们的存在使他们感到压力，仿佛我们就是人性的终结者。你可以在政治中看到这种冲突，拼搏型统治者总是在劝诫游手好闲型的民众更加努力地工作，用尼古拉•萨科齐(Nicolas Sarkozy)的话说就是，“更努力地工作，赚更多的钱”。一想到有某人在某处游手好闲，统治者就会不高兴。苏联领导人从来都在提倡砌砖比赛或定量配给伏特加，而对自己是在与人性为敌毫无知觉。但游手好闲者很少会反抗拼搏者的统治。相反，他们会幻想阴谋论。
No wonder the three archetypes have tended to segregate themselves. In big cities, strivers gravitate to financial districts, whereas fantasists establish enclaves such as Greenwich Village in 1950s New York or Belleville in today’s Paris. When strivers discover these enclaves and drive up prices, fantasists create more distant enclaves. Slackers generally avoid big cities, often preferring the parental home, writes Richards.	无怪乎这三类人会倾向于互相隔离。在大城市中，拼搏者向金融区聚集，幻想者则建立起像20世纪50年代纽约的格林威治村(Greenwich Village)和当今巴黎贝尔维尔(Belleville)这样的小天地。当拼搏者发现这些小天地，并推高物价后，幻想者就会在更偏远的地方建立小天地。理查兹写道，游手好闲者通常会避开大城市，更偏爱父母的家乡。
In the US, with its great geographic mobility, the separation of the three types was always marked. Strivers headed for Manhattan and Washington, whereas slackers preferred places such as Miami. You sense each city’s dominant mode the minute you arrive: at JFK airport in New York, the lady running the cab rank bellows, “Move it along, people! You, sir, take this cab.” She’s on her way up. At Miami airport, you can’t even find cabs.	在美国，由于地理上的巨大流动性，这三类人的分离一直十分明显。拼搏者向曼哈顿和华盛顿聚集，游手好闲者则偏爱迈阿密这样的地方。抵达每座城市的第一分钟，你就能感觉出它的主导类型：在纽约肯尼迪机场(JFK airport)，管理出租车站的女士喊着，“排队向前走，大家！你，先生，上这辆车”。她在她的拼搏路上。在迈阿密机场，你甚至找不到出租车。
However, segregation of the three human types is now proceeding faster than ever before. Rising house prices and growing inequality are driving non-strivers out of big cities, and even out of previously fantasist coastal towns such as Cape Town and San Francisco. Slackers and fantasists must be upset, but unless you read blogs their voices go unheard, and they certainly won’t do anything about it.	然而，现在这三类人的分离比以往任何时候都更快了。攀升的房屋价格和日益拉大的贫富分化正把非拼搏者赶出大城市，甚至赶出开普敦和旧金山这些曾经属于幻想者的海滨城市。游手好闲者和幻想者一定满腹怨言，但除非你阅读他们的博客，否则他们的声音不会有人听到，而他们自己显然不会对此采取任何行动。
	译者/方舟

It may be the defining London sight: people walking up escalators at Tube stations. In this city only tourists stand goggling blankly into space. That’s because London – like Manhattan, Hong Kong and other great cities – has fallen into the hands of strivers. They are driving everyone else out of town.	这也许算是伦敦的标志性景象：人们沿着地铁站的自动扶梯向上爬。在这个城市，只有游客才会傻站着发呆。这是因为伦敦和曼哈顿、香港以及其他大城市一样，已经成为拼搏者的天下。他们正把所有其他人赶出城中心。
Philosophers and pop psychologists spent centuries trying to explain humankind, but only in 1996 did the South African novelist Jo-Anne Richards and I finally identify the three basic human types: strivers, slackers and fantasists.	哲学家和大众心理学家花费了数百年时间，试图理解人类，但直到1996年，南非小说家约-安妮•理查兹(Jo-Anne Richards)和我才终于确定，人类有三种基本类型：拼搏者、游手好闲者和幻想者。
Strivers are restless overachievers who walk up escalators. Their habitats include the City of London and Davos. Almost all political leaders are strivers, except ones who inherited their position, such as George W. Bush. As Richards explains in a now-dead book proposal: “Strivers start companies, build skyscrapers and finish marathons. But not all strivers rule the world. They also make the trains run on time, and organise charities.” A working-class female striver might become a head nurse. If the job market sidelines women altogether, she will strive vicariously, through her children. “Strivers,” writes Richards, “have the energy and discipline to make other people’s dreams come true.” Strivers make every minute count, and devote their leisure-time to self-improvement. Their drugs of choice are accelerators: coffee and cocaine.	拼搏者是那些沿着自动扶梯向上爬的、不知疲倦的“过分上进者”。他们的聚集地包括伦敦金融城(City of London)和达沃斯。几乎所有的政治领导人都是拼搏者，除了那些靠继承得到职位的人，比如乔治•W•布什(George W. Bush)。正如理查兹在一份已被否决的图书计划中所写的：“拼搏者创立公司、修建摩天大楼、跑完马拉松。但并不是所有的拼搏者都在统治世界。他们也保证列车准点和组织慈善活动。”一名工人阶级的女拼搏者可能成为护士长。如果就业市场彻底排除女性，她会通过她的子女间接地拼搏。“拼搏者，”理查兹写道，“拥有使其他人梦想成真的活力和自制力。”拼搏者使每一分钟都过得充实，并把他们的闲暇时光都用来完善自己。他们最喜欢的是兴奋剂：咖啡和可卡因。
By contrast, slackers do nothing. “They prefer to avoid effort rather than pursue pleasure,” writes Richards. “This in itself can be exhausting.” It’s hard to name any well-known slackers, because by definition slackers rarely become famous, except by accident. Sometimes a slacker will get an idea for a novel or for creating world peace, but then she sinks back into the sofa and the moment passes. Whereas business newspapers celebrate strivers, slacker newspapers celebrate lottery winners. Andrew Lamprecht, in his seminal article on slackers, writes that although they have “no idea what they want from life” they often compensate with “a catholic knowledge of television”.	相比之下，游手好闲者什么也不做。“他们更喜欢逃避劳动，而不是追求幸福，”理查兹写道。“这本身就可能使人精疲力尽。”人们很难说出有名的游手好闲者，因为从定义上讲，游手好闲者很难出名，除非是意外情况。有时，游手好闲者也会迸发出写小说或缔造世界和平的灵感，但随即她又会窝到沙发里，时光就这样虚度。尽管财经报纸在不停地赞美拼搏者，休闲报纸却为彩票中奖者大唱赞歌。安德鲁•兰普雷克特(Andrew Lamprecht)在他那篇影响巨大的关于游手好闲者的文章中写道，尽管他们“不知道想从生活中得到什么”，但他们却经常以“从电视中获得的广博的知识面”作为弥补。
If slackers devote their leisure time to anything, it’s extended adolescent hobbies such as surfing or collecting comics. Their drugs of choice are anaesthetics: vodka or cigarettes.	如果游手好闲者把闲暇时光用来做些什么的话，那一定是青春期爱好的延续，比如网上冲浪或收集漫画。他们最喜欢的是麻醉剂：伏特加或香烟。
The third human type, the fantasist, lives inside his imagination. Fantasists have little desire to impose themselves on the world. A fantasist might spend years writing a short story, then discard it. Fantasists are never efficient and always miss deadlines. They are suckers for new age fads such as crystals. They do create a lot of art, which strivers buy. Fantasist drugs of choice stimulate fantasy: marijuana or ecstasy. When people are presented with the three human archetypes, most claim to be fantasists.	第三类人是幻想者，他们活在自己的想象里。幻想者对于投身现实世界没什么兴趣。他们可能花费数年的时间写一篇短篇小说，然后丢到一旁。幻想者从来没有效率，总是错过最后期限。他们很容易对水晶这类新世纪的时尚着迷。他们确实创造了许多艺术作品，被拼搏者购买。幻想者最喜爱的是能刺激幻想的东西：大麻或摇头丸。当人们面对这三种类型时，大部分人都自称是幻想者。
In truth, real people are usually a mix of the three archetypes. For instance, successful artists such as Steven Spielberg or Damien Hirst are generally striver-fantasists. However, most people tend towards one particular type: for instance, someone might be slacker-dominant, with fantasist streaks.	实际上，真实的人通常是三者的结合。例如，像史蒂文•斯皮尔伯格(Steven Spielberg)和达米安•赫斯特(Damien Hirst)这样的成功艺术家，通常是拼搏型幻想家。不过，大部分人都偏向一种类型，比如，一个人可能主要是游手好闲者，同时具有一些幻想者的特点。
Naturally the three types irritate each other. A fantasist friend once told me an idea he had for a book. Being a striver, I began to strategise about finding a publisher. The more I talked, the less enthusiastic my friend became. Eventually, he changed the subject. He never intended to write the book. He just liked imagining it.	自然，这三类人互相不适应。一位幻想型朋友曾经告诉我，他想写一本书。作为拼搏者，我开始筹划寻找出版商。我说得越多，我的朋友越没有热情。最终，他改变了想法。他再也不想写这本书了。他只是喜欢幻想它。
We strivers are even more at odds with slackers. Our force fields clash with theirs: our very presence makes them stressed, as if we were human deadlines. You see this clash in politics, where striver rulers are always exhorting slacker populations to pull their socks up: in Nicolas Sarkozy’s formulation: “Work harder to earn more.” Rulers hate the notion that someone somewhere might be slacking. Soviet leaders were forever promoting brick-laying contests or rationing vodka, unaware that they were fighting human nature. But slackers rarely revolt against striver rule. Instead, they dream up conspiracy theories.	我们拼搏者与游手好闲者要更加格格不入。我们与他们气场不合：我们的存在使他们感到压力，仿佛我们就是人性的终结者。你可以在政治中看到这种冲突，拼搏型统治者总是在劝诫游手好闲型的民众更加努力地工作，用尼古拉•萨科齐(Nicolas Sarkozy)的话说就是，“更努力地工作，赚更多的钱”。一想到有某人在某处游手好闲，统治者就会不高兴。苏联领导人从来都在提倡砌砖比赛或定量配给伏特加，而对自己是在与人性为敌毫无知觉。但游手好闲者很少会反抗拼搏者的统治。相反，他们会幻想阴谋论。
No wonder the three archetypes have tended to segregate themselves. In big cities, strivers gravitate to financial districts, whereas fantasists establish enclaves such as Greenwich Village in 1950s New York or Belleville in today’s Paris. When strivers discover these enclaves and drive up prices, fantasists create more distant enclaves. Slackers generally avoid big cities, often preferring the parental home, writes Richards.	无怪乎这三类人会倾向于互相隔离。在大城市中，拼搏者向金融区聚集，幻想者则建立起像20世纪50年代纽约的格林威治村(Greenwich Village)和当今巴黎贝尔维尔(Belleville)这样的小天地。当拼搏者发现这些小天地，并推高物价后，幻想者就会在更偏远的地方建立小天地。理查兹写道，游手好闲者通常会避开大城市，更偏爱父母的家乡。
In the US, with its great geographic mobility, the separation of the three types was always marked. Strivers headed for Manhattan and Washington, whereas slackers preferred places such as Miami. You sense each city’s dominant mode the minute you arrive: at JFK airport in New York, the lady running the cab rank bellows, “Move it along, people! You, sir, take this cab.” She’s on her way up. At Miami airport, you can’t even find cabs.	在美国，由于地理上的巨大流动性，这三类人的分离一直十分明显。拼搏者向曼哈顿和华盛顿聚集，游手好闲者则偏爱迈阿密这样的地方。抵达每座城市的第一分钟，你就能感觉出它的主导类型：在纽约肯尼迪机场(JFK airport)，管理出租车站的女士喊着，“排队向前走，大家！你，先生，上这辆车”。她在她的拼搏路上。在迈阿密机场，你甚至找不到出租车。
However, segregation of the three human types is now proceeding faster than ever before. Rising house prices and growing inequality are driving non-strivers out of big cities, and even out of previously fantasist coastal towns such as Cape Town and San Francisco. Slackers and fantasists must be upset, but unless you read blogs their voices go unheard, and they certainly won’t do anything about it.	然而，现在这三类人的分离比以往任何时候都更快了。攀升的房屋价格和日益拉大的贫富分化正把非拼搏者赶出大城市，甚至赶出开普敦和旧金山这些曾经属于幻想者的海滨城市。游手好闲者和幻想者一定满腹怨言，但除非你阅读他们的博客，否则他们的声音不会有人听到，而他们自己显然不会对此采取任何行动。
	译者/方舟

作者：英国《金融时报》专栏作家 西蒙•库柏 2012-02-09 (www.ftchinese.com)

这也许算是伦敦的标志性景象：人们沿着地铁站的自动扶梯向上爬。在这个城市，只有游客才会傻站着发呆。这是因为伦敦和曼哈顿、香港以及其他大城市一样，已经成为拼搏者的天下。他们正把所有其他人赶出城中心。
哲学家和大众心理学家花费了数百年时间，试图理解人类，但直到1996年，南非小说家约-安妮•理查兹(Jo-Anne Richards)和我才终于确定，人类有三种基本类型：拼搏者、游手好闲者和幻想者。
拼搏者是那些沿着自动扶梯向上爬的、不知疲倦的“过分上进者”。他们的聚集地包括伦敦金融城(City of London)和达沃斯。几乎所有的政治领导人都是拼搏者，除了那些靠继承得到职位的人，比如乔治•W•布什(George W. Bush)。正如理查兹在一份已被否决的图书计划中所写的：“拼搏者创立公司、修建摩天大楼、跑完马拉松。但并不是所有的拼搏者都在统治世界。他们也保证列车准点和组织慈善活动。”一名工人阶级的女拼搏者可能成为护士长。如果就业市场彻底排除女性，她会通过她的子女间接地拼搏。“拼搏者，”理查兹写道，“拥有使其他人梦想成真的活力和自制力。”拼搏者使每一分钟都过得充实，并把他们的闲暇时光都用来完善自己。他们最喜欢的是兴奋剂：咖啡和可卡因。
相比之下，游手好闲者什么也不做。“他们更喜欢逃避劳动，而不是追求幸福，”理查兹写道。“这本身就可能使人精疲力尽。”人们很难说出有名的游手好闲者，因为从定义上讲，游手好闲者很难出名，除非是意外情况。有时，游手好闲者也会迸发出写小说或缔造世界和平的灵感，但随即她又会窝到沙发里，时光就这样虚度。尽管财经报纸在不停地赞美拼搏者，休闲报纸却为彩票中奖者大唱赞歌。安德鲁•兰普雷克特(Andrew Lamprecht)在他那篇影响巨大的关于游手好闲者的文章中写道，尽管他们“不知道想从生活中得到什么”，但他们却经常以“从电视中获得的广博的知识面”作为弥补。
如果游手好闲者把闲暇时光用来做些什么的话，那一定是青春期爱好的延续，比如网上冲浪或收集漫画。他们最喜欢的是麻醉剂：伏特加或香烟。
第三类人是幻想者，他们活在自己的想象里。幻想者对于投身现实世界没什么兴趣。他们可能花费数年的时间写一篇短篇小说，然后丢到一旁。幻想者从来没有效率，总是错过最后期限。他们很容易对水晶这类新世纪的时尚着迷。他们确实创造了许多艺术作品，被拼搏者购买。幻想者最喜爱的是能刺激幻想的东西：大麻或摇头丸。当人们面对这三种类型时，大部分人都自称是幻想者。
实际上，真实的人通常是三者的结合。例如，像史蒂文•斯皮尔伯格(Steven Spielberg)和达米安•赫斯特(Damien Hirst)这样的成功艺术家，通常是拼搏型幻想家。不过，大部分人都偏向一种类型，比如，一个人可能主要是游手好闲者，同时具有一些幻想者的特点。
自然，这三类人互相不适应。一位幻想型朋友曾经告诉我，他想写一本书。作为拼搏者，我开始筹划寻找出版商。我说得越多，我的朋友越没有热情。最终，他改变了想法。他再也不想写这本书了。他只是喜欢幻想它。
我们拼搏者与游手好闲者要更加格格不入。我们与他们气场不合：我们的存在使他们感到压力，仿佛我们就是人性的终结者。你可以在政治中看到这种冲突，拼搏型统治者总是在劝诫游手好闲型的民众更加努力地工作，用尼古拉•萨科齐(Nicolas Sarkozy)的话说就是，“更努力地工作，赚更多的钱”。一想到有某人在某处游手好闲，统治者就会不高兴。苏联领导人从来都在提倡砌砖比赛或定量配给伏特加，而对自己是在与人性为敌毫无知觉。但游手好闲者很少会反抗拼搏者的统治。相反，他们会幻想阴谋论。
无怪乎这三类人会倾向于互相隔离。在大城市中，拼搏者向金融区聚集，幻想者则建立起像20世纪50年代纽约的格林威治村(Greenwich Village)和当今巴黎贝尔维尔(Belleville)这样的小天地。当拼搏者发现这些小天地，并推高物价后，幻想者就会在更偏远的地方建立小天地。理查兹写道，游手好闲者通常会避开大城市，更偏爱父母的家乡。
在美国，由于地理上的巨大流动性，这三类人的分离一直十分明显。拼搏者向曼哈顿和华盛顿聚集，游手好闲者则偏爱迈阿密这样的地方。抵达每座城市的第一分钟，你就能感觉出它的主导类型：在纽约肯尼迪机场(JFK airport)，管理出租车站的女士喊着，“排队向前走，大家！你，先生，上这辆车”。她在她的拼搏路上。在迈阿密机场，你甚至找不到出租车。
然而，现在这三类人的分离比以往任何时候都更快了。攀升的房屋价格和日益拉大的贫富分化正把非拼搏者赶出大城市，甚至赶出开普敦和旧金山这些曾经属于幻想者的海滨城市。游手好闲者和幻想者一定满腹怨言，但除非你阅读他们的博客，否则他们的声音不会有人听到，而他们自己显然不会对此采取任何行动。
译者/方舟

What must I do before I die? 什么是人生必须做的事？

By Antonia Macaro and Julian Baggini

Published: May 20 2011 23:04 | Last updated: May 20 2011 23:04

The Shrink

There are scores of books recommending places to see, books to read, music to hear, golf holes to play or watercourses to fly-fish before we die. There are even dedicated websites that assist people in ticking items off the list. You might agree that this sounds a bit excessive. But aren’t we all under an ill-defined pressure to do, see and experience more? And aren’t we all accompanied by a vague sense of inadequacy if we realise we’re not keeping up?

It is sadly true that our time on earth is limited, and we’d be well advised to avoid wasting it. It has been said that instead of getting through our days doing routine things on autopilot, we should engage in new and uncomfortable experiences. These stretch our perception of time and, in a sense, our life. Then there is the research that tells us that people are happier when they spend their money on experiences rather than objects.

But we shouldn’t absorb this cultural pressure unquestioningly. How many new experiences we engage in and how often we do so should depend on our personality, values and situation. Spending our time well doesn’t always equate with doing more.

For a start, if you rely on novelty to keep life interesting, you risk ending up on a perpetual treadmill, always seeking the next thrill. We should also consider the possibility of restoring some sparkle to routine things by doing them more mindfully. While a certain amount of novelty can certainly be valuable, there are other goods – simplicity, contentment and the savouring of small everyday pleasures. A rich life can be one in which a few things have been experienced deeply.

The answer to the question of what must we do before we die, by the way, is “nothing”. Like everything else, diversity of experience will become oppressive if taken as a “must”, even if you’re the kind of person who thrives on it. We don’t have to do anything, although we might choose to do many things. On the other hand, we might just find it more satisfying to watch the blue tits in our garden, like we have done so many times before.

The Sage

The race to do as much as possible before we reach our expiry date is rooted in a justifiable desire to experience life in its fullest intensity, squeezing out as much from each second as is possible. However, as the Danish existentialist Soren Kierkegaard acutely observed, the end result of this is often a life that is empty, not full. It becomes like trying to drink from a constant flow of champagne with a sieve for a glass. The present always eludes us: the moment we try to grasp it, it has already become the past.

The problem is that there is a real sense in which we are trapped in what Kierkegaard called the “aesthetic” sphere of existence.

Life is a present-tense phenomenon: we can recall the past and anticipate the future but can only be in the here and now. But that is only half the story. In another sense, we do indeed exist over time as well as at a time, through our memories, intentions and projects. Life in this “ethical” sphere requires us to attend to more than just the thrills of the moment. As any common hangover will remind us, living only for today can cause a headache tomorrow.

The person who heeds the modern imperative to do as much as possible before she dies risks becoming the Kierkegaardian aesthete par excellence. She may know that every moment has immense value, but does she know how to value it? Even the best moments of pleasure take on a different value, depending on where in a life story they come. The enjoyment of a great meal, for instance, is not just a function of chemicals in the food interacting with taste buds. It can make a big difference, even to how flavours are sensed, when, where and with whom the meal is savoured.

It is certainly true that we need to make the most of the short, fleeting life we have. However, to do that requires savouring the journey along the passage of time, not just making as many stops along the way as possible.

The Shrink & The Sage live together in south-west England

什么是人生必须做的事？

安东尼娅•马卡罗, 朱利安•巴吉尼 , 为英国《金融时报》撰稿 2011-06-13 (www.ftchinese.com)

神经医生

有许许多多的书，推荐一生必游的地方、必看的书、必听的音乐、必打的高尔夫球场球洞和飞钓必去的水域。甚至还有专门的网站，帮助人们把“必做”名单上的项目一一勾掉。你也许也会认为这听上去有点儿过分了。然而，我们都在承受着一种莫名的压力，要去做、去看、去经历更多，不是吗？如果意识到自己落后于他人，我们都会怀有一种隐隐的不称职感，不是吗？

我们在世的时间是有限的，这是个令人遗憾的事实；因此不要浪费时间是个好建议。有人说，与其像开启了自动驾驶一样天天重复着同样的事情，我们不如投身于新的、不那么自在的体验。这样做能够拉长我们对时间的观感，并在某种意义上拉长我们的人生。此外，有研究表明，人们在体验上花钱，比买东西时更愉悦。

但我们不应不假思索地接受这种文化压力。投身于多少种新体验、多频繁地投入，应由我们的性格、价值观和处境所决定。好好利用时间，并不总是等同于做更多事。

首先，如果依赖新奇感来保持生活的趣味，最终可能踩上一部永不停止的跑步机，永远在追寻下一个刺激。我们应该也思考一下是否有可能通过多花些心思，让日常事务在某种程度上重放异彩。当然，一定程度的新奇感会是有价值的，但生活中还有别的美好事物——简单、满足感、对日常小乐趣的玩味。深刻地体会少数几样事物，也可以构建一个丰富的人生。

顺便说一句，“什么是人生必须做的事”，这个问题的答案是：没有。跟所有东西一样，当多样化的体验变成一种“必须”时，它也会变得令人难以忍受，即便你是那种喜欢多姿多彩生活的人。没有什么必须做的事情，不过我们可以选择去做许多事情。但另一方面，可能我们就是觉得，观察自家花园中的青山雀更有意思，就像以往多次做过的那样。

圣人

在“大限”到来之前，争着尽可能多做些事，这植根于一种合乎情理的渴望：将人生体验到极致，尽可能从每一秒中挤出更多内容。然而，如丹麦存在主义者索伦•克尔恺郭尔(Soren Kierkegaard)敏锐的评论：这样做的最终结果，常常是导致一个空虚、而非圆满的人生。这会变得如同试图用筛子当酒杯，去接不断流出的香槟。当下会始终躲避着我们：在我们试图抓住它的那一刻，它就已经变成了过去。

问题在于，在某种意义上，确实可以说我们被困于克尔恺郭尔所谓的“审美（也称伦理、宗教）”层次的存在。

生活是一种“现在时”的现象：我们可以回忆过去，或展望未来，但只能活在此时、此地。但这只是问题的一方面。从另一个意义上来说，我们既存在于一个时点，也确实存在于一段时间——通过我们的记忆、意向和规划。这种“伦理”层次的存在，要求我们不能只关心当下的刺激。就像宿醉带给我们的启示那样：只管今天快活，明天就会头痛。

听从“趁活着的时候必须尽量多做些事”这种现代要求的人，可能会成为杰出的克尔恺郭尔式审美家。她也许知道，每一刻都非常珍贵，但她是否知道如何衡量每一刻的价值？甚至连最开心的那些时刻，取决于它们在人生经历中所处的位置，价值也互不相同。就拿一顿美餐来说，它带来的享受，不只是食物中的化学成分发挥作用、与味蕾互动而产生的。时间、地点、共同品味食物的人，都会导致大不相同的感受，甚至会改变口中食物的味道。

当然，我们短暂、稍纵即逝的一生的确需要好好利用。然而，好好利用，需要我们在时间的长廊里细细品味人生旅程，而不只是沿途停靠尽可能多的站点。

精神科医师与哲人一起居住在英格兰西南部

超牛妈妈对儿子说的话

    

最 近，有关中国虎妈的教育观，惹得全美国上下沸沸扬扬，争论不休。其实，关于孩子教育的问题，是个仁者见仁，智者见智的问题，跟民族，家庭环境都有关系。依 俺看，那个虎妈的教育有一定的可取性，如果没有传统的中国式教育，哪来俺们这些留洋的硕士，博士？不过凡事太过，必然会走极端，就像美式的教育方式也有一 定的局限性一样，两种教育方式总有各自不完美之处。不由地叹息，假如能将中西式教育的优点相结合，该是多么完美！

下面介绍一位中国牛妈，她对儿子说的话，俺觉得比那个中国虎妈的话还实用，还经典。家里有儿子的请多关注了，看看是否有那么一点道理。
妈妈说：男人可以喜欢一个女人，但不可以爱上一个女人，这样，所有的雄心壮志都会被磨掉。
男人最大的敌人，不是时间，不是权利，不是金钱，甚至不是自己，而是女人和安于现状。
除了我，和你将来的老婆，谁也不值得你付出太多，为我付出，因为我给了你上半辈子的爱，为你老婆付出，因为下半辈子的爱，将会是她来给。
不要为了一个女人哭，即使为了我，也不行，男人要把事业和梦想放在第一位，女人，永远是第二或第三。
可以让你的敌人知道你喜欢谁，但不要让他知道你爱上了谁，一旦这样，不仅是你，你爱的女人都会有危险，这就是不能爱上女人的原因。
男人过了10岁就不能再哭了，除非是你的至爱离你而去，你可以流泪，不然，谁都不值得。
做什么事都要讲究代价，人不为己天诛地灭，做一件事，要想想自己有没有利益，值不值得，做了你能得到什么，至少，你不能因为做了而失去什么，这样不值得。

男人就要像一个男人，为事业，为梦想，喝醉可以，为女人，不行，我也不许你这样做。
你要是男人，就要做到一人做事一人当，义气，豪气，侠气，头发是不能留长，说话不能太软，男儿膝下有黄金，什么时候膝盖都不能软。
妈妈说：做人要低调，你就别太高调。要知道枪打出头鸟，多想想自己出了头，会遇到什么问题。
男人要有担当，每个男人身边都要有一个圈，站在这个圈里的人，才值得你用生命来守护，至于谁内谁外，就要看自己的本事了。

交朋友，不能交太纯的，不然你会慢慢被世俗的黄金外衣蒙蔽，只要你有能力，就要交奸而不诈，坏而不滑的人，因为这样，你才能时刻提防自己是否被他戏耍，是否被他玩弄。

在这个和平年代，没有战争，没有动乱，自然没有万夫可敌的英雄，人们衡量一个人的成就，往往看他的金钱和地位，所以，在不违背道义，不触犯法律，不昧着良心的前提下，不要放弃任何一个得到金钱和权力的机会。当今社会里最现实的一条法则，只看你RMB币的多少！
“血染江山的画，怎敌你眉间一点朱砂”这是P话，不要看到一棵歪脖子树，就以为你可以放弃一片森林，如果你得到了江山，那江山之内的东西，都是你的，即使那时她已经是别人的人了，你也有实力把她抢回来。
妈妈说：不要轻易相信任何人，在最危难的时候，除了自己的至亲，谁都不能相信，我们不会害你，别人，难说。
我要你做的，是一个贵族，而不是暴发户，所以无论你多么富有，无论你在什么地方，都要谦逊，礼貌，不卑不亢，虚心学习自己不会的，不懂得，只有这样，你才能不断进步，爬上巅峰。
在我百年弥留之际，我不要你保证有多富有，多有权利，但我要你保证，你已经具备了创造财富和得到权利的能力，这样，我才放心。

打女人的男人不是男人，有种你别和自己女人挑，找泰森去，女人是用来疼的，不要让你的女人影响到你的事业，也不要让你的事业影响的你的女人。
男人一个人在外闯荡，受了再大的委屈，也不要放弃，不能气，要记，记在心里，早晚有一天，让他们全部连本带利还回来。
妈妈说：不要做让自己后悔的事，要做，就做让别人后悔的事，一辈子不长，如果尽活在回忆里了，就废了。
不要相信誓言，不要相信承诺，事实能证明一切，真正爱你的人，不会给你太多的誓言和承诺。
我最鄙视不孝顺的人，你一定不能有了老婆不要娘，老娘将你拉扯到这么大，前半辈子我养你，后半辈子换你养我了，你也应该离那些不孝顺的人远一点，因为他们连自己的至亲都不在乎，怎么会在乎你这个外人？

别把自己看的太低，不如你的人多得是，别把自己看的太高，你不如的人多得是，你要做的，就是努力让前者变多，后者变少。

易中天的话

易中天的话，对我们还是有一定的启发性和建设性的，他的这些鼓励人的话，只要能记住其中的一句，并付诸实践，就很不错了。特此post在此，与大家分享。
一、人都是逼出来的；

二、如果你简单，这个世界就对你简单；

三、人生没有彩排，每一天都是现场直播；

四、怀才就像怀孕，时间久了才会让人看出来；

五、过去酒逢知己千杯少，现在酒逢千杯知己少；

六、人生如果错了方向，停止就是进步；

七、人生两大悲剧：一是万念俱灰，一是踌躇满志；

八、人和爱情一样，错过了爱情，就错过了人生；

九、天下有钱人终成眷属；

十、要成功需要朋友，要取得巨大成功，需要敌人。

Grateful People Are Happier, Healthier 懂得感恩的人更健康更快乐

It turns out, giving thanks is good for your health.

A growing body of research suggests that maintaining an attitude of gratitude can improve psychological, emotional and physical well-being.

Adults who frequently feel grateful have more energy, more optimism, more social connections and more happiness than those who do not, according to studies conducted over the past decade. They're also less likely to be depressed, envious, greedy or alcoholics. They earn more money, sleep more soundly, exercise more regularly and have greater resistance to viral infections.

Now, researchers are finding that gratitude brings similar benefits in children and adolescents. Kids who feel and act grateful tend to be less materialistic, get better grades, set higher goals, complain of fewer headaches and stomach aches and feel more satisfied with their friends, families and schools than those who don't, studies show.

'A lot of these findings are things we learned in kindergarten or our grandmothers told us, but we now have scientific evidence to prove them,' says Jeffrey J. Froh, an assistant professor of psychology at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., who has conducted much of the research with children.

'The key is not to leave it on the Thanksgiving table,' says Robert Emmons, a professor of psychology at the University of California-Davis and a pioneer in gratitude research. And, he notes, 'with the realization that one has benefited comes the awareness of the need to reciprocate.'

It's possible, of course, to over-do expressions of gratitude, particularly if you try to show it with a gift. 'Thanking someone in such a way that is disproportionate to the relationship -- say, a student giving her teacher an iPod -- will create resentment, guilt, anger and a sense of obligation,' says Dr. Froh.

Gratitude can also be misused to exert control over the receiver and enforce loyalty. Dr. Froh says you can avoid this by being empathic toward the person you are thanking -- and by honestly assessing your motivations.

In an upcoming paper in the Journal of Happiness Studies, Dr. Froh and colleagues surveyed 1,035 high-school students and found that the most grateful had more friends and higher GPAs, while the most materialistic had lower grades, higher levels of envy and less satisfaction with life. 'One of the best cures for materialism is to make somebody grateful for what they have,' says Dr. Froh.

Much of the research on gratitude has looked at associations, not cause-and-effect relationships; it's possible that people who are happy, healthy and successful simply have more to be grateful for. But in a landmark study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2003, Dr. Emmons and University of Miami psychologist Michael McCullough showed that counting blessings can actually make people feel better.

As simple as it sounds, gratitude is actually a demanding, complex emotion that requires 'self-reflection, the ability to admit that one is dependent upon the help of others, and the humility to realize one's own limitations,' Dr. Emmons says.

Being grateful also forces people to overcome what psychologists call the 'negativity bias' -- the innate tendency to dwell on problems, annoyances and injustices rather than upbeat events. Focusing on blessings can help ward off depression and build resilience in times of stress, grief or disasters, according to studies of people impacted by the Sept. 11 terror attacks and Hurricane Katrina.

Can people learn to look on the bright side, want what they have and be grateful for it? Experts believe that about 50% of such temperament is genetic, but the rest comes from experience, so there's ample opportunity for change. 'Kids and adults both can choose how they feel and how they look at the world,' says Andrew Greene, principal of Candlewood Middle School, who says that realization was one of the lasting legacies of Dr. Froh's research there.

For older children and adults, one simple way to cultivate gratitude is to literally count your blessings. Keep a journal and regularly record whatever you are grateful for that day. Be specific. Listing 'my friends, my school, my dog' day after day means that 'gratitude fatigue' has set in, Dr. Froh says. Writing 'my dog licked my face when I was sad' keeps it fresher. Some people do this on their Facebook or MySpace pages, or in one of dozens of online gratitude groups. There's an iPod app for gratitude journaling, too. The real benefit comes in changing how you experience the world. Look for things to be grateful for, and you'll start seeing them everywhere.

Delivering your thanks in person can be particularly powerful. One study found that fourth-graders who took a 'gratitude visit' felt better about themselves even two months later -- particularly those whose moods were previously low.

Adopting a more upbeat mind-set helps facilitate gratitude, too. Instead of bonding with friends over gripes and annoyances, try sharing what you're grateful for. To avoid sounding boastful, focus on giving credit to other people, as in, 'My mom took a whole day off from work to get to my game.'

Studies show that using negative, derogatory words -- even as you talk to yourself -- can darken your mood as well. Fill your head with positive thoughts, express thanks and encouragement aloud and look for something to be grateful for, not criticize, in those around you, especially loved ones. New York psychiatrist Drew Ramsey says that's an essential tool for surviving the holidays. 'Giving thanks for them helps you deal with the craziness that is part of every family,' he says.

Last, if you find you take too much for granted, try the 'It's a Wonderful Life' approach: image what life would be like without a major blessing, like a spouse, a child or a job.

感

恩确实有益健康。

不断有研究提出，保持感恩态度可以增进心理、情绪和精神健康。

过去10年进行的多项研究表明，经常充满感激之情的成人比不这样的人拥有更多活力、更多乐观、更多人际交往，以及更多的幸福感。他们抑郁、嫉妒、贪婪或嗜酒的可能性也更少。这些人挣钱更多，睡眠更深，锻炼更频繁，还拥有更强的抗病毒感染能力。

Michael Rubenstein for the Wall Street Journal

纽约州霍夫斯特拉大学心理学助理教授弗罗一天中最喜欢做的事就是在睡前给他四岁的儿子讲故事。

如今研究人员发现，感恩也会给幼儿和青少年带来相似的好处。研究表明，充满感激之情并做出感恩之举的孩子往往比其他孩子更少物质主义，学习成绩更好，定的目标更高，抱怨头痛肚子痛的次数更少，对朋友、家人和学校也更加满意。

纽 约州Hempstead霍夫斯特拉大学(Hofstra University)心理学助理教授弗罗(Jeffrey J. Froh)说，这些发现当中，有很多都是我们在幼儿园期间学到的东西，或者是祖父母外祖父母告诉我们的，而现在我们拿出了科学依据来证明。弗罗的很多研究 都是在儿童身上展开的。

加州大学戴维斯分校(University of California-Davis)心理学教授、感恩研究先行者埃蒙斯(Robert Emmons)说，关键是不要到感恩节才感恩。另外他还提到，一个人意识到自己受惠于人，就会意识到报答的必要性。

当然，表达感谢也是有可能做过头的，特别是如果你想通过送礼来表达感谢的话。弗罗说，如果感谢某人的方式与两人的关系不相称，比如说学生向老师赠送iPod，那就会引起怨恨、愧疚、愤怒和一种义务感。

感恩同样有可能陷入对接受感恩的人施加控制、并强迫对方对自己保持忠诚的误区。弗罗说，你可以将心比心地为你要感谢的人考虑，并发自心内地判断自己的本意，从而避免犯下这样的错误。

在 即将发表于《幸福研究杂志》(Journal of Happiness Studies)的论文中，弗罗及其同事对1,035名高中生进行了调查，发现最感恩的学生朋友更多，成绩也更好，而最物质主义的学生成绩更低，更容易嫉 妒，对生活的满意度更低。弗罗说，对物质主义的最佳疗法之一，是让人对其拥有的东西充满感激。

很大一部分感恩研究考察的都是关联性，而不 是因果关系；其实可能只是快乐、健康和成功的人要感谢的东西更多。但在《人格与社会心理学杂志》(Journal of Personality and Social Psychology) 2003年发表的一篇里程碑意义的研究中，埃蒙斯和迈阿密大学(University of Miami)心理学家麦卡洛(Michael McCullough)证明，“知福”确实可以让人感觉更好。

埃蒙斯博士说，感恩听起来简单，实际上它是一个需求很高的、复杂情感，要求人们进行自我反省，要有能力承认个人依赖于其他人的帮助，并要谦卑地意识到一个人的局限性。

感恩还让人们克服心理学家所说的“负面倾向”，即胶着于问题、恼怒和不公平而非积极乐观情况的固有倾向。根据对受911恐怖袭击事件和卡特里娜飓风影响的人们的研究，注重发生在人身上的正面的事情，可以帮助抵御忧伤情绪，并在有压力、悲伤或遭受灾难的时候增强韧性。

人 们能学会关注光明面，想要他们已经得到的并为此感恩吗？专家认为，这种性格特征有一半是遗传的，其余来自于经验，所以有充足的机会可以改变。 Candlewood中学校长格林（Andrew Greene）说，儿童和成年人都可以选择如何感受和看待世界，他说“意识到幸福”是弗罗博士研究结果的持久遗产之一。

对于岁数稍大的儿 童和成年人来说，培养感恩的一个简单方式是真正数数你的好事。记日记并定期记录当天你感恩的事情。要具体。弗罗博士说，日复一日列出“我的朋友、学校和 狗”意味着“感恩疲劳”。如果在日记里写上“我的狗在我悲伤的时候舔了我的脸”就让人耳目一新。一些人在他们的Facebook或MySpace页面里， 或是在线感恩小组里这样做。现在还有一个iPod感恩日记应用程序。真正的好处是改变你对世界的感受。寻找可以感恩的事情，然后你会处处都能看到可以感恩 的事情。

亲自表达感谢尤其有力量。一项研究显示，四年级学生进行“感恩访问”后，即使在两个月后他们仍对自己感觉良好，尤其是那些此前情绪不佳的人。

采取更乐观的思维模式也可以激发感恩。不要跟朋友一起发牢骚或表示愤怒，而要试着分享你感恩的事情。为了避免听起来像是自吹自擂，你要注重于赞扬其他人，比如，“我妈妈请了一整天的假，来看我的比赛。”

研 究发现，使用负面、贬损的语言，即使你对自己说，也会使你的心情变糟。在你的头脑里装满积极的思想，大声表达感谢和鼓励，寻找你周围可以感恩，而不是批评 的事情，尤其是你热爱的人。纽约精神病专家拉姆齐（Drew Ramsey）说，这是度过假期的基本方法。他说，感谢他们帮你应对日常家庭生活中必不可少的烦心事。

最后，假如你认为很多东西都是理所当然，那么就试试“人生真美好”这样的方法：相像如果没有配偶、孩子或工作这样的好事情，你的生活会是什么样。

Melinda Beck

What is happiness? 乐观的人更幸福

Sir Tom Hunter

By Nick Powdthavee, Carl Wilkinson 2010-09-18 (www.ftchinese.com)

You will never hear me complain about having too much money. I’m euphoric! Having a certain level of wealth gives you security.
I’m definitely happier now than when I started out in business. I wasn’t unhappy then, but there was plenty of uncertainty. Now my life’s pretty mapped out. I’m not saying there aren’t challenges, but I feel I can deal with it all. I have contentment and although that’s not the same as happiness they go hand in hand.
I’m a naturally optimistic and positive person. In my experience people with a positive attitude to life are happier and achieve more. I sold my first business, Sports Division, in 1998 when I was 37. I got a cheque for £260m and thought: “I’m so privileged and so lucky, I can easily take care of my family, I don’t need all this money.” I took a few years out to educate myself and work out what I wanted to do. I needed a reason to keep working – and if the reason isn’t money, what is it? Philanthropy and business came together: I need to make money in order to invest it in philanthropy.
I don’t see what we do as giving money away. We want a return. We view it through pretty much the same equation as our business life. The return in business life is profit, but the return in philanthropy is something else.
I recently came back from Malawi where we’ve built a maternity ward. Rates of infant mortality and mothers dying in childbirth have gone down. Seeing the hospital finished and operational gave me a bigger high than any business deal I’ve ever done.
I don’t want to come across as Mother Teresa, because I’m not. But I wouldn’t feel right if my money was just left to my kids. I don’t think it’d bring them happiness … they may disagree. I think giving money away allows me to enjoy having wealth.
Prior to the credit crunch, philanthropy took up perhaps 30 per cent of my week. Now it’s more like 10 per cent. I’ve had to go back to making more money, but I’d like to get to a position where the balance between business and philanthropy was 50:50.
The credit crunch has brought back a sense of reality for me. Some of the things we’d taken for granted, like going on holiday, we’re beginning to really appreciate again. We’ve realised our family time is precious and we’ve got to make the most of it.
I’ve been very lucky, and while happiness is being able to go to great places on holiday, it’s also having a laugh down the chip shop every Sunday night with the people I grew up with.
I hope making money hasn’t changed me, but I’m not really the best person to judge.

乐观的人更幸福

作者： 尼克•鲍特塞维, 卡尔•威尔金森 2010-09-18 (www.ftchinese.com)

你永远不会听到我抱怨钱太多。我志得意满！有一定的财富能给人以安全感。
我如今肯定比刚开始创业的时候要幸福得多。那时我并不是不幸福，但生活中充满了不确定性。如今我的日子过得有板有眼。我不是说现在就没有挑战，只是觉得自己能应付自如。我很满足，虽然这与幸福不是一码事，但它们（满足和幸福）是形影不离的一对。
我天生积极乐观。我的生活经历告诉我：对生活持积极态度的人更幸福，事业更有成。1998年我37岁那年，我卖掉了自己的第一家公司Sports Division，拿到了2.6亿英镑的支票。当时我就想：“我很幸运，已经功成名就，养家糊口不在话下，我不需要这么多钱。”我花了几年时间自学，想弄 明白自己想做什么。我需要继续工作的理由——如果钱不是理由，那是什么？慈善和做生意殊途同归：为了投资慈善事业，自己得大把挣钱。
我不知道我们捐钱做什么。我们希望得到回报。我们基本上是用做生意的眼光看待办慈善事业。做生意的回报是利润，但做慈善的回报则是别的。
我最近刚从马拉维(Malawi)回来，在那儿我们建了一座产科病房。如今，婴儿和难产妈妈的死亡率都降下来了。看到医院竣工并正常运转，这比我做成的任何生意都更有成就感。
我无意象特蕾莎修女(Mother Teresa)那样留名青史，因为我没法与她比。但如果只把钱留给子女，我也觉得不得劲，我认为钱不会带给他们幸福……他们可能会有不同看法。我觉得把钱捐掉能让我享受拥有财富的乐趣。
在本次信贷紧缩前，做慈善大概牵扯了我平日里30%的精力，如今只有10%左右。我不得不杀回生意场去挣更多的钱，但我希望将来生意与慈善的时间分配能够五五开。
信贷紧缩让我重新审视现实。有些事我们以前太过想当然了，就拿度假来说吧，我们如今开始重拾兴趣。我们意识到和家人在一起的时间弥足珍贵，所以得尽最大可能享受温馨的家庭生活。
我很幸运，虽然能去很棒的地方度假是幸福，但是，每周日晚能与从小长大的伙伴一起在薯条店里纵情大笑也是幸福。
我希望钱挣了，但人没变，但是是非评说，自己显然并非最合适人选。

Pixie Lott

By Nick Powdthavee, Carl Wilkinson 2010-09-20 (www.ftchinese.com)

Music, for me, is medicine. I’m at my happiest when I’m on stage or making music in the studio. Writing songs really does feel like therapy. Even just listening to music makes me happy. If I’m in a terrible mood, I just put my iPod on – the louder the better – and it instantly turns me around.
I don’t know why, but music really connects with me. There’s always a song that matches my mood, and encapsulates moments in my life. My favourite song is “Love Come Down” by Evelyn King. It’s an old 1980s tune, but whenever I have parties at my house, or my friends come over to get ready to go out, we play it full blast. We all love it. I’ve definitely got some happy memories associated with that song.
I know songs I listen to have a powerful effect on me, but it’s weird to think that the music I make can have that effect on other people. I find it crazy to hear in letters or on Twitter the effect my songs can have. When I’m unhappy or have had an argument I’ll go straight to the piano and write a song almost while I’m crying. It’s so much better because the emotion is real. As soon as I start to get it off my chest, I feel happier. If you’re in the heat of the moment and you write a song, it definitely comes out better than if you just have to write a song today.
My album, Turn It Up, was released last year – the launch day was one of my happiest because I got to play my first headline show in London and then I had another show in Berlin on the same day. The album went to number six in the UK charts and I’ve had two number one singles and five songs in the top 20. It’s all happened so fast, but I think my idea of happiness hasn’t changed.
I guess I’m a naturally happy person. Happiness, for me, is making music, listening to music, being with my friends and going out with them and being with my family. I’m so lucky to have them; I’d feel selfish if I wasn’t happy. I’ve always had those values and they haven’t changed.

案例4：音乐犹如一味良药

作者： 尼克•鲍特塞维, 卡尔•威尔金森 2010-09-20 (www.ftchinese.com)

对我来说，音乐犹如一味良药。登台演唱和在录音棚里录音都是我最开心的时候。创作歌曲真的感觉和疗伤一样。即使只是听听音乐就能让我开心。情绪低落时，我就打开iPod，声音越大越过瘾，情绪很快就雨过天晴了。
我不知道其中的原因，但是音乐真的与我心灵相通。无论何时，都找得到契合我情绪、能够抒发我当时感受的歌曲。我最喜欢的歌是伊芙林•金 (Evelyn King)的《真爱降临》(Love Come Down)。这是一首上世纪80年代的老歌，但是，只要我在家举行party，或者是朋友过来准备一起外出时，我们就用最大的音量播放这首歌。我们都很喜 欢这首歌。这首歌无疑让我想起很多回味无穷的幸福往事。
我知道我所听的歌深深地影响了我，但是我未想到的是自己创作的歌对别人也有不同凡响的影响力。从歌迷的信件和Twitter得知自己的歌竟有如此影 响力，自然是心花怒放。当我感到难过或者与别人争执不下时，我会径直走到钢琴前，几乎是边哭边谱写歌曲，因为真情所至，所以创作出的整首歌浑然天成。直抒 胸臆后，就感觉好受多了。悲愤交加中一气呵成写就的歌，肯定比硬着头皮的应承之作要棒得多。
我去年推出了自己的专辑Turn It Up，发布当日最为开心，因为我在伦敦开始举办自己的首场巡回演出，同一天还在柏林进行另一场演出。该专辑在英国音乐排行榜上位列第六，其中两首单曲夺得桂冠，5首歌曲进入前20。这一切来得太快了，但我对快乐的理解并未改变。
我想我天生是个乐天派。对我来说，快乐就是制作音乐、聆听音乐、与朋友在一起和与他们外出，以及与家人在一起。我很幸运拥有这一切。如果我不开心，我会觉得自己有点自私。我一直有这样的价值观，它们一直未曾改变过。


Sam Clark

By Nick Powdthavee, Carl Wilkinson 2010-09-17 (www.ftchinese.com)

My love of food stems from an early age. I loved eating things on my own and discovering how food works – the different ways in which you can eat a Jaffa Cake, how a banana naturally divides lengthways into three segments or the fact that a cucumber’s seeds taste different from the rest of it. I thought about how food is put together and how taste and texture works.
As I grew older, that pleasure was realised through cooking for friends and then customers at Moro, the restaurant I run with my husband, Sam. I never made the conscious decision to work in a restaurant – I fell into it. I studied languages at university, but I have always cooked for people and enjoyed it. I had a bit of a reputation for cooking, but it wasn’t until I fell into a job that I realised it was exactly what I should be doing – it felt natural and right.
The happiest moment of my life was when I met Sam. I was cooking at The Eagle pub in Farringdon and he came to work as a cook. He’d been at the River Café, as I had, and I’d heard about him because we have the same surname. It’s corny, but he made me very happy. I really wanted to find someone like-minded, someone who enjoys food. I couldn’t imagine going out with someone who wasn’t as passionate about food as I am. When Sam came along, it was without question my happiest moment. We set up Moro two or three years later.
The restaurant’s now in its 13th year and the feedback from people is always very positive; they really enjoy being in the restaurant and eating the food. We cook a little less at home during the week now because we’ve been cooking at work and over the years we’ve become more professional in the way we approach it. But cooking remains our passion, it’s what makes us happy – people respond to that.
Generally, I’m a happy person. I’m extremely lucky to be doing what I love. If you’re not happy, you can’t get up every day and go into the restaurant and inspire the staff. If you’re not in a happy place, then they certainly won’t be. I think I can confidently say that the staff are happy.
You can’t be happy all the time; anyone who says they are is lying. If you don’t experience unhappiness, then how can you experience happiness? If Sam or I are unhappy, it’s hard for the other to be happy, or if the children are unhappy, then we can’t be happy. We work pretty hard and it is difficult to balance a busy restaurant where we have 50 people working all of whom need to feel valued, as well as home life and young children. The balancing act is not an easy one and I don’t do it perfectly all the time. It’s quite demanding.
Over time, what makes me happy has changed. It’s the smaller things that make me happy now – not aspiring to own the world. Having a family changes things too. If my family is happy and the restaurant is happy and people are thriving and enjoy working, that for us is enough. We don’t need to earn millions of pounds; that’s not what we’re after.
For us, it’s all about the food. We really care about trying to make the food as good as it can be. There are two services each day and you’re under scrutiny. People notice. Of course some things are not perfect, our recipes are not written down to the exact gramme so we rely on our chefs. But I think the whole parcel – the restaurant, the food, the people, the atmosphere – it’s very stimulating. Sam and I are quite different, but we have a shared goal: we’re both very passionate about the restaurant and the food, and that’s what makes us happy.

案例2：美食就是人生

作者： 尼克•鲍特塞维, 卡尔•威尔金森 2010-09-17 (www.ftchinese.com)

我打小就喜欢做饭，喜欢吃自己做的菜，并捣鼓出各色吃法：如佳发橙子蛋糕(Jaffa Cake)的不同吃法、如何不拖泥带水地把香蕉纵切成三截，此外还发现黄瓜囊原来与其它部分味道迥异。我满脑子想的都是菜如何搭配后如何做出不同的色、香、味。
长大后，满足做菜的乐趣先是靠在朋友面前露一手、继而是靠来Moro就餐的顾客。Moro是我和我老公山姆一起开的一家餐馆。入餐饮这一行，我从来 不是有意为之，完全是出于偶然。我大学学的是语言学，但毕业后，我一直当厨师，也就喜欢上了这行。我擅长烹饪小有名气，但直到我因为偶然的机会开始打工 时，才真正意识到自己适合干这一行——完全是顺其自然、水到渠成。
我人生最快乐的时刻当属遇到山姆。当时我在伦敦法灵顿区(Farringdon)的老鹰酒巴(The Eagle pub)当厨师，山姆也到那里打工当厨师。他之前在River Café干过，我也在那呆过，我听说过山姆这个人，因为我俩的名字一样（都是Sam）。听上去有点俗套，但山姆很讨我喜欢。我真得想找一个和我一样喜欢烹 饪的志同道合者作人生伴侣，一个对美食不感兴趣的人和我是志不同道不合，与这样的人约会我实在难以想象。山姆出现时，无疑就是我最开心的时候。大约2、3 年后，我俩开了Moro餐馆。
如今，餐馆经营已届第十三个年头，顾客反映一直很好；他们很喜欢到我们餐馆吃饭。我们平日里在家不怎么做饭，原因是我们上班就一直在做饭，十几年来，经营餐馆这一行我们已经轻车熟路。但是我们仍然对烹饪情有独钟，它给了我们欢乐，而顾客对此做出相应的反应。
总体说来，我很幸福。我非常幸运能够做自己喜欢的事。你若不快乐，就不可能每天起早赶到餐馆、去激励自己的员工。你若觉得工作环境不顺心，员工们必然也是如此。我可以很自信地说，我手下的员工都很开心。
人不可能永远快乐；说这话的人是在说假话。不经历痛苦，如何能够体味快乐？如果我和山姆不快乐，员工也很难感觉快乐，如果孩子们不开心，我们当然也 不可能开心。我们工作非常辛苦，要兼顾好生意火爆的餐馆、家庭生活和孩子不是件容易的事，要知道，我们雇的50名员工个个争强好胜，不甘人下。要端平这碗 水实在不容易，我做得并非始终完美。这很累人。
随着时间的推移，快乐的内涵已然改变。现在给我快乐的都是些琐碎的事情——不再象以前那样渴望拥有整个世界。成家后人生感悟也会不同。如果家庭幸福，餐馆上下和气，员工积极上进、乐于工作，我们就心满意足了。我们不需要挣万贯家财；那并非我们所追求的目标。
对我们来说，美食才是人生的目标。我们真的很在意想方设法提高饭菜质量，力求精益求精。每天我们供应两次饭菜，时时会有人监督。顾客看在眼里，记在 心里。当然，有些事无法尽善尽美，我们的食谱并非精确到克，所以我们要依靠大厨。但是，我认为整体感觉——餐馆的布置、饭菜质量、员工态度以及工作氛围 ——非常温馨，让人宾至如归。我和山姆性格迥异，但我们目标一致：我们对餐馆和饭菜质量十分上心，我们工作时心情很快乐。

案例１：数学家的幸福

作者： 尼克•鲍特塞维, 卡尔•威尔金森 2010-09-16 (www.ftchinese.com)

真正让我兴奋的就是找出规律；这就是数学的根本意义。绞尽脑汁地求解难题，待到一切环环相扣，难题被成功破解，那就是我最开心的时候。它使我的大脑一下子分泌出大量多巴胺（dopamine，一种让人愉悦的神经递质，译者注）。
数学能够揭示宇宙中最根本的规律，而破解难题的一部分魅力，就在于这些规律是永恒的。回味自己的各项研究发现，令我产生强烈的幸福感；我知道即使我 过世了，这些成果仍会继续存世。我认为每个人从内心来说都是数学家。人脑具有寻找规律的本能——我们借助这种本能来发现重要的事物。
从某种意义上说，数学指引着我规划自己的生活。数学并非一切问题的答案，但是它能助你规划一条更好的人生之路。弄清楚哪些规律让你快乐、哪些使你消沉，然后决定重复还是规避它们，从本质上说是个数学习惯。
我觉得生活中让我快乐的事往往有数学结构在其中起作用。听音乐能增加我的快乐度，因为我在某个层面欣赏音乐的规律。踢足球同样让我兴奋异常。我踢球 很少能进球，因为我负责中场，偏重于防守，但为数不多的几次进球让我激动不已。体内的紧张感积聚到一定程度后得以释放；赋予我快乐的一切东西（数学、足 球、性），其过程都大同小异。
在所有这一切，都有个人荣誉感在其中起作用，但同时也有为整个集体作贡献的意识。我不可能单枪匹马去研究数学。解题过程中，我需要我的数学团队做大量的验证工作。
我认为：只有经历了不快乐才能真正感悟快乐。我们夫妻俩曾经有过一个孩子，因难产不幸夭折了，我妻子也差点撒手人寰。这件事对我打击很大，我扪心自 问：想从生活中获取什么。是不是只想安安稳稳地平庸一生？不，我所喜欢的是生活光鲜亮丽的一面，但那免不了低潮彷徨。人生的意义就在于承担风险。
研究数学与生活中的情况如出一辙。你得冒很多风险，咋整都不得劲时，情绪会很低落。但是，那也意味着当研究工作顺风顺水时，感觉会更爽。
过去10年来，我一直试图破解一个数学猜想，若能成功攻克，我想我会非常开心。我的难题并非悬赏百万美元奖金的五大著名猜想中的一个。钱并非我的驱 动力。要是能解决上述五大难题中的任何一个，我想多数数学家愿意自掏百万美元。事实上，我倒希望能有更多的时间（而非拥有更多的钱财）；时间才是真正增加 快乐的要素。

Marcus du Sautoy

By Nick Powdthavee, Carl Wilkinson 2010-09-16 (www.ftchinese.com)

What really does it for me is spotting patterns; it’s what mathematics is all about. Working on a mathematical problem and getting that “Aha!” moment when things fit together makes me very happy. It causes a surge of dopamine in my head.
Mathematics offers something very fundamental about the universe, and the appeal of solving problems is partly because they’re eternal. Looking back on the discoveries that I’ve made gives me an intense feeling of happiness; I know they’re going to outlive me. I believe we’re all mathematicians at heart. The brain is programmed to look for patterns – it’s how we know something is significant.
In some sense, mathematics informs the way I run my life. Mathematics is not the answer to everything, but it can help you to plan a better path. Recognising patterns that make you happy or unhappy and repeating or avoiding them is an inherently mathematical trait.
I think the things that make me happy in life often have an underlying mathematical structure. Listening to music increases my levels of happiness because on some level I’m enjoying its patterns. Playing football also makes me incredibly happy. I rarely score a goal because I’m a bit of a defensive midfielder, but the few times I have it’s given me a huge surge of happiness. Tension is built up and then has a resolution; it’s the same for all the things that give me happiness: maths, football and sex.
There’s an element of personal glory in all of this but it’s also about the sense of contributing to a community. I couldn’t do maths in isolation. I need my community of mathematicians to validate what I do.
I think that you can’t really experience happiness without being unhappy. We had a child who died during delivery and my wife almost died, too. It was incredibly traumatic and I questioned what I wanted from my life. Did I want it to be just a flat line of mediocrity? No, what I love about life is its highs, but that will involve lows. Life is about taking risks.
In mathematics it’s the same. You take risks and there are depressing times when nothing works, but it does make those times when it does work so much more satisfying.
I’ve been working on a conjecture for the past 10 years, and if I could solve it I think I would be very happy. It’s not one of the five famous conjectures for which there is a $1m prize attached. Money is not the driving force for me. Most mathematicians would pay a million dollars to be able to solve any one of those problems. In fact, I’d rather have more time than more money; time is the factor that really increases happiness.