What an intriguing group of individuals you are ... to a psychologist.
對一個心理學家而言...... 你們真的是一群有趣的研究對象啊!
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
I've had the opportunity over the last couple of days of listening in on some of your conversations and watching you interact with each other. And I think it's fair to say, already, that there are 47 people in this audience, at this moment, displaying psychological symptoms I would like to discuss today.
這幾天,我很榮幸有這個機會, 聆聽在座一些人的對話, 以及觀察你們彼此間的交流。 我想應該已經可以這麼說, 觀眾席裡面將近有 47 個人, 此時此刻, 展現出來的心理病徵與 我今天要探討的主題有關。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
And I thought you might like to know who you are.
我想各位都很想知道, 是哪幾個人,
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
But instead of pointing at you, which would be gratuitous and intrusive, I thought I would tell you a few facts and stories, in which you may catch a glimpse of yourself.
但不是要對你指指點點, 這樣沒必要也很唐突, 我想我可以告訴你一些事實與故事, 而你在其中可能會窺見自己的身影。
I'm in the field of research known as personality psychology, which is part of a larger personality science which spans the full spectrum, from neurons to narratives. And what we try to do, in our own way, is to make sense of how each of us -- each of you -- is, in certain respects, like all other people, like some other people and like no other person.
我研究的領域是人格心理學, 它屬於人性科學的範疇, 而人性科學的研究領域誇度很大, 從神經元到敘述學。 而我們嘗試達成的, 是用我們的方式, 來弄清楚,為什麼我們每一個人—— 你們每一個人—— 在某些方面, 跟多數人相同的地方、 跟少數人相同的地方、 跟其他人完全不同的地方。
Now, already you may be saying of yourself, "I'm not intriguing. I am the 46th most boring person in the Western Hemisphere." Or you may say of yourself, "I am intriguing, even if I am regarded by most people as a great, thundering twit."
你們可能有些人會說, 「我一點也不有趣, 我是西半球排名 第 46 位最無聊的人。」 或者你會說, 「我很有趣, 即使很多人認為我是個大白癡。」
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
But it is your self-diagnosed boringness and your inherent "twitiness" that makes me, as a psychologist, really fascinated by you. So let me explain why this is so.
但就是你的自我認知, 無論是無聊或者與生俱來的白癡 讓我這個心理學家, 對你特別著迷。 讓我解釋這是怎麼回事。
One of the most influential approaches in personality science is known as trait psychology, and it aligns you along five dimensions which are normally distributed, and that describe universally held aspects of difference between people. They spell out the acronym OCEAN. So, "O" stands for "open to experience," versus those who are more closed. "C" stands for "conscientiousness," in contrast to those with a more lackadaisical approach to life. "E" -- "extroversion," in contrast to more introverted people. "A" -- "agreeable individuals," in contrast to those decidedly not agreeable. And "N" -- "neurotic individuals," in contrast to those who are more stable.
在個性科學中 最具有影響力的分類方法 就是特質心理學。 它把人分成五種面向, 通常是常態分配, 它描述了人與人之間 彼此特質上的差異。 它們有一個縮寫的簡稱叫做「OCEAN」。 「O」代表「開放的、喜歡經歷」特質 另一面就是「較保守封閉的」, 「C」代表「自覺型的」, 相反的就是較為「渾渾噩噩的」。 「E」代表「外向型的」, 與「內向型的」人相反。 「A」代表「和藹可親、隨和的」, 對立的就是「不隨和的」 最後「N」代表「神經質的、敏感的」, 相反的就是比較「平和、穩定的」
All of these dimensions have implications for our well-being, for how our life goes. And so we know that, for example, openness and conscientiousness are very good predictors of life success, but the open people achieve that success through being audacious and, occasionally, odd. The conscientious people achieve it through sticking to deadlines, to persevering, as well as having some passion. Extroversion and agreeableness are both conducive to working well with people. Extroverts, for example, I find intriguing. With my classes, I sometimes give them a basic fact that might be revealing with respect to their personality: I tell them that it is virtually impossible for adults to lick the outside of their own elbow.
這五個面向, 影響著我們的幸福 及我們的人生方向。 眾所周知, 開放及負責任的人 往往意味著成功, 但個性開放的人在通往成功路上 會變得大膽、 有時甚至古怪。 自覺型的人會緊守 最後期限,獲得成功, 他們堅持不懈且充滿熱情。 外向及隨和的個性,兩者都有助於 與他人融洽地工作。 比如,外向的人, 我就覺得很有趣。 在課堂上,我有時候會 告訴他們一些基本事實, 也許可以幫助他們判斷自己的個性。 我告訴他們,成年人幾乎不可能 可以舔到自己手肘的外側。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
Did you know that? Already, some of you have tried to lick the outside of your own elbow. But extroverts amongst you are probably those who have not only tried, but they have successfully licked the elbow of the person sitting next to them.
你們知道嗎? 你看,你們有些人已經開始 在舔自己的手肘外側了。 但你們之中外向的人, 可能不僅會嘗試, 他們還會 把隔壁的手肘也舔了。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
Those are the extroverts.
這就是外向的人。
Let me deal in a bit more detail with extroversion, because it's consequential and it's intriguing, and it helps us understand what I call our three natures. First, our biogenic nature -- our neurophysiology. Second, our sociogenic or second nature, which has to do with the cultural and social aspects of our lives. And third, what makes you individually you -- idiosyncratic -- what I call your "idiogenic" nature.
讓我再多談談 外向性格的一些細節, 因為很重要,也很有趣, 它可以幫助我們了解, 「人類的三種天性」, 第一種,我們的生物學天性—— 我們的神經心理學。 第二種,社會學天性,又叫第二天性 與我們生活的文化和社會面貌有關。 第三種,塑造出獨特你的 ——怪癖—— 我稱之為「獨特的天性」。
Let me explain. One of the things that characterizes extroverts is they need stimulation. And that stimulation can be achieved by finding things that are exciting: loud noises, parties and social events here at TED -- you see the extroverts forming a magnetic core. They all gather together. And I've seen you. The introverts are more likely to spend time in the quiet spaces up on the second floor, where they are able to reduce stimulation -- and may be misconstrued as being antisocial, but you're not necessarily antisocial. It may be that you simply realize that you do better when you have a chance to lower that level of stimulation.
讓我解釋一下, 外向個性的人的一大特徵 就是他們需要刺激。 這些刺激可以透過 尋找令人興奮的事來找到: 比如巨大的噪音、派對、 或像 TED 這樣的社交場合—— 你會看到外向的人,像是個大磁鐵, 他們會聚在一起。 我也有觀察到, 個性內向的人通常比較喜歡 躲在二樓安靜的地方, 這樣他們可以減少刺激。 甚至有可能被歸類為 不喜歡社交的人, 但你不一定是不喜歡社交。 你只是單純地想找個 比較沒有那麼多刺激的地方靜靜, 感覺這樣對你自己比較好而已。
Sometimes it's an internal stimulant, from your body. Caffeine, for example, works much better with extroverts than it does introverts. When extroverts come into the office at nine o'clock in the morning and say, "I really need a cup of coffee," they're not kidding -- they really do. Introverts do not do as well, particularly if the tasks they're engaged in -- and they've had some coffee -- if those tasks are speeded, and if they're quantitative, introverts may give the appearance of not being particularly quantitative. But it's a misconstrual.
有時候,是從你體內 產生出來的刺激物, 比如,咖啡因,它對外向的人的刺激 比內向的人更有效果。 當外向的人早上九點一到辦公室, 說,「我真的需要一杯咖啡」, 他們不是在開玩笑—— 他們是真的需要。 內向的人就沒有那麼明顯, 特別是當他們 也喝了一些咖啡, 參與到快節奏、 需要高產量的任務時 內向人的表現似乎沒有那麼的好, 但這是誤解。
So here are the consequences that are really quite intriguing: we're not always what seem to be, and that takes me to my next point. I should say, before getting to this, something about sexual intercourse, although I may not have time. And so, if you would like me to -- yes, you would? OK.
這裡有一份(研究)結果,相當有趣: 我們和我們表現出來的樣子不一定相同, 這會帶到下一個我要講的重點。 在講這個重點前,我必須說說, 有關做愛這檔事, 雖然時間可能會不夠, 所以,各位如果想聽我說—— 想?你們想聽? 好。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
There are studies done on the frequency with which individuals engage in the conjugal act, as broken down by male, female; introvert, extrovert. So I ask you: How many times per minute -- oh, I'm sorry, that was a rat study --
這項研究是把 男生、女生、內向、外向的人做分類, 調查每個人的做愛頻率; 我問各位: 你每分鐘可以做幾次—— 喔,對不起,那是有關老鼠的研究——
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
How many times per month do introverted men engage in the act? 3.0. Extroverted men? More or less? Yes, more. 5.5 -- almost twice as much. Introverted women: 3.1. Extroverted women? Frankly, speaking as an introverted male, which I will explain later -- they are heroic. 7.5. They not only handle all the male extroverts, they pick up a few introverts as well.
內向的男人每個月平均 可以做幾次愛? 3.0 次 外向的男人呢? 更多,還是更少? 沒錯,更多。 5.5 次——接近兩倍。 內向的女人:3.1 次。 外向的女人呢? 坦白說,對我這個內向的男人來說, 我晚點會解釋 她們超猛的, 7.5 次。 她們不只上了所有外向的男人, 連一些內向的男人都被她們搞了。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
(Applause)
(掌聲)
We communicate differently, extroverts and introverts. Extroverts, when they interact, want to have lots of social encounter punctuated by closeness. They'd like to stand close for comfortable communication. They like to have a lot of eye contact, or mutual gaze. We found in some research that they use more diminutive terms when they meet somebody. So when an extrovert meets a Charles, it rapidly becomes "Charlie," and then "Chuck," and then "Chuckles Baby."
內向的人跟外向的人 溝通的方式也不同。 外向的人在互動時, 比較喜歡近距離的社交方式, 為了有一個舒服的溝通方式, 他們會站的比較靠近。 他們喜歡眼神的交會, 或互相盯著對方看。 在一些研究裡我們發現, 他們在跟人互動時, 也很喜歡用小名。 比如,當一個外向的人 遇到了「查理斯」, 沒多久,就會叫對方「查理」, 然後「小查」, 最後變成「阿查寶貝」
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
Whereas for introverts, it remains "Charles," until he's given a pass to be more intimate by the person he's talking to. We speak differently. Extroverts prefer black-and-white, concrete, simple language. Introverts prefer -- and I must again tell you that I am as extreme an introvert as you could possibly imagine -- we speak differently. We prefer contextually complex, contingent, weasel-word sentences --
而內向的人, 在跟對方不熟的時候, 就只會叫對方「查理斯」。 我們說話的方式也不同。 外向的人,喜歡黑白分明、 簡單明瞭的語言。 內向的人喜歡—— 我要再說一遍, 我是一個極端內向的人, 所以你可以想像—— 我們說話的方式不同, 我們喜歡複雜的詞彙、 無俚頭、 有朦朧美的詞彙——
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
More or less.
或多或少啦!
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
As it were.
好像是喔!
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
Not to put too fine a point upon it -- like that.
講話都不說重點—— 像這樣。
When we talk, we sometimes talk past each other. I had a consulting contract I shared with a colleague who's as different from me as two people can possibly be. First, his name is Tom. Mine isn't.
當我們在說話時, 我們常常會雞同鴨講。 我跟一個同事共享一個顧問合約, 我們兩個完全不同。 第一,他的名字叫湯姆。 我的不是......
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
Secondly, he's six foot five. I have a tendency not to be.
第二,他身高六呎五。 我好像也沒那麼高。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
And thirdly, he's as extroverted a person as you could find. I am seriously introverted. I overload so much, I can't even have a cup of coffee after three in the afternoon and expect to sleep in the evening.
第三,他簡直外向透頂了。 而我是極度內向。 我想得太多, 如果下午三點後喝咖啡的話, 晚上就別想睡了。
We had seconded to this project a fellow called Michael. And Michael almost brought the project to a crashing halt. So the person who seconded him asked Tom and me, "What do you make of Michael?" Well, I'll tell you what Tom said in a minute. He spoke in classic "extrovert-ese." And here is how extroverted ears heard what I said, which is actually pretty accurate. I said, "Well Michael does have a tendency at times of behaving in a way that some of us might see as perhaps more assertive than is normally called for."
我們把專案發包給第二個同事, 他叫邁可, 邁可簡直把專案搞砸了。 所以提名他的人, 問湯姆和我的意見, 「你們認為邁可如何?」 我等一下告訴各位, 湯姆在那一分鐘內怎麼說他的。 他講話的方式超外向、超經典的, 另外,從我嘴巴講出來的話, 經過了外向的耳朵 也會做出調整。 我說,「好吧!邁可的行為, 的確、有時候、有點..... 行為也許...比一般... 正常人稍微固執一點啦!」
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
Tom rolled his eyes and he said, "Brian, that's what I said: he's an asshole!"
湯姆瞪大眼睛立刻說, 「布萊恩,我也是這麼說: 他就是個王八蛋!」
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
(Applause)
(掌聲)
Now, as an introvert, I might gently allude to certain "assholic" qualities in this man's behavior, but I'm not going to lunge for the a-word.
身為一個內向的人, 我也許會委婉的形容 這個人的「王八」行為, 但我不會飆髒話啊。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
But the extrovert says, "If he walks like one, if he talks like one, I call him one." And we go past each other.
但外向的人會說, 「如果他走路、說話的方式像某人, 我就認定他就是那種人」 然後我們就開始雞同鴨講了。
Now is this something that we should be heedful of? Of course. It's important that we know this. Is that all we are? Are we just a bunch of traits? No, we're not. Remember, you're like some other people and like no other person. How about that idiosyncratic you? As Elizabeth or as George, you may share your extroversion or your neuroticism. But are there some distinctively Elizabethan features of your behavior, or Georgian of yours, that make us understand you better than just a bunch of traits? That make us love you? Not just because you're a certain type of person.
我們是不是應該要注意一下這種狀況? 當然要。 我們知道這很重要。 我們大部分人都是這樣嗎? 我們不過是一些性格特質的整合嗎? 不,我們不是。 記得,你也許跟一些人很像 但跟其他人不一樣。 這些特色是怎麼形塑出你的獨特性的? 就像伊莉莎白或喬治, 你們可能有一樣的外向 或神經質的個性。 但你跟伊莉莎白或喬治的個性特色 有沒有一些明顯的區別方式, 比起各式各樣的特色, 可以讓我們更了解你 或更喜歡你? 而不單純只是因為你是某一類的人。
I'm uncomfortable putting people in pigeonholes. I don't even think pigeons belong in pigeonholes. So what is it that makes us different? It's the doings that we have in our life -- the personal projects. You have a personal project right now, but nobody may know it here. It relates to your kid -- you've been back three times to the hospital, and they still don't know what's wrong. Or it could be your mom. And you'd been acting out of character. These are free traits. You're very agreeable, but you act disagreeably in order to break down those barriers of administrative torpor in the hospital, to get something for your mom or your child.
我不喜歡把人像鴿子一樣 放進鴿舍裡做分類。 我甚至認為鴿子不屬於鴿舍。 所以,到底是什麼使 我們不一樣呢? 是我們生命中所做的事 ——個人目標。 你現在就有一個個人目標, 但在場也許沒有人知道。 這也許跟你小孩有關—— 你已經去醫院三次了, 但醫生仍然不知道為什麼。 或者跟你母親有關。 你表現的跟平常不太一樣。 這些是「自由特性」在作祟, (違反原本生物天性的特性) 你原本是和藹可親的, 但突然表現地不和藹可親了, 因為你想打破醫院 麻木的行政管理障礙 讓你母親或小孩可以得到一些東西。
What are these free traits? They're where we enact a script in order to advance a core project in our lives. And they are what matters. Don't ask people what type you are; ask them, "What are your core projects in your life?" And we enact those free traits. I'm an introvert, but I have a core project, which is to profess. I'm a professor. And I adore my students, and I adore my field. And I can't wait to tell them about what's new, what's exciting, what I can't wait to tell them about. And so I act in an extroverted way, because at eight in the morning, the students need a little bit of humor, a little bit of engagement to keep them going in arduous days of study.
「自由特性」是甚麼? 它們是一種腳本, 能夠改善我們生命中的核心。 它們是很重要的。 不要問別人你是哪一類的人; 要問他們,「你人生的主要目標是甚麼?」 然後我們會採用這些腳本。 (來幫助我們的專案) 我是內向的人。 但我有一個核心目標, 就是教導專業知識, 我是一位教授。 我喜歡我的學生, 我熱愛我的專業領域。 我會忍不住要趕緊告訴他們, 我的新事物、新發現。 所以,我就會用外向的 呈現方式來教學, 因為早上八點上課的學生, 需要一些幽默的老師, 讓他們在辛苦的研究中, 可以持續的保持參與感。
But we need to be very careful when we act protractedly out of character. Sometimes we may find that we don't take care of ourselves. I find, for example, after a period of pseudo-extroverted behavior, I need to repair somewhere on my own. As Susan Cain said in her "Quiet" book, in a chapter that featured the strange Canadian professor who was teaching at the time at Harvard, I sometimes go to the men's room to escape the slings and arrows of outrageous extroverts.
但我們要小心, 當我們表現的與平常不一樣 太久一段時間後, 有時候,我們也許會發現我們 沒照顧好我們自己。 舉個例子,我發現, 經過一段時間的假裝外向的行為, 我自己也需要平復一下。 就如同蘇珊坎恩<<安靜>> 這本書裡面寫的一樣, 書中有一個章節提到, 一位在哈佛教書的加拿大教授, 我有時候會躲進男生廁所, 去逃避那些反常的外向人 的閒言閒語。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
I remember one particular day when I was retired to a cubicle, trying to avoid overstimulation. And a real extrovert came in beside me -- not right in my cubicle, but in the next cubicle over -- and I could hear various evacuatory noises, which we hate -- even our own, that's why we flush during as well as after.
我記得有一天, 我在一間小房間裡休息, 嘗試著要避免過度的刺激。 然後有一個超級外向的人走進來, ——不是走到我隔壁的小房間, 但就在隔一間—— 我幾乎可以聽到 各式各樣擾人的噪音, 就是很讓人討厭的那種—— 即使是我們自己製造出來的, 這也是為什麼我後來 會氣到臉紅的原因。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
And then I heard this gravelly voice saying, "Hey, is that Dr. Little?"
然後,我突然聽到一個 沙啞的聲音喊著, 「嘿!那不是小布教授嗎?」
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
If anything is guaranteed to constipate an introvert for six months, it's talking on the john.
如果有任何保證可以讓內向的人 便秘六個月的方法, 就是在廁所裡聊天!
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
That's where I'm going now. Don't follow me.
現在,我可要去廁所了! 別跟著我。
Thank you.
感謝各位!
(Applause)
(掌聲)