你該相信你的直覺嗎？：英語精讀講義

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

你有沒有過這樣的直覺：覺得某個決定是對是錯，卻說不出為什麼？

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

我們的直覺常被視為神祕主義，或被認為與心靈感應和預知有關，

but is there a science behind it?

但它背後有科學根據嗎？

Should you trust your intuition? 表達脈絡

你應該相信自己的直覺嗎？

Understanding something immediately without conscious reasoning

在不進行有意識推理的情況下，立刻理解某件事，

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

與其說是在預見未來，不如說是源自模式辨識。

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

如果我把一盤真實西洋棋棋局的局面給你看5秒鐘，

could you reproduce it?

你能把它還原出來嗎？

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

研究顯示，大多數西洋棋新手能還原其中的25%，

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

而西洋棋大師的還原準確率可達95%。

However,

然而，

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

如果把棋子完全隨機擺放後重複這項任務，

both novices and masters only recall 25%.

新手和大師都只能記住25%。

The masters don't have photographic memory. 用詞

大師並沒有照相式記憶。

They simply use their knowledge and intuition

他們只是運用自己的知識和直覺，

based on patterns they have seen over years of practice.

依據的是多年練習中看過的各種模式。

Our brain processes information through both slow and fast thinking.

我們的大腦透過慢思考和快思考來處理資訊。

For example,

舉例來說，

this math problem will cause a stress response

這道數學題會引發壓力反應，

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

你的大腦會啟動慢思考來解題。

But this picture involves fast thinking.

但看到這張圖片時，用到的是快思考。

Understanding the emotion of sadness is an immediate brain response,

理解悲傷這種情緒，是大腦立即產生的反應，

and this fast thinking is where intuition lies. 用詞

而直覺就存在於這種快思考之中。

In a similar study on the Japanese board game shogi,

在一項針對日本棋類遊戲「將棋」的類似研究中，

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

參與者被要求在1秒內找出一步將死的走法。

With no time for conscious analysis,

由於沒有時間進行有意識的分析，

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

腦部掃描顯示，將棋高手的大腦皮質並未活化，

the part of the brain responsible for conscious thought. 文法

而大腦皮質正是負責有意識思考的區域。

Instead,

相反地，

the basal ganglia,

基底核，

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

這個與習慣形成和自動化行為有關的腦區，

was triggered.

被活化了。

Interestingly,

有趣的是，

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

面對買房這類複雜決定時，

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

儘管許多人認為，仔細思考並列出利弊清單才是最佳做法，

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

但一項研究發現，參與者憑第一反應做決定時，選擇反而更好。

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

事實證明，我們往往只會考慮相關資訊中的一部分，

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

這可能導致我們無法準確衡量各項因素的重要性。

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

研究還發現，長期來看，相信直覺的人對自己的決定更滿意，

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

滿意程度高於那些仔細思考整個決策過程的人。

However,

然而，

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

在做簡單的購物決定時，例如選擇要買哪種牙膏，這類決定涉及的變數沒那麼複雜，

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

研究發現，有意識地思考和查資料會有幫助。

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

你覺得自己能認出自己的聲音嗎？

Surprisingly,

出乎意料的是，

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

在依序聽完一段包含許多人聲音的錄音後，

including their own,

其中也包括他們自己的聲音，

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

一項研究中有75%的參與者沒能認出自己的聲音。

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

但最耐人尋味的是，研究人員也測量了他們的皮膚電導，

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

當他們自己的聲音播放時，皮膚電導值會大幅升高，

even though they didn't consciously recognize their voice,

即使他們在意識層面並沒有認出自己的聲音，

suggesting they had ignored their intuition, 表達脈絡

這顯示他們忽略了自己的直覺，

which knew the correct answer first.

而直覺早已知道正確答案。

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

同樣的現象也出現在一個使用四副牌的紙牌遊戲中。

The participants would select a card from any pile, 文法

參與者可以從任意一疊牌中抽一張，

which would either be good or bad.

抽到的牌可能是好牌，也可能是壞牌。

Without them knowing at first, 文法

一開始，他們並不知道，

decks A and B had more bad cards,

A牌堆和B牌堆裡的壞牌更多，

while C and D had more good cards.

而C牌堆和D牌堆裡的好牌更多。

After choosing 10 cards,

抽完10張牌後，

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

參與者完全不知道發生了什麼，

but by 50 cards,

但抽到50張時，

most would suspect that some decks were better than others.

大多數人會開始懷疑，有些牌堆比其他牌堆更好。

Finally,

最後，

after 80 cards,

抽完80張牌後，

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

他們已經能明確說出，A、B牌堆不好，而C、D牌堆好。

But again,

但同樣地，

even before they knew it consciously,

甚至在他們有意識地察覺之前，

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

早在前10次抽牌時，只要他們伸手去拿A或B牌堆，皮膚電導值就會上升。

Their skin was already making unconscious signals about the right choice

他們的皮膚已經在無意識中發出與正確選擇有關的訊號，

before their conscious mind did. 文法

比他們的意識更早一步。

Of course,

當然，

their skin didn't know the correct answer,

並不是他們的皮膚知道正確答案，

but their unconscious mind began understanding patterns

而是他們的潛意識已經開始辨識出規律，

before their conscious mind had.

比他們的意識更早。

So,

那麼，

is following your intuition always the route to go?

跟隨直覺永遠都是正確的做法嗎？

Not in cases of empathy, 表達脈絡

涉及同理心時並非如此，

it turns out.

結果正是如此。

A study involving over 900 participants

一項有900多名參與者參加的研究

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

發現，在準確解讀和理解他人感受方面，

systematic thinking, 表達脈絡

系統性思考，

or carefully analyzing the information available before making a decision,

也就是在做決定前仔細分析現有資訊，

was more successful than going with what feels right. 文法

比憑感覺行事更有效。

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

依賴過去的經驗，本質上正是我們形成直覺的方式，

and it has helped our ancestors determine friend from foe. 慣用語

而直覺也曾幫助我們的祖先分辨敵友。

However,

然而，

we were given two systems of thinking,

我們擁有兩套思考系統，

fast and slow,

快思考和慢思考，

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

而我們建議，最好兩者並用。

Special thanks to Audible for supporting this episode

特別感謝Audible對本集影片的支持，

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

讓我們能在audible.com/asap為你提供30天免費試用。

This week,

本週，

we wanted to recommend the book Algorithms to Live By, 慣用語

我們想推薦《Algorithms to Live By》這本書，

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，探討如何把電腦演算法應用到日常生活中。

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

你可以前往audible.com/asap，免費試用30天，

and choose from a massive selection.

並從豐富的內容中挑選自己喜歡的作品。

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

我們很喜歡這些有聲書，因為外出時聽非常方便。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

也別忘了訂閱，觀看我們每週更新的更多科學影片。