如何改变别人的想法？：英语精读讲义

Do you ever get into an argument where you know you're right and yet even with your eloquent explanations and all of the facts on your side, 講解

你是否也曾和人争论，明明知道自己是对的，而且你的解释条理清晰，所有事实也都站在你这边，

you just can't get through? 短語動詞

却怎么也说不通对方？

Is there a strategic way to successfully convince somebody

有没有什么策略，能成功说服一个人

and change their opinion?

并改变对方的看法？

The first and most disappointing thing that you have to come to terms with is this. 習語

你首先必须接受、也最让人失望的一件事，就是：

Facts don't convince people,

事实并不能说服人，

especially if they already have an opinion.

尤其是当他们已经有了自己的看法时。

We all like to think that information or indisputable studies would convince us in an argument, 短語搭配

我们都愿意相信，在争论中，信息或无可辩驳的研究结果能够说服自己，

but study after study shows that when certain facts don't conform to our beliefs, 講解

但一项又一项研究表明，当某些事实与我们的信念不符时，

our brains are happy to disregard or simply rationalize them away. 短語動詞

我们的大脑会欣然忽视它们，或干脆找理由把它们搪塞过去。

In one study, scientists asked people if they believed in man-made climate change

在一项研究中，科学家询问人们是否相信气候变化是人为造成的，

and then categorized them as either believers or deniers.

然后将他们分为相信者和否认者两类。

They then told some that scientists had reevaluated the data and concluded that predictions for the future were much worse than before,

接着，他们告诉其中一些人，科学家重新评估了数据，并得出结论：对未来的预测比以前糟糕得多；

while some others were told the situation wasn't nearly as bad as once thought. 語法

而另一些人则被告知，情况远没有过去认为的那么糟。

But these facts had an interesting result on their beliefs.

但这些事实却对他们的信念产生了一个有趣的影响。

People who didn't believe in climate change and were told that things were going to be much worse,

那些不相信气候变化、又被告知情况会糟糕得多的人，

completely ignored this fact and their opinions were unchanged.

完全无视了这个事实，观点丝毫未变。

But if they were told that things weren't nearly as bad,

可如果他们被告知情况远没有那么糟，

their beliefs moved much farther in that direction.

他们的信念就会大幅向这个方向偏移。

And the same thing happened to those who believed strongly in climate change.

而那些坚定相信气候变化的人身上，也出现了同样的情况。

When told that things are now predicted to be worse,

当他们被告知，现在的预测显示情况会变得更糟时，

they shifted their opinions more strongly in that direction,

他们的观点会更加强烈地向这个方向偏移；

whereas those told it wouldn't be so bad didn't change their opinions at all. 表達脈絡

而那些被告知情况不会太糟的人，观点则完全没有改变。

The facts only caused people to polarize. 語法

事实只会让人们的立场变得更加两极分化。

It turns out that Once formed, people's impressions and opinions are extremely perseverant. 講解

事实证明，人的印象和观点一旦形成，就极其顽固，难以改变。

And cognitive scientists say much of this is actually linked to our ability as humans to cooperate,

认知科学家表示，这在很大程度上其实与人类的合作能力有关，

a skill that no other animal has to the degree that humans do. 語法

在这项能力上，其他任何动物都达不到人类的程度。

From hunting and gathering to agriculture and modern computers, 表達脈絡

从狩猎采集到农业，再到现代计算机，

our cooperation allows us to rely on one another's expertise instead of knowing everything. 語法

合作让我们可以依赖彼此的专长，而不必事事都懂。

As a result, 表達脈絡

因此，

we can hardly tell where our own understanding ends and another begins. 表達脈絡

我们几乎分不清自己的理解止于何处、他人的理解又始于何处。

Ultimately, strong beliefs don't actually come from deep understanding.

归根结底，坚定的信念其实并非源于深刻的理解。

This is known as the illusion of explanatory depth. 文化背景

这被称为“解释深度错觉”。

If I asked you to rate your understanding of something like a toilet, zippers, or computers,

如果我让你评价自己对马桶、拉链或计算机之类事物的了解程度，

chances are you believe you know way more than you actually do. 講解

你多半会觉得，自己懂得比实际情况多得多。

Go on and try to explain step-by-step how a toilet or a zipper functions in detail. 語氣意圖

不妨试试，一步一步详细解释马桶或拉链究竟如何运作。

Sometimes this simple act can expose how baseless ours or another's opinion is. 語法

有时，仅仅这样做，就能暴露我们自己或他人的观点有多么缺乏依据。

In one study, when participants were asked to rate their opinions of public policies like healthcare

在一项研究中，参与者先要评价自己对医疗保健等公共政策的看法，

and then later asked to explain in as much detail as possible the impact of implementing those policies, 語法

随后又被要求尽可能详细地解释，实施这些政策会带来什么影响，

they would quickly turn down the intensity of their beliefs, 短語動詞

他们很快就不再那么坚持自己的看法，

having been exposed to their own ignorance. 語法

因为他们看清了自己的无知。

How else can we overcome these tendencies and convince people in an argument? 表達脈絡

那么，我们还能怎样克服这些倾向，在争论中说服别人呢？

It turns out that we need to focus on the common motive, 短語搭配

事实证明，我们需要把重点放在共同的动机上，

as put by Tali Sharot, a cognitive neuroscientist.

正如认知神经科学家 Tali Sharot 所说。

That is, focus on the motives and things you can agree on. 表達脈絡

也就是说，要关注彼此的动机，以及双方能够达成共识的事情。

One study looking at parents afraid to vaccinate their children because of the fear of autism,

有项研究考察了那些因担心自闭症而不敢给孩子接种疫苗的父母，

found that if they simply told them the facts that the science shows there's no link between the two, 短語搭配

研究发现，如果只是告诉他们科学事实——疫苗与自闭症之间没有关联，

they wouldn't listen. 語氣意圖

他们根本听不进去。

But when they focused on the common goal of protecting their children and explained what vaccines are meant to prevent, 語法

但如果把重点放在保护孩子这一共同目标上，并解释疫苗旨在预防什么，

things like measles, mumps, polio, tetanus,

比如麻疹、腮腺炎、脊髓灰质炎和破伤风，

and how those diseases impact children who get them,

以及孩子一旦染上这些疾病会受到什么影响，

without even mentioning autism, 語法

全程甚至都不提自闭症，

they were more likely to have their kids vaccinated after. 語法

这些父母之后就更有可能让孩子接种疫苗。

Finally, humans are known to have something called an in-group and out-group bias. 文化背景

最后，众所周知，人类有一种叫作“内群体与外群体偏见”的倾向。

We tend to be skeptical of outsiders or people who we see as different from us. 短語搭配

我们往往会对外来者，或那些被我们视为与自己不同的人心存怀疑。

This can come in the form of race, religion, physical traits, gender, 短語搭配

这种差异可以体现在种族、宗教、身体特征和性别上，

but also in the form of ideas.

也可以体现在观念上。

So, people who don't share your ideas are part of your out-group.

所以，与你观念不同的人就属于你的外群体。

Studies have been done to show that if you can find a way to relate to people and have them see you in a different light, 講解

研究表明，如果你能找到与他人建立联系的方法，让他们换个角度看你，

to see you as part of their in-group,

把你视为自己群体中的一员，

they're much more likely to listen to you than if they think you are nothing like them. 語法

那么，他们愿意听你说的可能性，就会远高于他们觉得你与自己毫无相似之处时。

Find a group that you're both part of and use that as a point of personal connection. 短語搭配

找到一个你们都属于的群体，并以此作为建立个人联系的切入点。

Now, if you've ever wanted to challenge your own opinions or become more aware of those opinions contrary to your own, 用詞

如果你一直想挑战自己的观点，或更深入地了解那些与你相反的看法，

then you should definitely check out Vubble, a really awesome new company that I love,

那你一定要去看看 Vubble——一家我很喜欢、非常棒的新公司。

which uses machine learning to send you stuff you'll like,

它利用机器学习向你推送你会喜欢的内容，

but with a twist of also sending stuff that will nudge you outside of your filter bubble. 講解

但特别之处在于，它还会推送一些内容，轻轻把你带出自己的“过滤气泡”。

It's a cool tool that first analyzes you and your interests through questions, pictures, and videos,

这是一个很酷的工具，它会先通过问题、图片和视频来分析你和你的兴趣，

and then helps you flex your mental muscles with some stuff that wouldn't normally be in your feed. 習語

再用一些通常不会出现在你信息流里的内容，帮你锻炼思维能力。

It's a really nice way to expose yourself to a broader view of the world online, 短語搭配

这是在网上拓宽世界视野的一种很不错的方式，

and it's completely free.

而且完全免费。

You can check out the chatbot on Facebook by clicking the link below and then clicking the Get Started button to launch the chatbot.

点击下方链接，再点击“Get Started”按钮启动聊天机器人，就能在 Facebook 上体验它。

Help mind your feed and feed your mind. 表達脈絡

用心打理你的信息流，也用它滋养你的头脑。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos every Thursday.

别忘了订阅，每周四观看更多科学视频。