TEDxWomen 2011
Laura Carstensen: Older people are happier
Laura Carstensen: 老年人比較快樂
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20世紀時，人類的平均壽命前所未有的增長，但生活的品質是否一樣好？出乎意料，是的！在TEDxWoman講座，心理學家Laura Carstensen的研究顯示並證明當人們變老時，他們變得更開心，更知足，而且用更正向的態度看待世界。
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
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現代人較為長壽
00:17
and societies are getting grayer.
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社會中銀髮族也愈來愈多
00:19
You hear about it all the time.
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你不停聽到人家這麽說
00:21
You read about it in your newspapers.
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報紙上這麽說
00:23
You hear about it on your television sets.
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電視上也這麽說
00:25
Sometimes I'm concerned
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有時候我會擔心
00:27
that we hear about it so much
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我們聼太多了
00:29
that we've come to accept longer lives
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我們變成用種自滿
00:32
with a kind of a complacency,
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甚至輕鬆的態度
00:34
even ease.
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來接受長壽的事實
00:36
But make no mistake,
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但是別誤會了
00:39
longer lives can
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我認爲長壽可以
00:41
and, I believe, will
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也將會
00:43
improve quality of life
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讓各種年紀的人
00:45
at all ages.
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增進生活品質
00:47
Now to put this in perspective,
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為了正確的看待這件事
00:49
let me just zoom out for a minute.
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先讓我暫時抽離主題
00:52
More years were added
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20世紀時
00:55
to average life expectancy
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所增加的
00:57
in the 20th century
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人類平均壽命
00:59
than all years added
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比起先前人類演化
01:02
across all prior millennia
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幾千年以來所增加的歲數
01:06
of human evolution combined.
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都還要來的多
01:09
In the blink of an eye,
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只是在一眨眼間
01:11
we nearly doubled the length of time
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我們的壽命幾乎就
01:14
that we're living.
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增加了兩倍
01:16
So if you ever feel like you don't have this aging thing quite pegged,
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所以如果你對長壽沒有特別的感覺
01:19
don't kick yourself.
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別怪你自己
01:21
It's brand new.
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這是個全新的現象
01:23
And because fertility rates fell
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同時間
01:25
across that very same period
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因為生育率下降
01:27
that life expectancy was going up,
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平均壽命延長
01:31
that pyramid
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用來表示
01:33
that has always represented the distribution of age in the population,
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人口年齡分佈的金字塔
01:36
with many young ones at the bottom
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底層原本有很多年輕人
01:39
winnowed to a tiny peak of older people
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經篩選後只剩金字塔尖端的少數人
01:42
who make it and survive to old age
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成功地存活到老年
01:44
is being reshaped
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現在金字塔正逐漸變型
01:46
into a rectangle.
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成為長方形
01:49
And now, if you're the kind of person
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如果你是對人口統計資料
01:51
who can get chills from population statistics,
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特別有興趣的人
01:55
these are the ones that should do it.
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這些便是讓你「有感覺」的資料
01:57
Because what that means
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因為這表示
01:59
is that for the first time in the history of the species,
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人類歷史上第一次
02:02
the majority of babies born
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在已開發國家中
02:04
in the Developed World
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出生的大多數嬰兒
02:06
are having the opportunity
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有機會能夠
02:09
to grow old.
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活到老
02:11
How did this happen?
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這是怎麽辦到的？
02:14
Well we're no genetically hardier than our ancestors were
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我們的基因組合並沒有比我們1萬年前的祖先
02:16
10,000 years ago.
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還來得強韌
02:18
This increase in life expectancy
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平均壽命的增加
02:20
is the remarkable product of culture --
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是令人讚嘆的文化產物 --
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the crucible
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是經過嚴峻考驗
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that holds science and technology
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透過科學和科技
02:27
and wide-scale changes in behavior
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和大規模的行為改變
02:30
that improve health and well-being.
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以增進健康和福祉
02:33
Through cultural changes,
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透過文化變遷
02:35
our ancestors
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我們的祖先
02:37
largely eliminated early death
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大量地排除了早逝的機會
02:40
so that people can now live out their full lives.
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所以現在人們能度過完整的一生
02:44
Now there are problems associated with aging --
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現今老化也帶來了一些問題 --
02:47
diseases, poverty, loss of social status.
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疾病、貧窮、失去社會地位
02:50
It's hardly time to rest on our laurels.
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幾乎無法安享晚年
02:52
But the more we learn about aging,
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但當我們對老化了解越多
02:54
the clearer it becomes
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我們更清楚
02:56
that a sweeping downward course
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這種越老越糟的人生觀
02:58
is grossly inaccurate.
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是非常不正確的
03:01
Aging brings some rather remarkable improvements --
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老化也帶來一些非常卓越的改進 --
03:05
increased knowledge, expertise --
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智慧的增加、學有專精 --
03:08
and emotional aspects of life improve.
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還有改善生活的情感部分
03:14
That's right,
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沒錯
03:16
older people are happy.
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老年人很快樂
03:19
They're happier than middle-aged people,
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他們確實比中年人
03:21
and younger people certainly.
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和年輕人快樂
03:23
Study after study
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研究一再顯示
03:25
is coming to the same conclusion.
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相同的結果
03:27
The CDC recently conducted a survey
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疾病管制局最近做了一個調查
03:30
where they asked respondents simply to tell them
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他們要受訪者告訴他們
03:33
whether they experienced significant psychological distress
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在過去一週裡，是否有經歷
03:35
in the previous week.
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重大的精神苦難
03:37
And fewer older people answered affirmatively to that question
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回答是的老年人人數很少
03:40
than middle-aged people,
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相較於中年人
03:42
and younger people as well.
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和年輕人
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And a recent Gallup poll
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最近一次的蓋洛普民調
03:46
asked participants
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問受訪者
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how much stress and worry and anger
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在受訪的前一天經歷了
03:50
they had experienced the previous day.
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多少壓力、擔憂和憤怒
03:52
And stress, worry, anger
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這些壓力、擔憂和憤怒
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all decrease with age.
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都隨年齡增加而減低
04:00
Now social scientists call this the paradox of aging.
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社會科學家稱這為老化的矛盾
04:03
After all, aging is not a piece of cake.
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畢竟變老不是件簡單的事
04:06
So we've asked all sorts of questions
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所以我們問了各式各樣的問題
04:08
to see if we could undo this finding.
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看是否能找出解答
04:12
We've asked whether it may be
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我們想知道是不是因為
04:14
that the current generations of older people
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目前這一代的老年人
04:17
are and always have been
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一直以來都是
04:19
the greatest generations.
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最棒的世代
04:21
That is that younger people today
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意思是說，現今的年輕人
04:23
may not typically experience these improvements
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變老時可能也無法再經歷
04:26
as they grow older.
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這樣的進步
04:28
We've asked,
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我們也問
04:30
well maybe older people are just trying to put a positive spin
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或許老年人只是試著在令人沮喪的生存中
04:33
on an otherwise depressing existence.
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過得樂觀一點
04:35
(Laughter)
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（笑聲）
04:37
But the more we've tried to disavow this finding,
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但當我們試著要推翻這理論
04:40
the more evidence we find
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我們也發現越多可支持它
04:42
to support it.
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的證據
04:44
Years ago, my colleagues and I embarked on a study
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幾年前，我和我的同事作了個研究
04:46
where we followed the same group of people over a 10-year period.
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我們用10年的時間追蹤了一組人
04:49
Originally the sample was aged 18 to 94.
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一開始這組樣本的年紀為18歲到94歲
04:53
And we studied whether and how their emotional experiences changed
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我們研究他們的情感經歷是否隨著
04:56
as they grew older.
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年齡增長而改變
04:58
Our participants would carry electronic pagers
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參加的人要戴著電子呼叫器
05:01
for a week at a time,
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每次一個星期
05:03
and we'd page them throughout the day and evenings at random times.
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我們會在白天和晚上隨意地呼叫他們
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And every time we paged them
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每當我們呼叫他們時
05:08
we'd ask them to answer several questions --
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我們會問幾個問題 --
05:10
On a one to seven scale, how happy are you right now?
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用1分到七7分來評分，你現在有多開心
05:13
How sad are you right now?
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你現在有多難過
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How frustrated are you right now? --
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你現在有多沮喪
05:17
so that we could get a sense
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於是我們可以了解
05:19
of the kinds of emotions and feelings they were having
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在日復一日的生活中
05:21
in their day-to-day lives.
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當下他們有何種情感和感覺
05:23
And using this intense study
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透過這種密集的
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of individuals,
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個體研究
05:27
we find that it's not one particular generation
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我們發現沒有特別一個世代
05:31
that's doing better than the others,
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表現得比其它還要好
05:33
but the same individuals over time
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但是經過時間歷練
05:36
come to report relatively greater
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同一個人相對地會呈現
05:38
positive experience.
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更正面的經驗
05:40
Now you see this slight downturn
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你可以看到年紀很大的時候
05:43
at very advanced ages.
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此曲線微微往下彎曲
05:45
And there is a slight downturn.
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即使往下彎曲
05:47
But at no point does it return
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但這曲線不可能回到
05:49
to the levels we see
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你所看到的成人早期時
05:51
in early adulthood.
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的水平
05:53
Now it's really too simplistic
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我們不能過分單純地下定論說
05:57
to say that older people are "happy."
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老年人過得很「開心」
06:01
In our study, they are more positive,
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在我們的研究中，他們較積極
06:04
but they're also more likely than younger people
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但他們比起年輕人
06:06
to experience mixed emotions --
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較能體驗綜合的情緒
06:09
sadness at the same time you experience happiness;
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體驗開心時同時覺得傷心；
06:11
you know, that tear in the eye
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你懂吧，當你對一個朋友微笑時
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when you're smiling at a friend.
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眼眶中泛著淚水的感覺
06:16
And other research has shown
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另外一個研究顯示出
06:18
that older people seem to engage with sadness
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老年人似乎能更坦然地
06:20
more comfortably.
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和悲傷共處
06:22
They're more accepting of sadness than younger people are.
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比起年輕人，他們更能接受悲傷
06:25
And we suspect that this may help to explain
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我們的懷疑是，這可能有助於解釋
06:28
why older people are better than younger people
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為什麼老年人比年輕人更能
06:31
at solving hotly-charged emotional conflicts and debates.
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解決激烈的情緒衝突和爭論
06:36
Older people can view injustice
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老年人可以用同情心
06:39
with compassion,
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而非絕望
06:41
but not despair.
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來看待不正義
06:44
And all things being equal,
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在一切平等的情況下
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older people direct their cognitive resources,
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老年人將他們的認知能力
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like attention and memory,
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像是注意力和記憶
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to positive information more than negative.
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導向正面，而非負面的資訊
06:53
If we show older, middle-aged, younger people images,
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如果我們展示影像給老年人、中年人和年輕人
06:56
like the ones you see on the screen,
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像是你在螢幕上看到的照片
06:59
and we later ask them
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之後我們要求他們
07:01
to recall all the images that they can,
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盡可能回想所有的影像
07:04
older people, but not younger people,
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老年人，而非年輕人
07:07
remember more positive images
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想起的正面影像多於
07:09
than negative images.
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負面影像
07:11
We've asked older and younger people
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在實驗室研究中
07:13
to view faces in laboratory studies,
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我們也要求老年人和年輕人看不同的臉
07:15
some frowning, some smiling.
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有些在皺眉，有些在微笑
07:17
Older people look toward the smiling faces
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老年人看著微笑的臉
07:20
and away from the frowning, angry faces.
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避開皺眉，生氣的臉
07:23
In day-to-day life,
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在日復一日的生活中
07:25
this translates into greater enjoyment
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這些轉變成較多的享受
07:27
and satisfaction.
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和滿足感
07:31
But as social scientists, we continue to ask
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但身為社會科學家，我們持續的問
07:33
about possible alternatives.
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其他可能的原因
07:35
We've said, well maybe older people
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我們想過或
07:37
report more positive emotions
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老年人有較正面的情感
07:39
because they're cognitively impaired.
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是因為他們認知受損
07:42
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
07:45
We've said, could it be
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我們也想過，有沒有可能
07:47
that positive emotions are simply easier to process than negative emotions,
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處理正面情感比負面情感還來的容易
07:50
and so you switch to the positive emotions?
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所以人們會轉換成正面情感？
07:53
Maybe our neural centers in our brain
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或許我們腦中的神經中心
07:55
are degraded such
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已經退化到
07:57
that we're unable to process negative emotions anymore.
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不再能處理負面的情感的程度
08:00
But that's not the case.
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但這些都不是解答
08:02
The most mentally sharp older adults
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愈是思考敏銳的老年人
08:05
are the ones who show this positivity effect the most.
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越能顯示出正面的結果
08:09
And under conditions where it really matters,
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當處於危急的情況下
08:12
older people do process the negative information
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老年人會處理負面資訊
08:14
just as well as the positive information.
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像他們處理正面資訊一樣
08:17
So how can this be?
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這倒底是怎麼辦到的？
08:20
Well in our research,
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在我們的研究中
08:22
we've found that these changes
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我們發現這些改變
08:24
are grounded fundamentally
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是建立在
08:26
in the uniquely human ability to monitor time --
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人類獨特的控制時間能力的基礎上 --
08:29
not just clock time and calendar time,
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不單單只是時鐘和日曆的時間
08:31
but lifetime.
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還有人一生的時間
08:34
And if there's a paradox of aging,
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如果說老化有矛盾
08:36
it's that recognizing that we won't live forever
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那就是體認到我們沒有永生
08:39
changes our perspective on life
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改變了我們對生命的見解
08:41
in positive ways.
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變得更正面
08:44
When time horizons are long and nebulous,
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當我們覺得時間既長又朦朧
08:47
as they typically are in youth,
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如同典型的青年時期
08:49
people are constantly preparing,
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人們一直在準備
08:52
trying to soak up all the information they possibly can,
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試著盡可能沉浸在所有資訊中
08:55
taking risks, exploring.
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作冒險的事，探索世界
08:57
We might spend time with people we don't even like
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我們可能會花時間在我們不喜歡的人身上
09:00
because it's somehow interesting.
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為了些看似有趣的原因
09:03
We might learn something unexpected.
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我們可能學習到未預期的東西
09:05
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
09:07
We go on blind dates.
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我們和不認識的人約會
09:09
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
09:11
You know, after all,
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畢竟
09:13
if it doesn't work out, there's always tomorrow.
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就算行不通，總還是有明天
09:16
People over 50
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超過50歲的人
09:18
don't go on blind dates.
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不會和不認識的人約會
09:21
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
09:26
As we age,
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當我們年紀愈來愈大
09:28
our time horizons grow shorter
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我們的時間水平線也變短
09:30
and our goals change.
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我們的目標改變
09:33
When we recognize that we don't have all the time in the world,
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當我們意識到我們沒有世界上所有的時間
09:36
we see our priorities most clearly.
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我們更清晰地了解事物的優先順序
09:38
We take less notice of trivial matters.
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我們比較不注意繁瑣小事
09:41
We savor life.
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我們品嘗生命
09:43
We're more appreciative,
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我們更有欣賞力
09:45
more open to reconciliation.
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更能接受和解
09:48
We invest in more emotionally important parts of life,
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我們投資在生命中情感上要重要的部分
09:51
and life gets better,
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於是生活得更好
09:54
so we're happier day-to-day.
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所以我們一天比一天開心
09:57
But that same shift in perspective
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但這種看法上的轉變
09:59
leads us to have less tolerance than ever
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引導我們更不能容忍
10:02
for injustice.
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不正義
10:04
By 2015,
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到2015年時
10:06
there will be more people in the United States
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在美國，超過60歲的人
10:09
over the age of 60
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比15歲以下的人
10:11
than under 15.
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還要多。
10:14
What will happen to societies
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老年人占大多數的社會
10:16
that are top-heavy with older people?
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會發生什麼事？
10:19
The numbers won't determine
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人數不會決定
10:22
the outcome.
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結果
10:24
Culture will.
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文化會
10:27
If we invest in science and technology
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如果我們投資科學和技術
10:30
and find solutions for the real problems
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而且找出老年人所面臨真正問題的
10:32
that older people face
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解決方案
10:35
and we capitalize
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而且善加利用
10:37
on the very real strengths
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老年人的
10:39
of older people,
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優點
10:41
then added years of life
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那麼年齡的增加
10:43
can dramatically improve quality of life
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可以大幅地改善所有年齡層的
10:46
at all ages.
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生活品質
10:48
Societies with millions
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社會中有了幾百萬位
10:51
of talented, emotionally stable citizens
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有才能的，情緒穩定的居民
10:53
who are healthier and better educated
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而且他們比任何更早的世代
10:56
than any generations before them,
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更健康且教育水平更高
10:58
armed with knowledge
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擁有實際生活經驗
11:00
about the practical matters of life
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的知識
11:02
and motivated
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而且積極地
11:04
to solve the big issues
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想解決重大問題
11:06
can be better societies
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這可以成為比任何我們知道的
11:09
than we have ever known.
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還要更好的社會
11:13
My father, who is 92,
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我父親，今年92歲
11:16
likes to say,
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喜歡說：
11:18
"Let's stop talking only about
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「不要一再只說
11:20
how to save the old folks
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要如何拯救老年人
11:22
and start talking about
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要開始說
11:24
how to get them to save us all."
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如何讓他們拯救我們。」
11:28
Thank you.
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謝謝。
11:30
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
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