評論
打印
But as social scientists, we continue to ask
但作為社會學家，我們繼續問
about possible alternatives.
是否有其他可能
We've said, well maybe older people
也許老年人
report more positive emotions
報告更多的積極感受
because they're cognitively impaired.
是因為他們認知機能受損
We've said, could it be
會不會
that positive emotions are simply easier to process than negative emotions,
積極情緒比消極情緒更易處理
and so you switch to the positive emotions?
所以他們更傾向于積極情緒？
Maybe our neural centers in our brain
也許我們腦內的神經系統
are degraded such
退化了
that we're unable to process negative emotions anymore.
以致無法處理消極情緒
But that's not the case.
但事實并非如此
The most mentally sharp older adults
老年組里思維最敏捷的
are the ones who show this positivity effect the most.
恰恰是最積極的
And under conditions where it really matters,
在關鍵時刻
older people do process the negative information
老年人處理消極情緒
just as well as the positive information.
和處理積極情緒的能力是一樣的
So how can this be?
這是為什么呢？
Well in our research,
在我們的研究里
we've found that these changes
我們發現這些改變
are grounded fundamentally
在最基本上植根于
in the uniquely human ability to monitor time --
人類監控時間的獨特能力
not just clock time and calendar time,
不光是時鐘的時間和日歷的時間
but lifetime.
更是生命的時間
And if there's a paradox of aging,
如果說老齡化悖論成立
it's that recognizing that we won't live forever
那也是因為我們認識到生命易逝
changes our perspective on life
而使我們把人生觀
in positive ways.
變得更積極
When time horizons are long and nebulous,
人生的終點遙遠又朦朧
as they typically are in youth,
年輕時通常都這么想
people are constantly preparing,
人們就會一直躍躍欲試
trying to soak up all the information they possibly can,
試圖盡可能地去吸收信息
taking risks, exploring.
承擔風險、探索未知
We might spend time with people we don't even like
我們可能會跟不喜歡的人共度時光
because it's somehow interesting.
因為感覺這挺有趣
We might learn something unexpected.
我們也許不經意間學到一些不該學的東西
We go on blind dates.
我們去相親
You know, after all,
畢竟
if it doesn't work out, there's always tomorrow.
就算失敗了，也還有明天
People over 50
超過50歲的人
don't go on blind dates.
就不會去相親了
As we age,
當我們逐漸變老
our time horizons grow shorter
跟人生終點的距離不斷縮短
and our goals change.
我們的人生目標從而改變
When we recognize that we don't have all the time in the world,
當我們意識到時間不再多的可以盡情揮霍
we see our priorities most clearly.
就能清楚地看到事情的輕重緩急
We take less notice of trivial matters.
我們變得不在意瑣碎之事了
We savor life.
我們享受人生
We're more appreciative,
我們更懂感恩
more open to reconciliation.
更向往和諧
We invest in more emotionally important parts of life,
我們更致力于精神層面上重要的東西
and life gets better,
生活變得更好
so we're happier day-to-day.
所以日益快樂
But that same shift in perspective
但是這種觀念的改變
leads us to have less tolerance than ever
也降低了
for injustice.
對不公的容忍
By 2015,
到2015年
there will be more people in the United States
美國人口中
over the age of 60
60歲以上的人口
than under 15.
將會超過不滿15歲的人口
What will happen to societies
社會老齡化之后
that are top-heavy with older people?
會有什么改變？
The numbers won't determine
數量并不能
the outcome.
左右結果
Culture will.
文化才會
If we invest in science and technology
如果我們投入科學和技術
and find solutions for the real problems
為老齡化問題
that older people face
找出解決之道
and we capitalize
我們充分發揮
on the very real strengths
老年人的
of older people,
真正優勢
then added years of life
那么，壽命的增加
can dramatically improve quality of life
將會戲劇性地改善人們的生活質量
at all ages.
無論是哪個年齡段
Societies with millions
社會上有上百萬的
of talented, emotionally stable citizens
有才能而且情緒穩定的市民
who are healthier and better educated
他們更健康，受過更高的教育
than any generations before them,
與他們之前的任何一代人比
armed with knowledge
用知識武裝自己
about the practical matters of life
了解人生的各種狀況
and motivated
積極主動地
to solve the big issues
去解決重大問題
can be better societies
社會將變得更加美好
than we have ever known.
比我們已知的更好
My father, who is 92,
我父親已經92歲了
likes to say,
他喜歡說
"Let's stop talking only about
“讓我們不要再說
how to save the old folks
解救老年人這種話了
and start talking about
我們要開始談談
how to get them to save us all."
如何讓老年人解救所有人。”
Thank you.
謝謝
