通往快樂之路 快樂的另類公式

Say the words 'therapy session' and many people will picture an hour spent on a couch dredging up unhappy childhood memories. A different approach suggests that redirecting the focus onto the present and future can make people happier, healthier and lead to better relationships.
說起“心理治療”這個詞，很多人的腦海中會浮現出倚在長沙發上，花一小時來挖掘童年悲慘記憶的畫面。而一種與之不同的治療方法暗示，如果將關注的焦點轉向現在和將來，會讓人更快樂，更健康，建立更好的人際關係。

The method, called Time Perspective Therapy, involves figuring out which of six different outlooks a person has: past-positive (you love the past); past-negative (you have regrets and bad things happened in your past -- or things that you now exaggerate as bad); present hedonism (you enjoy the present and like to reward yourself); present fatalism (you feel that events are beyond your control, so why bother?); goal-oriented future (you plan ahead and weigh the costs and benefits of any decision); transcendental future (you live a good life because you believe the reward is a heaven after death).
這種方法被稱爲“時間觀療法”(Time Perspective Therapy)，其中一項內容是判斷一個人擁有以下六種不同觀念中的哪一些，這六種觀念分別是：過去積極時間觀（你喜愛自己的過去）；過去消極時間觀 （你有遺憾或過去發生過不幸的事──或者你有現在被你誇大爲不幸的事情）；現在享受時間觀（你享受當下，喜歡犒賞自己）；現在宿命時間觀（你感覺命運不受自己控制，那何必費心去控制呢？）；目標導向未來時間觀（你會事先計劃，做任何決定都會權衡利弊）；超驗未來時間觀（你過得很好，因爲你相信獎賞是死後進天堂）。

The best profile to have, says Philip Zimbardo, psychologist and professor emeritus at Stanford University, is a blend of a high level of past-positive, a moderately high level of future orientation and a moderate level of selected present hedonism. In other words, you like your past, work for the future -- but not so hard that you become a workaholic -- and choose when to seek pleasure in the present. Dr. Zimbardo, an influential thinker in this field who lectures widely, administers a 56-item questionnaire to determine a patient's profile.
斯坦福大學(Stanford University)的心理學家、名譽教授菲利普·津巴多(Philip Zimbardo)稱，最好的狀態是擁有高度“過去積極觀”、較高“未來導向觀”以及中度選擇性“現在享受觀”的混合。換句話說就是，你喜歡你的過去，爲將來而努力（但也不是過分努力，變成了工作狂），並適時尋求當下的享受。作爲該領域頗具影響的思想家，津巴多在許多地方做講座，他通過一份由56個題項組成的問卷來確定一個人的時間觀。

The worst time-perspective profile to have is a high level of past-negative coupled with a high level of present fatalism. 'These people are living in a negative past and think nothing they do can change it, ' says Dr. Zimbardo, co-author of the book 'The Time Cure.' They also score low on present hedonism and have a low future orientation. People who are clinically depressed or have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder typically have this profile.
最糟糕的時間觀狀態是高度“過去消極觀”與高度“現在宿命觀”並存。《時間療法》(The Time Cure)一書的作者之一津巴多稱：“這些人活在消極的過去，認爲無論做什麼都無濟於事。”他們在現在享受及未來導向這兩項中的得分也較低。在臨牀上被診斷爲抑鬱症以及患有創傷後壓力心理障礙症(Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)的人一般是這種情況。

Our individual time perspective is influenced by many things, including family and friends, culture, religion, education and life events. As very young children, we were all pretty much purely hedonistic -- focused on getting what we wanted when we wanted it. Some, but not all, of us become more future-oriented as we get older.
個體的時間觀受許多因素影響，包括家庭、朋友、文化、宗教、教育和生活事件。在幼兒時期，我們基本上都是純粹的現在享受型，關注的是滿足此時此刻的慾望。一些人（但不是所有人）會隨着年齡的增長變得更加着眼於未來。

In a famous study in the 1960s, psychologist Walter Mischel, now a professor at Columbia University, tested the ability of young children to resist temptation for a future goal. He placed one marshmallow in front of each child and explained that they could eat it right away if they wanted, but if they waited about 10 to 15 minutes, they could have a second one to eat. About half the children gobbled up the treat right away; the other half managed to hold out for a second marshmallow.
現爲哥倫比亞大學(Columbia University)教授的心理學家瓦爾特·米舍爾(Walter Mischel)在20世紀60年代一項著名的研究中測試了幼童爲實現未來目標而抗拒誘惑的能力。他在每個孩子面前放了一塊棉花糖，對他們解釋說，如果想吃，可以馬上就吃，但如果能等待10到15分鐘左右，就可以吃到另外一塊。約半數的孩子立馬就狼吞虎嚥地吃掉了棉花糖；另有半數的孩子成功地堅持等來了另一塊棉花糖。

The time perspective that the children had when they were young had a large impact on the way they behaved later in life. Dr. Mischel followed up with the children when they were teens, and then in middle age. The individuals who resisted the marshmallow at roughly ages 4 and 5 performed better in school, scored an average of about 250 points higher on their SATs and had happier family lives. Those who ate the marshmallow immediately had more emotional problems throughout their lives.
孩子幼年的時間觀對他們長大後的行爲方式有很大影響。米舍爾對這些孩子青少年及中年時的狀況進行了追蹤研究。四五歲時拒絕棉花糖誘惑的孩子在學校裏表現更優秀，在SAT考試中的平均分數高出250點左右，家庭生活也更幸福。而立即就把棉花糖吃掉的孩子一生中會面臨更多的情緒問題。

The good news, says Dr. Zimbardo: People can change their time perspective. Between 2004 and 2012, Time Perspective Therapy was administered by Dr. Zimbardo's co-authors Rick and Rosemary Sword, therapists in Maui, to 32 veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, all of whom had been through other therapies without positive results. All 32 saw a significant decrease in anxiety, depression and PTSD symptoms.
津巴多稱，好消息是人們可以改變自己的時間觀。在2004至2012年期間，與津巴多共同撰寫《時間療法》一書的裏克·索德(Rick Sword)和羅斯瑪麗·索德(Rosemary Sword)（夏威夷毛伊(Maui)的心理諮詢師）對32名患有創傷後壓力心理障礙症的退伍老兵施行了時間觀療法，這些老兵都曾接受過其他治療，但未能取得積極療效。經過治療，這32名老兵的焦慮、抑鬱和創傷後壓力心理障礙症的症狀均顯著減輕。

A person can raise a past-positive score, Dr. Zimbardo says, by focusing on the good in your past: create photo albums, write letters of gratitude to people who inspired you, start an oral history of your family.
津巴多稱，人們可以通過關注過去的美好事物來提高過去積極項目得分：創建相冊，給激勵過你的人寫感謝信，或開始一部家庭口述史。

Your future orientation can get a boost by organizing your calendar or planning a family vacation, actions that get you to envision and plan for a positive future. And volunteering or becoming a mentor can help you see that your actions can have a positive impact.
你的未來導向得分可以通過建立日程表或者規劃家庭度假來提高，這些活動都能讓你展望並規劃積極的未來。此外，從事志願活動或者成爲指導者可以讓你看到自己的行動能產生積極影響。

And you can increase your present hedonism -- selectively! -- by doing something to balance your mood, such as exercise or a nature walk. Also, reward your hard work with an activity you enjoy: dinner with a friend, a massage, an afternoon playing your favorite sport.
你還可以通過一些有助於平衡情緒的活動（比如鍛鍊或在大自然中散步）來增加現在享受（有選擇性的！）。另外，用你喜歡的活動來犒賞自己的辛勤努力：和朋友一起吃飯，按摩，用一下午時間做你最喜歡的體育運動。To lower your past-negative scores you can work to silence your pessimistic inner critic by meditating or to keeping an ongoing list of all the good things in your life right now. 'It's thinking about what's good in your life now, rather than what was bad in your life then, ' says Dr. Zimbardo.
要降低過去消極得分，你可以進行冥想或者不斷記錄當前生活中的所有美好事物，讓你內心中那個悲觀的批評家靜音。津巴多稱：“要想想你現在生活中的美好事物，而不是過去生活中悲慘的東西。”

And you can reduce your future fatalistic perspective by learning a new skill or hobby that allows you to see your change, and doing it with a partner -- it's less isolating and the other person can give you positive feedback.
另外，要降低未來宿命時間觀得分，可以學習能讓你看到自己變化的新技能或者愛好，可以和伴侶共同來做──這樣就不會那麼孤獨，對方也能給你積極的反饋。

Dominic Monahan not surprisingly had a negative perspective after he was laid off from his job as a project manager at a printing press manufacturer in 2009, and moved into his mother's suburban Chicago basement. He sent out hundreds of resumes -- and landed no interviews. 'I had no hope and was living in the past, ' says the 42-year-old. 'I was ready to give up.'
多米尼克·莫納漢(Dominic Monahan)曾在一家印刷機生產商擔任項目經理，2009年他遭遇了裁員，搬進他母親位於芝加哥市郊居所的地下室，受這些變故打擊，他帶有一種消極觀念也不足爲奇。莫納漢投了數百份簡歷──但一次面試機會也沒有。42歲的莫納漢說：“我完全喪失了希望，我生活在過去，我準備放棄了。”

Mr. Monahan admits he was always pretty focused on present gratification. He preferred to ride his mountain bike, run, hunt, 'or do anything' instead of studying. He dropped out of college, joined the Navy and held a series of technician jobs after he got out. He says he tried college several more times without graduating.
莫納漢承認，他一直都是相當重視眼前的滿足。與學習相比，他更喜歡騎山地車、跑步、打獵，或者“做任何事情”。他大學時中途輟學，加入海軍，退役後從事過一系列技術員工作。他說，後來他又試着上過幾次大學，但都沒有畢業。

He tried psychotherapy after he lost his job, but quit because he felt it was just paying someone to listen to him complain. While he didn't try Time Perspective Therapy specifically, his experience shows how the method can help a person recover from a downward spiral.
失業後他曾嘗試過心理治療，但後來放棄了治療，因爲他覺得自己只是在付錢給別人聽他發牢騷。儘管他沒有專門嘗試過時間觀療法，但他的經歷卻顯示出這種方法是如何讓人擺脫惡性循環的。

He eventually gained 60 pounds (eating peanut butter by the spoonful) and began sleeping 18 hours a day. When he outgrew his sweatpants, he says, he decided to turn his life around. He signed up for an online finance degree, and the condensed classes helped him to feel he was making progress. He recently graduated. He also got a temporary consulting job at a company that uses new technology to purify wastewater.
莫納漢最終重了60磅（他一勺一勺地吃花生醬），他開始一天睡18個小時。他說，當他的運動褲穿不下時，他決定徹底改變一下自己的生活。他報名參加一個網上金融學位培訓，密集型課程讓他感覺到自己在取得進步。最近他畢業了。他還在一家運用新技術 化污水的公司找到了一份臨時性顧問工作。

He started to exercise and took up the martial art Tae Kwan Do. His instructor, who is also a psychologist, taught him to talk back to his negative inner voice. Now, when he starts ruminating on mistakes he's made in the past, or tells himself there is no hope, he says out loud: 'Stop . . . This behavior is not going to move us in a positive direction or make us happy.'
他開始鍛鍊身體，還開始練跆拳道。他的教練（也是一位心理學家）教他反駁內心的消極聲音。現在，當他開始琢磨過去犯下的錯誤，或者告訴自己沒有希望時，他都會大聲說：“停……這種行爲不會讓我們邁向積極的方向，也不會讓我們快樂。”

Mr. Monahan still lives with his mom. He has lost 35 pounds and says his hunt for a financial analyst position and his goal of achieving more Tae Kwan Do belts keep him focused on the future.
莫納漢仍然和他母親住在一起。他已經減輕了35磅，他說，他在尋找金融分析師職位，還計劃獲得更高的跆拳道級別，這些目標使他將注意力集中於未來。

The small steps he took all added up and 'helped me get out of the negative past, be in the present and plan for the future, ' he says. 'Over time they started to change my subconscious into believing there is hope.'
他說，他邁出的每一小步都累積起來，“幫助我擺脫了消極的過去，讓我能夠活在當下，籌劃將來。它們漸漸開始改變我的潛意識，讓我相信希望。”

A Path to Happiness
通往快樂之路

To determine what steps people should take to boost their happiness, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory questionnaire asks people to rate 56 statements, including the seven below, as very true, true, neutral, false or very false. For the full quiz, visit
爲確定人們應該採取何種措施來獲得更多快樂，津巴多時間觀問卷讓人們用“極爲符合”、“符合”、“中間狀態”、“不符合”和“極不符合”來評定對56項陳述（其中包括以下七項陳述）的同意程度。訪問網站可看到整個問卷。