Who are you, really? The puzzle of personality
TED簡介：2016 心理 |我是誰? 我真的了解自己嗎? 心理學上常用一些性格特征給我們定義和分類, 本期TED演講者Brian Little博士將為大家分享他在心理學領域的研究發現,幫助我們更清晰的認識自己，同時認識他人。
演講者：Brian Little
片長：15：10
視頻+中英對照翻譯+音頻原文：性格的迷思——你究竟是誰？
中英文對照翻譯
What an intriguing group of individuals you are ...?to a psychologist.
你們是多么有趣的一群人啊……?當然，是對心理學家而言。
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.
在過去幾天里，我有機會傾聽你們的交談，觀察你們的互動。我想我已經可以大膽地說，此時此刻，在你們中間，有47個人，已經表現出了精神病癥狀，我今天就想聊聊這個。
And I thought you might like to know who you are.
我想你們都很想知道到底是誰有精神病。
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.
我不會直接指出來，因為那樣很沒必要，也不禮貌，我會列舉一些事實和情況，你們可以跟自己對照一下。
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.
我從事的是人格心理學研究，它屬于人格科學的范疇。人格科學的研究領域跨度很大，從神經元到敘述學。而我們的研究方向，是用我們的方式，來弄清楚，為什么我們每一個人——在座的每一位——?在某些方面，跟其他所有人都一樣，或者只跟部分人一樣，或者跟誰都不一樣。
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."
也許你們會評價自己?“我不是個有趣的人。我在西半球最無趣排行榜上排第46名。”?也許你會評價自己，“我是個有趣的人，盡管大部分人都覺得我是個傻瓜。”
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.
但正是你們這種自我認知的無聊或者內在的“傻”，讓我這個心理學家覺得非常有趣。我來解釋一下為什么。
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.
人格心理學中最有影響力的方法，叫做特質理論，它用5個正態分布的維度判定你，這5個維度描述了被廣泛認同的人與人之間不同的5個方面。這5個方面的首字母縮寫是OCEAN。“O”代表“開放性”，與之對立的是 那些不愿冒險的人。
"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.
“C”代表的是“責任感”，與之相反的是那些懶散隨意的人。“E”指的是“外向性”，與之相對的是內向的人。“A”——“宜人性”?與之相對的是不那么和善的人。最后是“N”—— “神經質”?與之相對的是那些更加穩定平和的人。
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.
這5個方面影響我們的健康，影響我們的人生走向。眾所周知，開放性和責任感往往意味著成功，但開放的人在通往成功之路上變得大膽，有時甚至古怪。有責任感的人會緊守最后期限，獲得成功，他們堅持不懈，他們懷有激情。
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.
外向性和宜人性都有助于與人和諧相處。比如，外向的人，我就覺得很有趣。在課堂上，我有時會講一個基本事實能揭示人的性格特點：我說，一個成年人無法舔到他們的手肘外側。
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.
你們知道這事嗎？你們中有些人已經嘗試過舔自己的手肘外側了。但你們中那些外向的人不但已經嘗試過（舔自己的手肘）而且連坐他們旁邊的人的手肘也沒有放過。
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.
讓我再討論一下外向性格的一些細節，因為它影響深遠而且很有意思，能幫我們理解人類的三種天性。第一種是生物學天性——我們的神經生理學。第二種是社會學天性，又叫第二天性，與我們的文化和社會屬性相關。而第三種，讓你成為獨一無二的“你”?我稱之為場景特定天性。
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.
下面我來解釋一下。外向性格的人的一大特征就是他們需要刺激。這種刺激可以是令人興奮的事：比如巨大的聲響、熱鬧的聚會和TED這樣的社交事件——你會發現外向者會形成 一個磁性的內核。他們會聚集到一起。所以我才會在這里遇見你們。
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.
而內向的人更喜歡上到二樓找個安靜的地方待著，以減少外界刺激——這樣做可能會被誤認為不喜歡社交，但其實這并不絕對。也許你只是單純地知道自己在外界刺激較低的時候狀態更好。
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 morningand say, "I really need a cup of coffee,"?they're not kidding —?they really do.
這也包括內在刺激，來自你的體內。比如說，咖啡因有時候對外向的人比內向的人更有效。當外向者早上9點走進辦公室，說，“我需要一杯咖啡。”?他們沒開玩笑——他們是真需要。
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.
內向者就不會這么做，尤其是當他們正在干的活兒——而且他們已經喝過咖啡了——?如果這些活兒很急，而且有量化標準，內向者會表現得好像這些活兒沒有特別的量化標準。但這是一種誤導。
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.
因此我們能得出一些非常有趣的結論：我們經常會表里不一，這就引出了我下一個觀點。我事先聲明，我要說的，是關于做愛的事情，但我的時間可能不太夠。所以，如果你們想讓我說的話——什么？你們很想聽？好吧。
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 —
有人做過，關于人做愛頻率的研究，分類標準有男性、女性、內向者、外向者。我想問大家：每分鐘做多少次——哦，對不起，每分鐘多少次說的是老鼠——
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.
內向的男性每個月有多少次性行為？3.0次。外向的男性呢？更多還是更少？沒錯，更多。5.5次，差不多是2倍。內向的女性：3.1次。外向的女性呢？老實說，作為一個內向的男性 ——關于這一點我稍后會解釋——我覺得她們太厲害了。7.5次。?她們不但搞定了所有外向的男人，?還順便挑了幾個內向的。
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."
外向者和內向者的交流方式有所不同。外向者在與人互動時，喜歡肢體接觸，喜歡親近對方。他們喜歡靠近對方，近距離交流。他們喜歡眼神接觸，甚至相互凝視。有研究表明外向者更喜歡使用昵稱。比如當一個外向者遇見一個叫查爾斯的人，很快就會開始叫他“查理”，然后變成“查克”，然后變成“小查查”。
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 —
而內向者呢，?會一直叫他“查理”，直到對方認為他倆的關系已經足夠親密。外向者和內向者的說話方式也不同。外向者喜歡確定、具體、簡潔的語言。而內向者喜歡——我必須再次提醒大家，我是一個十足的內向者——我們說話方式很不一樣。我們內向者更喜歡說一些復雜難懂，模棱兩可，云山霧罩的話——
More or less.
或多或少吧。
As it were.
基本是這樣。
Not to put too fine a point upon it —?like that.
不把話說死——?就像剛才那樣。
When we talk,?we sometimes talk past each other.?I had a consulting contract I shared with a colleaguewho's as different from me as two people can possibly be.?First, his name is Tom.?Mine isn't.
我們在說話的時候，經常會打太極，推來推去。我跟一名同事共同負責一項咨詢業務，我跟他是截然不同的兩個人。首先，他叫湯姆。我不叫湯姆。
Secondly, he's six foot five.?I have a tendency not to be.
其次，他身高1米96。我這輩子是不指望了。
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.
第三點，他是個及其外向的人。而我十分內向。我心思很重，我要是下午三點之后喝了杯咖啡，那晚上就別想睡了。
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."
我們還有一個助手，叫麥克。麥克幾乎把整個項目給搞砸了。麥克的繼任者問我和湯姆，“你們怎么評價麥克？”?我稍后再告訴你湯姆是怎么說的。他的回答是非常典型的外向型。而我的回答嘛，其實在外向者聽來，應該是非常精確的。我說，“其實，麥克有時候的一些做法，在我們某些人看來也許過于自信了，可能有時候有點過分。”
Tom rolled his eyes and he said,?"Brian, that's what I said:?he's an asshole!"
湯姆翻了個白眼，說，?“布萊恩，這不就是我剛剛說的：他就是個混蛋！”
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.
作為一名內向者，我也許會委婉地暗示，這個人的行為確實比較混蛋，但我不會直接使用“混蛋”這個詞。
But the extrovert says,?"If he walks like one, if he talks like one, I call him one."?And we go past each other.
但外向者會說，“如果他表現得像個混蛋，我就會稱他混蛋。”?這就是我們的不同。
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?
這一點我們是不是需要留意呢？那是當然。這一點非常重要。但這就完了嗎？我們就只有這幾種特點嗎？并非如此。別忘了，你們跟一些人很像但又獨一無二。這個獨一無二的你 到底是什么樣的呢？
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.
伊麗莎白們或者喬治們，你們可能都有些外向或者神經過敏。但你們的行為中是不是有些伊麗莎白獨有的或者喬治獨有的特點，能讓我們更好地了解你？而不是簡單地對號入座？能讓我們喜歡上你？不僅僅因為你是某種特定類型的人。
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.
我不喜歡把人放進鴿子籠里，然后貼上標簽。我甚至覺得鴿子都不應該待在鴿子籠里。究竟是什么讓我們與眾不同呢？是我們一生的所作所為——我們的個人事業。你們大家都有個人事業，但可能誰都沒有意識到。也許這事業跟孩子有關——你已經去醫院三趟了，醫生們還是查不出你孩子的病因。或者生病的是你母親。
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.
你會做一些跟你的性格不相符的事情。這些是可變的性格特點。你本和善可親，卻表現得咄咄逼人，只為了對抗如今醫院里無處不在的懶散風氣，讓自己的母親或者孩子得到及時治療。
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.
這些可變的性格特點到底是什么？那是我們演的一出戲，為了達成我們生命中最重要的目標。而這才是最重要的。不要問別人是什么性格的人，而要問他們，“你們生命中最重要的事是什么？”?然后我們身上的可變性格特點就會被激發。
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.
我是一個內向的人，但我最重要的事業是教書。我是一名教授。我熱愛我的學生，也熱愛我的事業領域。我總是迫不及待地想 與他們分享，?那些新奇有趣的事情。?因此我會表現得 像一個外向的人，?因為早上8點，?學生需要一點幽默，?需要一點激勵，?才能熬過一天緊張的學習。
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.
但是當我們扮演其他性格的時候?需要萬分小心。（因為）有時候我們對自己太狠。我發現自己在假裝外向性格一段時間之后，我需要自己躲起來療傷。就像蘇珊?凱恩在《安靜》這本書中所寫，其中一章提到一位古怪的加拿大教授，當時他在哈佛大學教書，他有時候會跑到男廁所，為了躲避煩人的外向者投來的明槍暗箭。
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.
有一次我自己也躲進了小隔間，為了暫避外界紛擾。這時來了一個外向者，到我旁邊，——當然不是在一個小隔間是在我旁邊的小隔間——我聽見了一連串物體落水的聲音，這聲音是很煩人的——哪怕是我們自己的，所以我們才會在上大號的中途也沖水。
And then I heard this gravelly voice saying,?"Hey, is that Dr. Little?"
隨后我就聽到了一個沙啞的聲音，?“嘿，請問是利特爾博士嗎？”
If anything is guaranteed to constipate an introvert for six months,?it's talking on the john.
如果有什么事情能讓內向者便秘6個月 那一定是在上大號的時候聊天。
That's where I'm going now.?Don't follow me.
我現在就想去洗手間靜靜。別跟著我。
Thank you.(Applause)
謝謝您啦。（掌聲）
網友熱評
【 最 熱 TED 】
后臺回復“目錄”查看全部往期文章
【 入 群 】
TED | 觀后感交流群 | TED打卡群
請加萬水：hey-hey-
或后臺回復“加群”
