Study after study
一個又一個的研究
is coming to the same conclusion.
證實了相同的結(jié)論
The CDC recently conducted a survey
疾病防治中心(CDC)最近進(jìn)行了一次調(diào)查
where they asked respondents simply to tell them
他們簡單地要求受試者來報告
whether they experienced significant psychological distress
在過去的一周里自己是否經(jīng)歷了
in the previous week.
重大的心理困擾
And fewer older people answered affirmatively to that question
老年人承認(rèn)有這類問題的
than middle-aged people,
比中年人少
and younger people as well.
也比年輕人少
And a recent Gallup poll
一項近期的蓋洛普調(diào)查
asked participants
詢問參與者
how much stress and worry and anger
有多少壓力、焦慮和憤怒情緒
they had experienced the previous day.
他們在前一天體驗過
And stress, worry, anger
壓力、焦慮、憤怒
all decrease with age.
都隨著年齡增長而減少
Now social scientists call this the paradox of aging.
社會學(xué)家稱這種現(xiàn)象為老齡化悖論
After all, aging is not a piece of cake.
老齡化可不是小事
So we've asked all sorts of questions
我們問了各種各樣的問題
to see if we could undo this finding.
試圖推翻這個研究結(jié)論
We've asked whether it may be
我們提出這可能是因為
that the current generations of older people
現(xiàn)在正值老年的這一代人
are and always have been
一直以來都是
the greatest generations.
最偉大的一代人
That is that younger people today
而現(xiàn)在的年青一代
may not typically experience these improvements
可能不會在成長過程中
as they grow older.
經(jīng)歷同樣的進(jìn)步
We've asked,
我們也提出
well maybe older people are just trying to put a positive spin
也許老年人只是在發(fā)揚阿Q精神
on an otherwise depressing existence.
來應(yīng)對令人沮喪的事實
But the more we've tried to disavow this finding,
然而我們越是想要顛覆這個結(jié)論
the more evidence we find
反而找到越多的證據(jù)
to support it.
來支持這個結(jié)論
Years ago, my colleagues and I embarked on a study
很多年前,我和同事一起開始了一項研究
where we followed the same group of people over a 10-year period.
我們對同一組人進(jìn)行跟蹤調(diào)查長達(dá)十年
Originally the sample was aged 18 to 94.
這組人最開始的年齡從18歲到94歲不等
And we studied whether and how their emotional experiences changed
我們研究了他們的情緒體驗
as they grew older.
是否隨著歲月而改變
Our participants would carry electronic pagers
研究參與者隨身攜帶電子紙張
for a week at a time,
每次持續(xù)一周時間
and we'd page them throughout the day and evenings at random times.
我們在早晚的任意時間呼叫他們
And every time we paged them
每一次我們呼叫他們
we'd ask them to answer several questions --
我們會問他們幾個問題
On a one to seven scale, how happy are you right now?
用1到7的量表來衡量他們當(dāng)時高興的程度
How sad are you right now?
悲傷的程度
How frustrated are you right now? --
沮喪的程度
so that we could get a sense
這樣我們就能
of the kinds of emotions and feelings they were having
監(jiān)測到他們情緒和感覺上的
in their day-to-day lives.
日常狀況
And using this intense study
通過這種
of individuals,
對個人的密集調(diào)查
we find that it's not one particular generation
我們發(fā)現(xiàn)并沒有任何一代人
that's doing better than the others,
比其他人更好
but the same individuals over time
但是同一個人隨著年歲增長
come to report relatively greater
開始報告
positive experience.
相對更積極的體驗
Now you see this slight downturn
現(xiàn)在你看到在非常高的年齡
at very advanced ages.
這里有些許下降
And there is a slight downturn.
這里的確有一些下降
But at no point does it return
但是絕沒有回復(fù)到
to the levels we see
他們
in early adulthood.
早期成年期的水平
Now it's really too simplistic
當(dāng)然,光說
to say that older people are "happy."
老年人更“快樂”,那太過草率
In our study, they are more positive,
在我們的研究里,他們更積極
but they're also more likely than younger people
但他們也比年輕人
to experience mixed emotions --
更能體會到復(fù)雜的情感
sadness at the same time you experience happiness;
悲喜交加
you know, that tear in the eye
你們知道
when you're smiling at a friend.
就是沖著朋友微笑的同時眼含淚花
And other research has shown
有其他研究顯示
that older people seem to engage with sadness
老年人能夠
more comfortably.
更從容地應(yīng)對悲傷
They're more accepting of sadness than younger people are.
他們比年輕人更能接受悲傷情緒
And we suspect that this may help to explain
我們懷疑這能幫助解釋
why older people are better than younger people
為什么老年人比年輕人
at solving hotly-charged emotional conflicts and debates.
更擅長處理激烈的情緒沖突和爭論
Older people can view injustice
老年人看待不公
with compassion,
能夠帶著憐憫
but not despair.
而不是絕望
And all things being equal,
在同等條件下
older people direct their cognitive resources,
老年人會將自己的認(rèn)知資源
like attention and memory,
比如注意力和記憶力
to positive information more than negative.
更多地導(dǎo)向積極信息,而不是消極信息
If we show older, middle-aged, younger people images,
我們向老年組、中年組和青年組展示圖像
like the ones you see on the screen,
正如你們在屏幕上看到的
and we later ask them
過后我們讓他們
to recall all the images that they can,
回憶他們看到的圖像
older people, but not younger people,
老年組,而非青年組
remember more positive images
記得的積極圖像
than negative images.
多過消極圖像
We've asked older and younger people
我們讓老年組和青年組
to view faces in laboratory studies,
去看實驗室研究所用的臉部表情
some frowning, some smiling.
一些皺眉、一些微笑
Older people look toward the smiling faces
老年組看向微笑的臉
and away from the frowning, angry faces.
而回避皺眉的、憤怒的臉
In day-to-day life,
在日常生活中
this translates into greater enjoyment
這轉(zhuǎn)換成更大的樂趣
and satisfaction.
以及滿足