As your morning alarm blares, you mutter to yourself, “Why did I set it so early?” While brushing your teeth, you think, “I need a haircut... unless?” Rushing out the front door, you reach for your keys and realize they’re not there. Frustrated you shout, “I can’t do anything right!” just in time to notice your neighbor.
當鬧鐘響起,你嘀咕著 「我幹嘛把鬧鐘設得這麼早?」 你在刷牙的時候想著 「我該剪頭髮了......除非?」 你匆匆趕出門,伸手去拿鑰匙, 發現它不在包包裡。 你灰心地大吼, 「我什麼都做不好!」 在這時注意到你鄰居在旁邊。
Being caught talking to yourself can feel embarrassing, and some people even stigmatize this behavior as a sign of mental instability. But decades of psychology research show that talking to yourself is completely normal. In fact, most, if not all, of us engage in some form of self-talk every single day. So why do we talk to ourselves? And does what we say matter?
被發現在自言自語感覺很尷尬, 有些人甚至把這種行為汙名化, 將其視為精神不穩定的表現。 但數十年的心理學研究表明, 自言自語是很正常的。 事實上,即使不是人人如此, 大多數人天天有某種形式的自我對話, 每一天。 為什麼我們會自言自語呢? 我們說了什麼很重要嗎?
Self-talk refers to the narration inside your head, sometimes called inner speech. It differs from mental imagery or recalling facts and figures. Specifically, psychologists define self-talk as verbalized thoughts directed toward yourself or some facet of your life. This includes personal conversations like “I need to work on my free throw.” But it also includes reflections you have throughout the day, like “The gym is crowded tonight. I’ll come back tomorrow.” And while most self-talk in adults tends to be silent, speaking to yourself out loud also falls into this category.
自我對話是在你腦海裡的旁白, 有時被稱為內在語言。 它不同於心理圖像 或記憶中準確的資料。 具體來說,心理學家將自我對話定義為 把想法或生活中的某個面向 化為言辭表達 這包含像是「我需要增進 罰球技巧」等個人對話 但也包含了你一整天經歷的反映。 像是「健身房今晚太多人了, 我明天再來。」 雖然大部分成人的自我對話是無聲的, 但有聲的自我對話也屬於此類型。
In fact, psychologists believe our first experiences with self-talk are mostly vocal, as children often speak to themselves out loud as they play. In the 1930s, Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky hypothesized that this kind of speech was actually key to development. By repeating conversations they’ve had with adults, children practice managing their behaviors and emotions on their own. Then, as they grow older, this outward self-talk tends to become internalized, morphing into a private inner dialogue.
事實上,心理學家相信 我們首次的自我對話 多數是有聲的。 像小孩在玩耍時, 常常會大聲地跟自己講話。 1930 年,俄國心理學家 李夫·維高斯基提出假設, 認為這類型的言語是成長的關鍵。 藉由重複他們與大人的對話, 孩子們練習自己管理行為和情緒。 在他們長大後,這個表露在外的 自我對話會趨於內化, 然後演變成私人的內心對話。
We know this internal self-talk is important, and can help you plan, work through difficult situations, and even motivate you throughout the day. But studying self-talk can be difficult. It relies on study subjects clearly tracking a behavior that’s spontaneous and often done without conscious control. For this reason, scientists are still working to answer basic questions, like, why do some people self-talk more than others? What areas of the brain are activated during self-talk? And how does this activation differ from normal conversation? One thing we know for certain, however, is that what you say in these conversations can have real impacts on your attitude and performance.
我們知道這種內在的自我對話很重要, 可以幫助你擬定計畫、度過困境, 甚至可以激勵你一整天。 但是研究自我對話是很困難的。 它仰賴於研究對象 清楚地追蹤自發性的行為, 並且經常在無意識控制的情況下完成。 因為這個原因,科學家 仍在努力回答基本問題, 像是為何有些人 比其他人更常有自我對話? 大腦哪一區塊在自我對話時 處於活化的狀態? 這種活化與正常對話時 有何不同? 然而,我們可以肯定的是 你在這些對話中所說的話 會對你的態度和表現產生影響。
Engaging in self-talk that’s instructional or motivational has been shown to increase focus, boost self-esteem, and help tackle everyday tasks. For example, one study of collegiate tennis players found that incorporating instructional self-talk into practice increased their concentration and accuracy.
進行引導性或鼓舞人心的自我對話 已被證明可增加注意力及提升自信, 並且協助處理每天的工作。 舉例來說,有一個針對 大學網球運動員的研究發現 在練習中結合了引導性的自我對話 增加了運動員的專注力及準確度。
And just as chatting to a friend can help decrease stress, speaking directly to yourself may also help you regulate your emotions. Distanced self-talk is when you talk to yourself, as if in conversation with another person. So, rather than “I’m going to crush this exam,” you might think, “Caleb, you are prepared for this test!” One study found that this kind of self-talk was especially beneficial for reducing stress when engaging in anxiety-inducing tasks, such as meeting new people or public speaking.
就像跟朋友聊天可以減輕壓力一樣, 跟自己講話也可以幫助你調節情緒。 有距離的自我對話 是當你跟自己講話時, 就像在跟另一個人對話一樣。 所以與其說「我會考得很好。」 你會想著,「迦勒, 你準備好面對這次的考試了!」 一項研究發現 這種自我對話可以有效地 減輕在從事焦慮的任務時的壓力, 比如結識新朋友或公開演講。
But where positive self-talk can help you, negative self-talk can harm you. Most people are critical of themselves occasionally, but when this behavior gets too frequent or excessively negative, it can become toxic. High levels of negative self-talk are often predictive of anxiety in children and adults. And those who constantly blame themselves for their problems and ruminate on those situations typically experience more intense feelings of depression.
既然積極的自我對話可以幫助你, 消極的自我對話就會傷害你。 多數人有時候對於自己很挑剔, 但當這個行為太常發生或過度負面, 就會給自己造成陰影。 高程度的負面自我對話通常是 小孩跟成人焦慮的前兆。 那些經常為自己的問題自責 並長時間思考這些情況的人 通常會經歷更強烈的抑鬱情緒。
Today, there’s a field of psychological treatment called cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which is partially focused on regulating the tone of self-talk. Cognitive behavioral therapists often teach strategies to identify cycles of negative thoughts and replace them with neutral or more compassionate reflections. Over time, these tools can improve one's mental health.
現今,有個心理治療的領域 叫做認知行為療法,或稱為CBT, 它側重於調節自我對話的語氣。 認知行為治療師通常會教你一些策略 來確定消極思想的循環, 並用中立思想 或更有同情心的思考取代。 隨著時間的推移,這些工具 可以改善一個人的心理健康。
So the next time you find yourself chatting with yourself, remember to be kind. That inner voice is a partner you’ll be talking to for many years to come.
所以下次發現自己在跟自己聊天時, 記得對自己友善點。 內心的聲音將會是未來 與你交談多年的伙伴。