你该相信你的直觉吗？：英语精读讲义

Do you ever get that feeling in your gut that something is the right or wrong decision, but you don't know why?

你有没有过这样的直觉：觉得某个决定是对是错，却说不出为什么？

Our intuition is often deemed as mysticism or linked with telepathy and premonitions,

我们的直觉常被视为神秘主义，或与心灵感应和预知联系在一起，

but is there a science behind it?

但它背后有科学依据吗？

Should you trust your intuition? 表達脈絡

你应该相信自己的直觉吗？

Understanding something immediately without conscious reasoning

在不进行有意识推理的情况下立刻理解某件事，

is less about seeing into the future and more to do with pattern recognition. 語法

与其说是在预见未来，不如说是源于模式识别。

If I showed you this layout of an actual chess game for 5 seconds, 語法

如果我把一盘真实国际象棋棋局的局面给你看5秒钟，

could you reproduce it?

你能把它还原出来吗？

Studies show that most chess novices can recreate 25% of it, 表達脈絡

研究表明，大多数国际象棋新手能还原其中的25%，

but chess masters do it with 95% accuracy. 短語搭配

而国际象棋大师的还原准确率可达95%。

However,

然而，

if the task is repeated with the pieces in completely random positions,

如果把棋子完全随机摆放后重复这项任务，

both novices and masters only recall 25%.

新手和大师都只能记住25%。

The masters don't have photographic memory. 用詞

大师并没有照相式记忆。

They simply use their knowledge and intuition

他们只是运用自己的知识和直觉，

based on patterns they have seen over years of practice.

依据的是多年练习中见过的各种模式。

Our brain processes information through both slow and fast thinking.

我们的大脑通过慢思考和快思考来处理信息。

For example,

例如，

this math problem will cause a stress response

这道数学题会引发应激反应，

and your brain will kick into slow thinking to solve it.

你的大脑会启动慢思考来解题。

But this picture involves fast thinking.

但看到这张图片时，用到的是快思考。

Understanding the emotion of sadness is an immediate brain response,

理解悲伤这种情绪，是大脑即时产生的反应，

and this fast thinking is where intuition lies. 用詞

而直觉就存在于这种快思考之中。

In a similar study on the Japanese board game shogi,

在一项针对日本棋类游戏“将棋”的类似研究中，

participants were asked to solve a checkmate move within 1 second.

参与者被要求在1秒内找出一步将死的走法。

With no time for conscious analysis,

由于没有时间进行有意识的分析，

brain scans showed no activation of the cortex in expert shogi players,

脑部扫描显示，将棋高手的大脑皮层并未被激活，

the part of the brain responsible for conscious thought. 語法

而大脑皮层正是负责有意识思考的区域。

Instead,

相反，

the basal ganglia,

基底神经节，

which is linked to habit formation and automatic behaviors, 短語搭配

这个与习惯形成和自动化行为有关的脑区，

was triggered.

被激活了。

Interestingly,

有意思的是，

when it comes to complex decisions like buying a house, 短語搭配

面对买房这类复杂决定时，

while many believe careful thought with the pros and cons list is best, 短語搭配

尽管许多人认为，仔细思考并列出利弊清单才是最佳做法，

one study actually found that participants made better choices when they went with their snap decision. 講解

但一项研究发现，参与者凭第一反应做决定时，选择反而更好。

It turns out we often only take into account a subset of relevant information, 講解

事实证明，我们往往只会考虑相关信息中的一部分，

which can lead to us weighing the importance of each attribute inaccurately. 語法

这可能导致我们无法准确衡量各项因素的重要性。

The study also found that those who trusted their gut were more satisfied with their decisions in the long run 習語

研究还发现，从长远来看，相信直觉的人对自己的决定更满意，

than those who thought through the process carefully. 短語動詞

满意程度高于那些仔细推敲整个过程的人。

However,

然而，

when making simple purchases like which toothpaste to buy where variables are not as complex, 語法

在做简单的购买决定时，比如选择买哪种牙膏，这类决定涉及的变量没有那么复杂，

the study found intentional thought and research to be helpful. 語法

研究发现，有意识地思考和查资料会有所帮助。

Think you can identify the sound of your own voice? 語氣意圖

你觉得自己能认出自己的声音吗？

Surprisingly,

出人意料的是，

after listening to a recording of many voices in succession, 短語搭配

在依次听完一段包含许多人声音的录音后，

including their own,

其中也包括他们自己的声音，

75% of participants in a study made a mistake recognizing their own voice.

一项研究中有75%的参与者没能认出自己的声音。

But the most fascinating part is that their skin conductance was also measured 講解

但最引人入胜的是，研究人员还测量了他们的皮肤电导，

and these levels went much higher when their own voice came on, 短語動詞

当他们自己的声音播放时，皮肤电导水平会显著升高，

even though they didn't consciously recognize their voice,

即使他们在意识层面并没有认出自己的声音，

suggesting they had ignored their intuition, 表達脈絡

这说明他们忽略了自己的直觉，

which knew the correct answer first.

而直觉早已知道正确答案。

This same phenomenon was shown in a card game that uses four decks of cards.

同样的现象也出现在一个使用四副牌的纸牌游戏中。

The participants would select a card from any pile, 語法

参与者可以从任意一堆牌中抽一张，

which would either be good or bad.

抽到的牌可能是好牌，也可能是坏牌。

Without them knowing at first, 語法

一开始，他们并不知道，

decks A and B had more bad cards,

A牌堆和B牌堆里的坏牌更多，

while C and D had more good cards.

而C牌堆和D牌堆里的好牌更多。

After choosing 10 cards,

抽完10张牌后，

the participants had no idea what was happening, 短語搭配

参与者完全不知道发生了什么，

but by 50 cards,

但抽到50张时，

most would suspect that some decks were better than others.

大多数人会开始怀疑，有些牌堆比其他牌堆更好。

Finally,

最后，

after 80 cards,

抽完80张牌后，

they could articulate that decks A and B were bad and C and D were good. 用詞

他们已经能明确说出，A、B牌堆不好，而C、D牌堆好。

But again,

但同样，

even before they knew it consciously,

甚至在他们有意识地察觉之前，

their skin conductance levels would rise as early as the first 10 cards in response to reaching for pile A and B. 短語搭配

早在前10次抽牌时，只要他们伸手去拿A或B牌堆，皮肤电导水平就会上升。

Their skin was already making unconscious signals about the right choice

他们的皮肤已经在无意识中发出有关正确选择的信号，

before their conscious mind did. 語法

比他们的意识更早一步。

Of course,

当然，

their skin didn't know the correct answer,

并不是他们的皮肤知道正确答案，

but their unconscious mind began understanding patterns

而是他们的潜意识已经开始识别出规律，

before their conscious mind had.

比他们的意识更早。

So,

那么，

is following your intuition always the route to go?

跟随直觉永远都是正确的做法吗？

Not in cases of empathy, 表達脈絡

涉及同理心时并非如此，

it turns out.

结果正是如此。

A study involving over 900 participants

一项有900多名参与者参加的研究

found that when it came to accurately interpreting and understanding the feelings of others,

发现，在准确解读和理解他人感受方面，

systematic thinking, 表達脈絡

系统性思考，

or carefully analyzing the information available before making a decision,

也就是在做决定前仔细分析已有信息，

was more successful than going with what feels right. 語法

比凭感觉行事更有效。

Relying on our past experiences is essentially how our intuition is formed, 語法

依赖过去的经验，本质上正是我们形成直觉的方式，

and it has helped our ancestors determine friend from foe. 習語

而直觉也曾帮助我们的祖先分辨敌友。

However,

然而，

we were given two systems of thinking,

我们拥有两套思考系统，

fast and slow,

快思考和慢思考，

and we recommend that it's best to follow them both.

而我们建议，最好两者兼用。

Special thanks to Audible for supporting this episode

特别感谢Audible对本期视频的支持，

to give you a free 30-day trial at audible.com/asap.

让我们能在audible.com/asap为你提供30天免费试用。

This week,

本周，

we wanted to recommend the book Algorithms to Live By, 習語

我们想推荐《Algorithms to Live By》这本书，

which is a really interesting look at how computer algorithms can be applied to your everyday life.

它以非常有趣的方式，探讨如何把计算机算法运用到日常生活中。

You can get a free 30-day trial at audible.com/asap

你可以前往audible.com/asap，免费试用30天，

and choose from a massive selection.

并从海量内容中挑选自己喜欢的作品。

We love them as they're great when you're on the go. 習語

我们很喜欢这些有声书，因为出门在外时听起来特别方便。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

也别忘了订阅，观看我们每周更新的更多科学视频。