我們每天都要作出各種各樣的決定，有些決定至關(guān)重要，有些則無(wú)關(guān)緊要。聰明的人就一定會(huì)作出最明智的選擇嗎？本期節(jié)目討論阻礙人們作出正確決定的因素。

詞匯：making decisions 作決定

Life is full of?choices, some?inconsequential, some really?significant. But sometimes it can be hard to make the correct one. What are the obstacles that stand between us and a?good outcome?

生活充滿了選擇，有些無(wú)關(guān)緊要，有些意義重大。但有時(shí)很難做出正確的選擇。我們和一個(gè)好的結(jié)果之間的障礙是什么?

Some of us just find it hard to?decide. Alice Boyes, writing for Harvard Business Review, tells us this can be connected to?perfectionism, where people attempt to find a?perfect solution?to any problem and are unable to move forward when they can't find one. It might seem that being?indecisive?would stop us making the right decision, but in fact it could actually help us make the correct ones.

我們有些人就是覺(jué)得很難決定。為《哈佛商業(yè)評(píng)論》撰稿的Alice Boyes告訴我們，這可能與完美主義有關(guān)，即人們?cè)噲D為任何問(wèn)題找到完美的解決方案，當(dāng)他們找不到時(shí)就無(wú)法前進(jìn)。優(yōu)柔寡斷似乎會(huì)阻止我們做出正確的決定，但事實(shí)上，優(yōu)柔寡斷實(shí)際上可以幫助我們做出正確的決定。

Susan Krauss in Psychology Today reminds us that people often make bad decisions because they base them on?preconceptions?rather than the context in which things happen. She highlights a paper by researcher Iris Schneider which finds that indecisive people are more likely to look at different?perspectives?and use them to?come to?a?better?decision. So, it could be that a more significant?barrier?to making the best choice is our?cognitive biases.

蘇珊·克勞斯在《今日心理學(xué)》中提醒我們，人們經(jīng)常做出錯(cuò)誤的決定是因?yàn)樗麄兓谙热霝橹鞯挠^念，而不是事情發(fā)生的背景。她強(qiáng)調(diào)了研究員艾里斯·施耐德(Iris Schneider)的一篇論文，該論文發(fā)現(xiàn)優(yōu)柔寡斷的人更有可能從不同的角度看待問(wèn)題，并利用這些角度做出更好的決定。所以，做出最佳選擇的更大障礙可能是我們的認(rèn)知偏見(jiàn)。

David Robson, speaking to the BBC's Crowd Science, tells us that intelligence can sometimes stop people making the right decision. People sometimes use intelligence to invent?justifications?for?irrational beliefs. He believes that?humility?is key to making a good decision. People who can accept that they might be wrong are more likely to consider different viewpoints. He is backed up on this by Jeff Bezos. Tech CEO Jason Fried recalls the Amazon founder saying how the people who were right a lot of the time were the people who often?changed their minds.

大衛(wèi)·羅布森在接受BBC“大眾科學(xué)”節(jié)目采訪時(shí)告訴我們，智力有時(shí)會(huì)阻止人們做出正確的決定。人們有時(shí)會(huì)用智力為不合理的信念找借口。他相信謙卑是做出正確決定的關(guān)鍵。那些能接受自己可能是錯(cuò)的人更有可能考慮不同的觀點(diǎn)。杰夫·貝佐斯(Jeff Bezos)也支持他的觀點(diǎn)。科技公司首席執(zhí)行官杰森?弗里德回憶起亞馬遜創(chuàng)始人貝佐斯曾說(shuō)過(guò)的一句話:那些在很多時(shí)候都是正確的人，往往是那些經(jīng)常改變主意的人。

So, maybe rather than indecision, it might be intelligence and decisiveness, backed up by our biases that actually stop us making good choices. While humility and?indecisiveness?could help us pick the best option.

所以，也許不是優(yōu)柔寡斷，而是智慧和果斷，由我們的偏見(jiàn)支持，實(shí)際上阻止了我們做出正確的選擇。而謙遜和優(yōu)柔寡斷可以幫助我們做出最好的選擇。

詞匯表

choice 選擇
inconsequential 無(wú)關(guān)緊要的
significant 重要的
good outcome 好的結(jié)果
decide 作決定
perfectionism 完美主義
perfect solution 完美的解決辦法
indecisive 猶豫不決的
preconception 先入之見(jiàn)，成見(jiàn)
perspective （思考問(wèn)題的）角度，觀點(diǎn)
come to a decision 作出一個(gè)決定
barrier 障礙
cognitive bias 認(rèn)知偏差
justification 辯解，正當(dāng)理由
irrational belief 非理性的看法
humility 謙遜
change one's mind 改變主意
indecisiveness 猶豫不決

測(cè)驗(yàn)與練習(xí)

1.?閱讀課文并回答問(wèn)題。

1. What other personality trait is linked to indecisiveness?

2. True or false??Indecisiveness can make us happier.

3. According to Schneider, what are indecisive people more likely to consider?

4. How can intelligence stop us making good decisions?

5. According to Jeff Bezos, what characteristic makes people right a lot of the time?

2.?選擇意思恰當(dāng)?shù)膯卧~或詞組來(lái)完成下列句子。

1. It's important to get _______ decisions correct.

inconsequential??? ??????? significant? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?decisive? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?perfectionist

2. Indecisiveness is a personality _______.

choice? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?justification? ? ? ? ? ? ?trait? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? perspective

3. It's good to be able to _______ your mind.

decide? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?choose? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? justify? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? change

4. It's not always easy to _______ to a decision.

go? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? reach? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? come? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?choose

5. Looking at things from different _______ can help us make good decisions.

outcomes? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?traits? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?preconceptions? ? ? ? ? ?perspectives

答案

1.?閱讀課文并回答問(wèn)題。?

1. What other personality trait is linked to indecisiveness?

Indecisiveness is linked to perfectionism.

2. True or false??Indecisiveness can make us happier.

False. According to Eric Rassin, it is linked to lower life satisfaction.

3. According to Schneider, what are indecisive people more likely to consider?

Schneider found that indecisive people are more likely to consider different perspectives.

4. How can intelligence stop us making good decisions?

David Robson tells us that intelligent people sometimes use their intelligence to invent justifications for irrational beliefs.

5. According to Jeff Bezos, what characteristic makes people right a lot of the time?

According to Jeff Bezos, people who often change their mind tend to be right a lot of the time.

2.?選擇意思恰當(dāng)?shù)膯卧~或詞組來(lái)完成下列句子。

1. It's important to get?significant?decisions correct.

2. Indecisiveness is a personality?trait.

3. It's good to be able to?change?your mind.

4. It's not always easy to?come?to a decision.

5. Looking at things from different?perspectives?can help us make good decisions.

文章來(lái)源BBC，侵權(quán)刪。