TEDxWomen 2011
Laura Carstensen: Older people are happier
劳拉.卡斯滕森：老年人更快乐
Filmed:
Readability: 4.8
1,414,570 views
20世纪，我们的期望寿命史无前例地大幅增加，但生活质量同步增加了吗?出人意料地——是的！在TED女性大会上，心理学家劳拉.卡斯滕森展示了相关研究，表明人们年龄渐长的同时变得更快乐、更满足，对世界有了更积极的观点。
Laura Carstensen - Psychologist
Laura Carstensen is the director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, and has extensively studied the effects on wellbeing of extended lifetimes. Full bio
Laura Carstensen is the director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, and has extensively studied the effects on wellbeing of extended lifetimes. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
People are living longer
0
0
2000
人们现在越活越久
00:17
and societies are getting grayer.
1
2000
2000
社会也逐渐变得老龄化
00:19
You hear about it all the time.
2
4000
2000
你可能总是听到别人这么说
00:21
You read about it in your newspapers.
3
6000
2000
你也从报纸上如是读到
00:23
You hear about it on your television sets.
4
8000
2000
从电视上看到
00:25
Sometimes I'm concerned
5
10000
2000
有时候我很担心
00:27
that we hear about it so much
6
12000
2000
我们听过长寿太多次
00:29
that we've come to accept longer lives
7
14000
3000
以至于人们带着自满
00:32
with a kind of a complacency,
8
17000
2000
甚至安逸的情绪开始接受
00:34
even ease.
9
19000
2000
长寿的事实
00:36
But make no mistake,
10
21000
3000
但是请别搞错
00:39
longer lives can
11
24000
2000
长寿能够 --
00:41
and, I believe, will
12
26000
2000
而且我相信，它肯定会 --
00:43
improve quality of life
13
28000
2000
改善所有年龄的人们的
00:45
at all ages.
14
30000
2000
生活品质
00:47
Now to put this in perspective,
15
32000
2000
现在让我们先拉个远景
00:49
let me just zoom out for a minute.
16
34000
3000
从宏观的角度来看
00:52
More years were added
17
37000
3000
人们的
00:55
to average life expectancy
18
40000
2000
平均寿命
00:57
in the 20th century
19
42000
2000
在整个20世纪增加的年数
00:59
than all years added
20
44000
3000
要比
01:02
across all prior millennia
21
47000
4000
上千年来
01:06
of human evolution combined.
22
51000
3000
人类进化过程中所增加的总和还要多
01:09
In the blink of an eye,
23
54000
2000
就在眨眼之间
01:11
we nearly doubled the length of time
24
56000
3000
我们已经将我们的寿命
01:14
that we're living.
25
59000
2000
延长了一倍
01:16
So if you ever feel like you don't have this aging thing quite pegged,
26
61000
3000
所以，如果你觉得你对变老这件事并不关心
01:19
don't kick yourself.
27
64000
2000
不要自责
01:21
It's brand new.
28
66000
2000
这个话题太新了
01:23
And because fertility rates fell
29
68000
2000
因为在同一时期内
01:25
across that very same period
30
70000
2000
生育率下降了
01:27
that life expectancy was going up,
31
72000
4000
平均寿命增加了
01:31
that pyramid
32
76000
2000
那个用来表示
01:33
that has always represented the distribution of age in the population,
33
78000
3000
人口年龄分布的金字塔形
01:36
with many young ones at the bottom
34
81000
3000
底部的年轻人口总是很多
01:39
winnowed to a tiny peak of older people
35
84000
3000
延伸到老龄人口的尖顶
01:42
who make it and survive to old age
36
87000
2000
那些是成功存活到高龄的人
01:44
is being reshaped
37
89000
2000
（人口金字塔）形状发生了改变
01:46
into a rectangle.
38
91000
3000
变成了长方形
01:49
And now, if you're the kind of person
39
94000
2000
如果你是那种
01:51
who can get chills from population statistics,
40
96000
4000
对人口统计感到恐惧的人
01:55
these are the ones that should do it.
41
100000
2000
这些变化应该会让你感到难受
01:57
Because what that means
42
102000
2000
因为这变化表明
01:59
is that for the first time in the history of the species,
43
104000
3000
在人类种族历史上头一回
02:02
the majority of babies born
44
107000
2000
大多数
02:04
in the Developed World
45
109000
2000
在发达国家出生的婴儿
02:06
are having the opportunity
46
111000
3000
有机会
02:09
to grow old.
47
114000
2000
活到老年
02:11
How did this happen?
48
116000
3000
这是怎么发生的？
02:14
Well we're no genetically hardier than our ancestors were
49
119000
2000
我们并不是在基因上
02:16
10,000 years ago.
50
121000
2000
比一万年前的祖先强壮
02:18
This increase in life expectancy
51
123000
2000
平均寿命的增加
02:20
is the remarkable product of culture --
52
125000
3000
全要归功于文化 --
02:23
the crucible
53
128000
2000
一个包含了
02:25
that holds science and technology
54
130000
2000
科学和技术
02:27
and wide-scale changes in behavior
55
132000
3000
以及广泛的（社会）行为改变的熔炉
02:30
that improve health and well-being.
56
135000
3000
导致人们的健康和福利的增进
02:33
Through cultural changes,
57
138000
2000
通过文化的改变
02:35
our ancestors
58
140000
2000
我们的祖先
02:37
largely eliminated early death
59
142000
3000
大幅度地消除了早亡
02:40
so that people can now live out their full lives.
60
145000
3000
所以现在的人可以走完完整的一生
02:44
Now there are problems associated with aging --
61
149000
3000
老龄化催生了很多问题
02:47
diseases, poverty, loss of social status.
62
152000
3000
疾病、贫困、社会地位的丧失
02:50
It's hardly time to rest on our laurels.
63
155000
2000
这可不是坐享荣誉的时候
02:52
But the more we learn about aging,
64
157000
2000
不过当我们研究的越多
02:54
the clearer it becomes
65
159000
2000
老龄化就变得越清晰
02:56
that a sweeping downward course
66
161000
2000
把它说成是一条单纯的下坡路
02:58
is grossly inaccurate.
67
163000
3000
是非常不准确的
03:01
Aging brings some rather remarkable improvements --
68
166000
4000
衰老也带来一些非同凡响的进步
03:05
increased knowledge, expertise --
69
170000
3000
知识的增加，专业的精深
03:08
and emotional aspects of life improve.
70
173000
6000
人生的情绪层面也有所提升
03:14
That's right,
71
179000
2000
这句话很对
03:16
older people are happy.
72
181000
3000
老年人是快乐的
03:19
They're happier than middle-aged people,
73
184000
2000
他们比中年人更快乐
03:21
and younger people certainly.
74
186000
2000
更理所当然地比年轻人更快乐
03:23
Study after study
75
188000
2000
一个又一个的研究
03:25
is coming to the same conclusion.
76
190000
2000
证实了相同的结论
03:27
The CDC recently conducted a survey
77
192000
3000
疾病防治中心(CDC)最近进行了一次调查
03:30
where they asked respondents simply to tell them
78
195000
3000
他们简单地要求受试者来报告
03:33
whether they experienced significant psychological distress
79
198000
2000
在过去的一周里自己是否经历了
03:35
in the previous week.
80
200000
2000
重大的心理困扰
03:37
And fewer older people answered affirmatively to that question
81
202000
3000
老年人承认有这类问题的
03:40
than middle-aged people,
82
205000
2000
比中年人少
03:42
and younger people as well.
83
207000
2000
也比年轻人少
03:44
And a recent Gallup poll
84
209000
2000
一项近期的盖洛普调查
03:46
asked participants
85
211000
2000
询问参与者
03:48
how much stress and worry and anger
86
213000
2000
有多少压力、焦虑和愤怒情绪
03:50
they had experienced the previous day.
87
215000
2000
他们在前一天体验过
03:52
And stress, worry, anger
88
217000
4000
压力、焦虑、愤怒
03:56
all decrease with age.
89
221000
3000
都随着年龄增长而减少
04:00
Now social scientists call this the paradox of aging.
90
225000
3000
社会学家称这种现象为老龄化悖论
04:03
After all, aging is not a piece of cake.
91
228000
3000
老龄化可不是小事
04:06
So we've asked all sorts of questions
92
231000
2000
我们问了各种各样的问题
04:08
to see if we could undo this finding.
93
233000
4000
试图推翻这个研究结论
04:12
We've asked whether it may be
94
237000
2000
我们提出这可能是因为
04:14
that the current generations of older people
95
239000
3000
现在正值老年的这一代人
04:17
are and always have been
96
242000
2000
一直以来都是
04:19
the greatest generations.
97
244000
2000
最伟大的一代人
04:21
That is that younger people today
98
246000
2000
而现在的年青一代
04:23
may not typically experience these improvements
99
248000
3000
可能不会在成长过程中
04:26
as they grow older.
100
251000
2000
经历同样的进步
04:28
We've asked,
101
253000
2000
我们也提出
04:30
well maybe older people are just trying to put a positive spin
102
255000
3000
也许老年人只是在发扬阿Q精神
04:33
on an otherwise depressing existence.
103
258000
2000
来应对令人沮丧的事实
04:35
(Laughter)
104
260000
2000
（笑声）
04:37
But the more we've tried to disavow this finding,
105
262000
3000
然而我们越是想要颠覆这个结论
04:40
the more evidence we find
106
265000
2000
反而找到越多的证据
04:42
to support it.
107
267000
2000
来支持这个结论
04:44
Years ago, my colleagues and I embarked on a study
108
269000
2000
很多年前，我和同事一起开始了一项研究
04:46
where we followed the same group of people over a 10-year period.
109
271000
3000
我们对同一组人进行跟踪调查长达十年
04:49
Originally the sample was aged 18 to 94.
110
274000
4000
这组人最开始的年龄从18岁到94岁不等
04:53
And we studied whether and how their emotional experiences changed
111
278000
3000
我们研究了他们的情绪体验
04:56
as they grew older.
112
281000
2000
是否随着岁月而改变
04:58
Our participants would carry electronic pagers
113
283000
3000
研究参与者随身携带电子纸张
05:01
for a week at a time,
114
286000
2000
每次持续一周时间
05:03
and we'd page them throughout the day and evenings at random times.
115
288000
3000
我们在早晚的任意时间呼叫他们
05:06
And every time we paged them
116
291000
2000
每一次我们呼叫他们
05:08
we'd ask them to answer several questions --
117
293000
2000
我们会问他们几个问题
05:10
On a one to seven scale, how happy are you right now?
118
295000
3000
用1到7的量表来衡量他们当时高兴的程度
05:13
How sad are you right now?
119
298000
2000
悲伤的程度
05:15
How frustrated are you right now? --
120
300000
2000
沮丧的程度
05:17
so that we could get a sense
121
302000
2000
这样我们就能
05:19
of the kinds of emotions and feelings they were having
122
304000
2000
监测到他们情绪和感觉上的
05:21
in their day-to-day lives.
123
306000
2000
日常状况
05:23
And using this intense study
124
308000
2000
通过这种
05:25
of individuals,
125
310000
2000
对个人的密集调查
05:27
we find that it's not one particular generation
126
312000
4000
我们发现并没有任何一代人
05:31
that's doing better than the others,
127
316000
2000
比其他人更好
05:33
but the same individuals over time
128
318000
3000
但是同一个人随着年岁增长
05:36
come to report relatively greater
129
321000
2000
开始报告
05:38
positive experience.
130
323000
2000
相对更积极的体验
05:40
Now you see this slight downturn
131
325000
3000
现在你看到在非常高的年龄
05:43
at very advanced ages.
132
328000
2000
这里有些许下降
05:45
And there is a slight downturn.
133
330000
2000
这里的确有一些下降
05:47
But at no point does it return
134
332000
2000
但是绝没有回复到
05:49
to the levels we see
135
334000
2000
他们
05:51
in early adulthood.
136
336000
2000
早期成年期的水平
05:53
Now it's really too simplistic
137
338000
4000
当然，光说
05:57
to say that older people are "happy."
138
342000
4000
老年人更“快乐”，那太过草率
06:01
In our study, they are more positive,
139
346000
3000
在我们的研究里，他们更积极
06:04
but they're also more likely than younger people
140
349000
2000
但他们也比年轻人
06:06
to experience mixed emotions --
141
351000
3000
更能体会到复杂的情感
06:09
sadness at the same time you experience happiness;
142
354000
2000
悲喜交加
06:11
you know, that tear in the eye
143
356000
2000
你们知道
06:13
when you're smiling at a friend.
144
358000
3000
就是冲着朋友微笑的同时眼含泪花
06:16
And other research has shown
145
361000
2000
有其他研究显示
06:18
that older people seem to engage with sadness
146
363000
2000
老年人能够
06:20
more comfortably.
147
365000
2000
更从容地应对悲伤
06:22
They're more accepting of sadness than younger people are.
148
367000
3000
他们比年轻人更能接受悲伤情绪
06:25
And we suspect that this may help to explain
149
370000
3000
我们怀疑这能帮助解释
06:28
why older people are better than younger people
150
373000
3000
为什么老年人比年轻人
06:31
at solving hotly-charged emotional conflicts and debates.
151
376000
5000
更擅长处理激烈的情绪冲突和争论
06:36
Older people can view injustice
152
381000
3000
老年人看待不公
06:39
with compassion,
153
384000
2000
能够带着怜悯
06:41
but not despair.
154
386000
3000
而不是绝望
06:44
And all things being equal,
155
389000
2000
在同等条件下
06:46
older people direct their cognitive resources,
156
391000
2000
老年人会将自己的认知资源
06:48
like attention and memory,
157
393000
2000
比如注意力和记忆力
06:50
to positive information more than negative.
158
395000
3000
更多地导向积极信息，而不是消极信息
06:53
If we show older, middle-aged, younger people images,
159
398000
3000
我们向老年组、中年组和青年组展示图像
06:56
like the ones you see on the screen,
160
401000
3000
正如你们在屏幕上看到的
06:59
and we later ask them
161
404000
2000
过后我们让他们
07:01
to recall all the images that they can,
162
406000
3000
回忆他们看到的图像
07:04
older people, but not younger people,
163
409000
3000
老年组，而非青年组
07:07
remember more positive images
164
412000
2000
记得的积极图像
07:09
than negative images.
165
414000
2000
多过消极图像
07:11
We've asked older and younger people
166
416000
2000
我们让老年组和青年组
07:13
to view faces in laboratory studies,
167
418000
2000
去看实验室研究所用的脸部表情
07:15
some frowning, some smiling.
168
420000
2000
一些皱眉、一些微笑
07:17
Older people look toward the smiling faces
169
422000
3000
老年组看向微笑的脸
07:20
and away from the frowning, angry faces.
170
425000
3000
而回避皱眉的、愤怒的脸
07:23
In day-to-day life,
171
428000
2000
在日常生活中
07:25
this translates into greater enjoyment
172
430000
2000
这转换成更大的乐趣
07:27
and satisfaction.
173
432000
2000
以及满足
07:31
But as social scientists, we continue to ask
174
436000
2000
但作为社会学家，我们继续问
07:33
about possible alternatives.
175
438000
2000
是否有其他可能
07:35
We've said, well maybe older people
176
440000
2000
也许老年人
07:37
report more positive emotions
177
442000
2000
报告更多的积极感受
07:39
because they're cognitively impaired.
178
444000
3000
是因为他们认知机能受损
07:42
(Laughter)
179
447000
3000
（笑声）
07:45
We've said, could it be
180
450000
2000
会不会
07:47
that positive emotions are simply easier to process than negative emotions,
181
452000
3000
积极情绪比消极情绪更易处理
07:50
and so you switch to the positive emotions?
182
455000
3000
所以他们更倾向于积极情绪？
07:53
Maybe our neural centers in our brain
183
458000
2000
也许我们脑内的神经系统
07:55
are degraded such
184
460000
2000
退化了
07:57
that we're unable to process negative emotions anymore.
185
462000
3000
以致无法处理消极情绪
08:00
But that's not the case.
186
465000
2000
但事实并非如此
08:02
The most mentally sharp older adults
187
467000
3000
老年组里思维最敏捷的
08:05
are the ones who show this positivity effect the most.
188
470000
4000
恰恰是最积极的
08:09
And under conditions where it really matters,
189
474000
3000
在关键时刻
08:12
older people do process the negative information
190
477000
2000
老年人处理消极情绪
08:14
just as well as the positive information.
191
479000
3000
和处理积极情绪的能力是一样的
08:17
So how can this be?
192
482000
3000
这是为什么呢？
08:20
Well in our research,
193
485000
2000
在我们的研究里
08:22
we've found that these changes
194
487000
2000
我们发现这些改变
08:24
are grounded fundamentally
195
489000
2000
在最基本上植根于
08:26
in the uniquely human ability to monitor time --
196
491000
3000
人类监控时间的独特能力
08:29
not just clock time and calendar time,
197
494000
2000
不光是时钟的时间和日历的时间
08:31
but lifetime.
198
496000
3000
更是生命的时间
08:34
And if there's a paradox of aging,
199
499000
2000
如果说老龄化悖论成立
08:36
it's that recognizing that we won't live forever
200
501000
3000
那也是因为我们认识到生命易逝
08:39
changes our perspective on life
201
504000
2000
而使我们把人生观
08:41
in positive ways.
202
506000
3000
变得更积极
08:44
When time horizons are long and nebulous,
203
509000
3000
人生的终点遥远又朦胧
08:47
as they typically are in youth,
204
512000
2000
年轻时通常都这么想
08:49
people are constantly preparing,
205
514000
3000
人们就会一直跃跃欲试
08:52
trying to soak up all the information they possibly can,
206
517000
3000
试图尽可能地去吸收信息
08:55
taking risks, exploring.
207
520000
2000
承担风险、探索未知
08:57
We might spend time with people we don't even like
208
522000
3000
我们可能会跟不喜欢的人共度时光
09:00
because it's somehow interesting.
209
525000
3000
因为感觉这挺有趣
09:03
We might learn something unexpected.
210
528000
2000
我们也许不经意间学到一些不该学的东西
09:05
(Laughter)
211
530000
2000
（笑声）
09:07
We go on blind dates.
212
532000
2000
我们去相亲
09:09
(Laughter)
213
534000
2000
（笑声）
09:11
You know, after all,
214
536000
2000
毕竟
09:13
if it doesn't work out, there's always tomorrow.
215
538000
3000
就算失败了，也还有明天
09:16
People over 50
216
541000
2000
超过50岁的人
09:18
don't go on blind dates.
217
543000
3000
就不会去相亲了
09:21
(Laughter)
218
546000
5000
（笑声）
09:26
As we age,
219
551000
2000
当我们逐渐变老
09:28
our time horizons grow shorter
220
553000
2000
跟人生终点的距离不断缩短
09:30
and our goals change.
221
555000
3000
我们的人生目标从而改变
09:33
When we recognize that we don't have all the time in the world,
222
558000
3000
当我们意识到时间不再多的可以尽情挥霍
09:36
we see our priorities most clearly.
223
561000
2000
就能清楚地看到事情的轻重缓急
09:38
We take less notice of trivial matters.
224
563000
3000
我们变得不在意琐碎之事了
09:41
We savor life.
225
566000
2000
我们享受人生
09:43
We're more appreciative,
226
568000
2000
我们更懂感恩
09:45
more open to reconciliation.
227
570000
3000
更向往和谐
09:48
We invest in more emotionally important parts of life,
228
573000
3000
我们更致力于精神层面上重要的东西
09:51
and life gets better,
229
576000
3000
生活变得更好
09:54
so we're happier day-to-day.
230
579000
3000
所以日益快乐
09:57
But that same shift in perspective
231
582000
2000
但是这种观念的改变
09:59
leads us to have less tolerance than ever
232
584000
3000
也降低了
10:02
for injustice.
233
587000
2000
对不公的容忍
10:04
By 2015,
234
589000
2000
到2015年
10:06
there will be more people in the United States
235
591000
3000
美国人口中
10:09
over the age of 60
236
594000
2000
60岁以上的人口
10:11
than under 15.
237
596000
3000
将会超过不满15岁的人口
10:14
What will happen to societies
238
599000
2000
社会老龄化之后
10:16
that are top-heavy with older people?
239
601000
3000
会有什么改变？
10:19
The numbers won't determine
240
604000
3000
数量并不能
10:22
the outcome.
241
607000
2000
左右结果
10:24
Culture will.
242
609000
3000
文化才会
10:27
If we invest in science and technology
243
612000
3000
如果我们投入科学和技术
10:30
and find solutions for the real problems
244
615000
2000
为老龄化问题
10:32
that older people face
245
617000
3000
找出解决之道
10:35
and we capitalize
246
620000
2000
我们充分发挥
10:37
on the very real strengths
247
622000
2000
老年人的
10:39
of older people,
248
624000
2000
真正优势
10:41
then added years of life
249
626000
2000
那么，寿命的增加
10:43
can dramatically improve quality of life
250
628000
3000
将会戏剧性地改善人们的生活质量
10:46
at all ages.
251
631000
2000
无论是哪个年龄段
10:48
Societies with millions
252
633000
3000
社会上有上百万的
10:51
of talented, emotionally stable citizens
253
636000
2000
有才能而且情绪稳定的市民
10:53
who are healthier and better educated
254
638000
3000
他们更健康，受过更高的教育
10:56
than any generations before them,
255
641000
2000
与他们之前的任何一代人比
10:58
armed with knowledge
256
643000
2000
用知识武装自己
11:00
about the practical matters of life
257
645000
2000
了解人生的各种状况
11:02
and motivated
258
647000
2000
积极主动地
11:04
to solve the big issues
259
649000
2000
去解决重大问题
11:06
can be better societies
260
651000
3000
社会将变得更加美好
11:09
than we have ever known.
261
654000
4000
比我们已知的更好
11:13
My father, who is 92,
262
658000
3000
我父亲已经92岁了
11:16
likes to say,
263
661000
2000
他喜欢说
11:18
"Let's stop talking only about
264
663000
2000
”让我们不要再说
11:20
how to save the old folks
265
665000
2000
解救老年人这种话了
11:22
and start talking about
266
667000
2000
我们要开始谈谈
11:24
how to get them to save us all."
267
669000
4000
如何让老年人解救所有人。”
11:28
Thank you.
268
673000
2000
谢谢
11:30
(Applause)
269
675000
2000
（鼓掌）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Laura Carstensen - PsychologistLaura Carstensen is the director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, and has extensively studied the effects on wellbeing of extended lifetimes.
Why you should listen
Dr. Carstensen is Professor of Psychology and Public Policy at Stanford University, where she is the founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, which explores innovative ways to solve the problems of people over 50 and improve the well-being of people of all ages. She is best known in academia for socioemotional selectivity theory, a life-span theory of motivation. She is also the author of A Long Bright Future: An Action Plan for a Lifetime of Happiness, Health, and Financial Security — an updated edition will be released in 2011.
Laura Carstensen | Speaker | TED.com