ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Barry Schwartz - Psychologist
Barry Schwartz studies the link between economics and psychology, offering startling insights into modern life. Lately, working with Ken Sharpe, he's studying wisdom.

Why you should listen

In his 2004 book The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz tackles one of the great mysteries of modern life: Why is it that societies of great abundance — where individuals are offered more freedom and choice (personal, professional, material) than ever before — are now witnessing a near-epidemic of depression? Conventional wisdom tells us that greater choice is for the greater good, but Schwartz argues the opposite: He makes a compelling case that the abundance of choice in today's western world is actually making us miserable.

Infinite choice is paralyzing, Schwartz argues, and exhausting to the human psyche. It leads us to set unreasonably high expectations, question our choices before we even make them and blame our failures entirely on ourselves. His relatable examples, from consumer products (jeans, TVs, salad dressings) to lifestyle choices (where to live, what job to take, who and when to marry), underscore this central point: Too much choice undermines happiness.

Schwartz's previous research has addressed morality, decision-making and the varied inter-relationships between science and society. Before Paradox he published The Costs of Living, which traces the impact of free-market thinking on the explosion of consumerism -- and the effect of the new capitalism on social and cultural institutions that once operated above the market, such as medicine, sports, and the law.

Both books level serious criticism of modern western society, illuminating the under-reported psychological plagues of our time. But they also offer concrete ideas on addressing the problems, from a personal and societal level.

Schwartz is the author of the TED Book, Why We Work

More profile about the speaker
Barry Schwartz | Speaker | TED.com
TED2014

Barry Schwartz: The way we think about work is broken

貝瑞·史瓦茲: 我們對工作的想法已經不成立了

Filmed:
3,253,011 views

是什麼讓工作令人滿足?貝瑞‧施瓦茨表示:除了工作的給付、還有許多其他無形價值,而這些一直被我們現下對工作的觀點忽視。該是時候停止把員工當成大輪子上的小齒輪了。
- Psychologist
Barry Schwartz studies the link between economics and psychology, offering startling insights into modern life. Lately, working with Ken Sharpe, he's studying wisdom. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
Today今天 I'm going to talk about work.
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今天我想談談有關工作的話題
00:15
And the question I want to ask
and answer回答 is this:
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而我想提出和回答的問題是:
00:18
"Why do we work?"
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「我們為何工作?」
00:21
Why do we drag拖動 ourselves我們自己
out of bed every一切 morning早上
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為何我們要每天早上將自己拖下床
00:25
instead代替 of living活的 our lives生活
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而不是好好的享受
00:27
just filled填充 with bouncing蹦蹦 from one
TED-likeTED樣 adventure冒險 to another另一個?
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充滿一個接著一個
TED般的探險的人生?
00:32
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
00:34
You may可能 be asking yourselves你自己
that very question.
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你可能也捫心自問過這個問題
00:37
Now, I know of course課程,
we have to make a living活的,
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我當然曉得我們需要工作賴以為生
00:39
but nobody沒有人 in this room房間 thinks
that that's the answer回答 to the question,
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但這房間裡不會有人認為這就能回答
「我們為何工作?」這個問題
00:43
"Why do we work?"
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00:44
For folks鄉親 in this room房間,
the work we do is challenging具有挑戰性的,
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對在座諸位而言,
我們的工作充滿挑戰性
00:48
it's engaging, it's stimulating刺激,
it's meaningful富有意義的.
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令人著迷、令人振奮而充滿意義
00:52
And if we're lucky幸運,
it might威力 even be important重要.
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而再幸運一點的話,可能還十分重要
00:55
So, we wouldn't不會 work
if we didn't get paid支付,
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所以,雖然我們拿不到錢就不工作
00:57
but that's not why we do what we do.
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但這並非我們行動的理由
01:00
And in general一般,
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而一般而言
01:01
I think we think that material材料 rewards獎勵
are a pretty漂亮 bad reason原因
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我想我們都認為,
物質上的回報對於工作而言
01:04
for doing the work that we do.
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實在是個挺糟糕的理由
01:06
When we say of somebody
that he's "in it for the money,"
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當我們說某人「為財推磨」
01:10
we are not just being存在 descriptive描述的.
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這可不單單只是形容而已
01:13
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
01:14
Now, I think this is totally完全 obvious明顯,
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我想這相當明顯
01:16
but the very obviousness顯而易見 of it
raises加薪 what is for me
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但就是這個明顯的事實
令我產生一個非常深切的問題
01:19
an incredibly令人難以置信 profound深刻 question.
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01:21
Why, if this is so obvious明顯,
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為什麼 ─ 如果這麼顯而易見 ─
01:24
why is it that for the overwhelming壓倒
majority多數 of people on the planet行星,
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為什麼這星球上絕大多數的人
01:30
the work they do
has none沒有 of the characteristics特點
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都從事著毫無特色、無法讓他們
01:34
that get us up and out of bed
and off to the office辦公室 every一切 morning早上?
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每天早上起床、離開床舖、
到公司報到的工作?
01:38
How is it that we allow允許
the majority多數 of people on the planet行星
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我們怎麼任由這星球上大部分的人
01:42
to do work that is monotonous單調,
meaningless無意義的 and soul-deadening靈魂消音?
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從事著單調、無意義
而扼殺靈魂的工作?
01:47
Why is it that as capitalism資本主義 developed發達,
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為何隨著資本主義逐漸發展,
01:50
it created創建 a mode模式 of production生產,
of goods產品 and services服務,
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一個製造商品和服務的模式隨之產生
01:53
in which哪一個 all the nonmaterial非物質 satisfactions滿意度
that might威力 come from work were eliminated淘汰?
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卻使得工作原本能帶來的
所有非物質滿足全消失了?
02:00
Workers工人 who do this kind of work,
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做著這種工作的員工,
02:02
whether是否 they do it in factories工廠,
in call centers中心,
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無論他們是在工廠、在客服中心
02:05
or in fulfillment履行 warehouses倉庫,
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還是在運貨倉儲中心
02:07
do it for pay工資.
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都為了酬勞而工作
02:09
There is certainly當然 no other earthly俗世的 reason原因
to do what they do except for pay工資.
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他們之所以工作,很明顯地
沒有報酬之外的任何理由了
02:15
So the question is, "Why?"
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所以這便是問題,「為什麼?」
02:18
And here's這裡的 the answer回答:
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答案就在這裡:
02:20
the answer回答 is technology技術.
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答案就是科技
02:23
Now, I know, I know --
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好,我懂,我懂…
02:24
yeah, yeah, yeah, technology技術, automation自動化
screws螺絲 people, blah胡說 blah胡說 --
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是是是,科技、自動化腐蝕人性,
諸如此類陳腔濫調…
02:28
that's not what I mean.
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但這不是我要說的
02:29
I'm not talking about
the kind of technology技術
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我不是在談論那一種科技
02:32
that has enveloped籠罩 our lives生活,
and that people come to TEDTED to hear about.
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那種包圍了我們的生活、
大家來TED想聽到的科技
02:36
I'm not talking about
the technology技術 of things,
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我也不是要談論那種關於實物的科技
02:39
profound深刻 though雖然 that is.
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雖然它的影響也很深遠
02:41
I'm talking about another另一個 technology技術.
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我是在談論另一種科技
02:43
I'm talking about the technology技術 of ideas思路.
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我在談論和想法有關的科技,
02:47
I call it, "idea理念 technology技術" --
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我稱之為「想法科技」─
02:49
how clever聰明 of me.
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看看我多聰明
02:50
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
02:52
In addition加成 to creating創建 things,
science科學 creates創建 ideas思路.
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在創作實物之外,科學也創造想法
02:56
Science科學 creates創建 ways方法 of understanding理解.
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科學創造理解事物的方式
02:59
And in the social社會 sciences科學,
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而在社會科學中,
03:01
the ways方法 of understanding理解 that get created創建
are ways方法 of understanding理解 ourselves我們自己.
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我們創造出理解事物的方式,
就是理解我們自己的方式
03:06
And they have an enormous巨大 influence影響
on how we think, what we aspire立志 to,
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它們大大影響了我們
如何思考、渴望什麼
03:10
and how we act法案.
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以及如何行動
03:12
If you think your poverty貧窮
is God's will, you pray祈禱.
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如果你認為你的貧困是
上天的旨意,你會祈禱
03:16
If you think your poverty貧窮 is the result結果
of your own擁有 inadequacy不足之處,
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如果你認為你的貧困來自於自身的不足
03:20
you shrink收縮 into despair絕望.
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你會失落而萎靡不振
03:23
And if you think your poverty貧窮 is
the result結果 of oppression壓迫 and domination統治,
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而如果你認為你的貧困
來自於他人的壓迫和統治
03:27
then you rise上升 up in revolt反叛.
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你便會起而反抗
03:29
Whether是否 your response響應 to poverty貧窮
is resignation辭職 or revolution革命,
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無論你對貧困的回應
是服從認分或是發動革命
03:34
depends依靠 on how you understand理解
the sources來源 of your poverty貧窮.
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一切要看你如何理解自己貧困的來源
03:37
This is the role角色 that ideas思路 play
in shaping成型 us as human人的 beings眾生,
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這就是想法在將我們
形塑成人時扮演的角色
03:43
and this is why idea理念 technology技術 may可能 be
the most profoundly深深 important重要 technology技術
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這也是為何想法科技可能是
科學帶給我們的一切中
03:49
that science科學 gives us.
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最深切重要的一種科技
03:51
And there's something special特別
about idea理念 technology技術,
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想法科技有一個特點
03:55
that makes品牌 it different不同
from the technology技術 of things.
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讓它和跟實物的科技有所不同
03:58
With things, if the technology技術 sucks,
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跟實物有關的科技,要是它爛透了
04:01
it just vanishes消失, right?
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它就會直接消失,對吧?
04:04
Bad technology技術 disappears消失.
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差勁的科技會失去蹤影
04:06
With ideas思路 --
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至於想法呢 ─
04:08
false ideas思路 about human人的 beings眾生
will not go away
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關於人類的錯誤想法很難真正消失
04:13
if people believe that they're true真正.
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只要有人對其深信不疑
04:16
Because if people believe
that they're true真正,
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因為只要有人深信不疑
04:19
they create創建 ways方法 of living活的
and institutions機構
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他們創造的生活方式和機構
04:22
that are consistent一貫
with these very false ideas思路.
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就會和那些非常錯誤的想法一致
04:26
And that's how the industrial產業 revolution革命
created創建 a factory system系統
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而這就是工業革命
如何創造了工廠系統
04:30
in which哪一個 there was really nothing you
could possibly或者 get out of your day's work,
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讓人在這個系統裡日日勞碌,
卻什麼也得不到
04:34
except for the pay工資 at the end結束 of the day.
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除了一天結束時的工資之外
04:37
Because the father父親 --
one of the fathers父親
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正因為那位 ─ 其中一位 ─
04:39
of the Industrial產業 Revolution革命,
Adam亞當 Smith工匠 --
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工業革命之父,亞當·史密斯─
04:41
was convinced相信 that human人的 beings眾生
were by their very natures本性 lazy,
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深深相信人類的天性就是懶惰
04:45
and wouldn't不會 do anything
unless除非 you made製作 it worth價值 their while,
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除非覺得划得來,否則什麼也不幹
04:48
and the way you made製作 it worth價值 their while
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而讓他們值回票價的方法
04:50
was by incentivizing建立激勵機制,
by giving them rewards獎勵.
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就是激勵他們,給他們回報
04:53
That was the only reason原因
anyone任何人 ever did anything.
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這是天底下任何人
會去做任何事的唯一理由
04:56
So we created創建 a factory system系統 consistent一貫
with that false view視圖 of human人的 nature性質.
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因此基於對人性的錯誤想法,
我們創立了相對應的工廠系統
05:01
But once一旦 that system系統
of production生產 was in place地點,
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但是一旦這種生產系統上了軌道
05:04
there was really no other way
for people to operate操作,
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我們就再也找不到
另一種可能的運作方式,
05:07
except in a way that was consistent一貫
with Adam亞當 Smith's史密斯 vision視力.
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只剩下和亞當·史密斯
觀點一致的這種方式
05:12
So the work example is merely僅僅 an example
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所以這個工作的案例僅僅是一個範例
05:15
of how false ideas思路
can create創建 a circumstance環境
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告訴我們錯誤的想法如何創造出
最後讓它變成事實的環境
05:19
that ends結束 up making製造 them true真正.
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05:23
It is not true真正
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世上其實沒有什麼
真正「已經無計可施」的情況
05:25
that you "just can't get
good help anymore."
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05:29
It is true真正
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真正「無計可施」的情況發生在
05:31
that you "can't get good help anymore"
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05:34
when you give people work to do
that is demeaning貶低 and soulless沒有靈魂.
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你丟給他們那些毫無意義
又沒有靈魂的工作時
05:39
And interestingly有趣 enough足夠, Adam亞當 Smith工匠 --
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而相當有趣的是,亞當·史密斯─
05:41
the same相同 guy who gave us
this incredible難以置信 invention發明
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那個給了我們這個不可思議的發明
05:45
of mass production生產, and division of labor勞動
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給了我們大量製造、
勞務分工的構想的人
05:47
-- understood了解 this.
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─ 很清楚這件事
05:48
He said, of people who worked工作
in assembly部件 lines,
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他說過,在組裝線上工作的人
05:52
of men男人 who worked工作
in assembly部件 lines, he says:
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對於組裝線上的員工,他說:
05:54
"He generally通常 becomes as stupid as it is
possible可能 for a human人的 being存在 to become成為."
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「他通常會變成人類愚蠢到
最極致的狀態」
06:01
Now, notice注意 the word here is "become成為."
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好好注意,他用的詞是「變成」
06:03
"He generally通常 becomes as stupid as it is
possible可能 for a human人的 being存在 to become成為."
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「他通常會變成人類愚蠢到
最極致的狀態」
06:09
Whether是否 he intended it or not,
what Adam亞當 Smith工匠 was telling告訴 us there,
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無論他是不是故意的,
亞當·史密斯告訴我們的是
06:13
is that the very shape形狀 of the institution機構
within which哪一個 people work
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正是這個我們在其中工作的機構型態
06:17
creates創建 people who are fitted
to the demands需要 of that institution機構
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製造出符合這個機構需求的人
06:21
and deprives剝奪 people of the opportunity機會
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同時從他們認為理所當然的工作中
06:24
to derive派生 the kinds of satisfactions滿意度
from their work that we take for granted理所當然.
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剝奪了他們從中獲得各種滿足的機會
06:29
The thing about science科學 --
natural自然 science科學 --
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科學這回事 ─ 自然科學 ─
06:32
is that we can spin fantastic奇妙
theories理論 about the cosmos宇宙,
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就是我們可以對於宇宙理論
進行天馬行空的構想
06:36
and have complete完成 confidence置信度
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同時可以完全確信
06:38
that the cosmos宇宙 is completely全然
indifferent冷漠 to our theories理論.
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這個宇宙完完全全不會
受到我們製造的理論影響
06:43
It's going to work the same相同 damn該死的 way
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一切將該死地一如往常運轉
06:45
no matter what theories理論
we have about the cosmos宇宙.
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無論我們製造出什麼關於宇宙的理論
06:48
But we do have to worry擔心 about
the theories理論 we have of human人的 nature性質,
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但我們確實該擔心
我們製造出的、關於人性的理論
06:54
because human人的 nature性質 will be changed
by the theories理論 we have
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因為人性是會被改變的,
被這些我們設計出來、為了解釋
和協助我們更加瞭解人類的理論所改變
06:59
that are designed設計 to explain說明
and help us understand理解 human人的 beings眾生.
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07:03
The distinguished傑出的 anthropologist人類學家,
Clifford克利福德 Geertz格爾茨, said, years年份 ago,
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著名的人類學家
克利福德·格爾茨幾年前曾說
07:08
that human人的 beings眾生
are the "unfinished未完成 animals動物."
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人類是「不完全的動物」
07:12
And what he meant意味著 by that
was that it is only human人的 nature性質
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而他的意思是,只有人性
07:16
to have a human人的 nature性質
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是一種幾乎可說是被我們生活在其中
的社會所製造出來的本質
07:18
that is very much the product產品
of the society社會 in which哪一個 people live生活.
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07:23
That human人的 nature性質,
that is to say our human人的 nature性質,
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那種人性 ─ 也就是說我們人性本質
07:26
is much more created創建
than it is discovered發現.
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被創造出來的部分,
遠比被發現的部分更多
07:30
We design設計 human人的 nature性質
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我們設計了人性 ─
07:32
by designing設計 the institutions機構
within which哪一個 people live生活 and work.
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─透過設計人類生活和工作其中的機構
07:37
And so you people --
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所以在座各位 ─
07:38
pretty漂亮 much the closest最近的 I ever get
to being存在 with masters主人 of the universe宇宙 --
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恐怕是我能遇到、
最接近能夠主宰宇宙萬物的人群 ─
07:43
you people should be asking
yourself你自己 a question,
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當你們回去繼續運作你們的組織時,
應該問自己一個問題
07:47
as you go back home
to run your organizations組織.
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07:50
Just what kind of human人的 nature性質
do you want to help design設計?
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你們想要設計什麼樣的人性?
07:54
Thank you.
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謝謝各位
07:55
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
07:57
Thanks謝謝.
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謝謝
Translated by Joy Tong
Reviewed by Allen Kuo

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Barry Schwartz - Psychologist
Barry Schwartz studies the link between economics and psychology, offering startling insights into modern life. Lately, working with Ken Sharpe, he's studying wisdom.

Why you should listen

In his 2004 book The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz tackles one of the great mysteries of modern life: Why is it that societies of great abundance — where individuals are offered more freedom and choice (personal, professional, material) than ever before — are now witnessing a near-epidemic of depression? Conventional wisdom tells us that greater choice is for the greater good, but Schwartz argues the opposite: He makes a compelling case that the abundance of choice in today's western world is actually making us miserable.

Infinite choice is paralyzing, Schwartz argues, and exhausting to the human psyche. It leads us to set unreasonably high expectations, question our choices before we even make them and blame our failures entirely on ourselves. His relatable examples, from consumer products (jeans, TVs, salad dressings) to lifestyle choices (where to live, what job to take, who and when to marry), underscore this central point: Too much choice undermines happiness.

Schwartz's previous research has addressed morality, decision-making and the varied inter-relationships between science and society. Before Paradox he published The Costs of Living, which traces the impact of free-market thinking on the explosion of consumerism -- and the effect of the new capitalism on social and cultural institutions that once operated above the market, such as medicine, sports, and the law.

Both books level serious criticism of modern western society, illuminating the under-reported psychological plagues of our time. But they also offer concrete ideas on addressing the problems, from a personal and societal level.

Schwartz is the author of the TED Book, Why We Work

More profile about the speaker
Barry Schwartz | Speaker | TED.com