現代世界如何讓我們患上心理疾病：英語精讀講義

The modern world is wonderful in many ways.

現代世界在許多方面都非常美好。

Dentistry is good,

牙科技術發達，

cars are reliable.

汽車也很可靠。

We can so easily keep in touch from Mexico with our grandmother in Scotland. 片語搭配

我們在墨西哥也能輕鬆地與蘇格蘭的祖母保持聯繫。

But it's also powerfully and tragically geared to causing a high background level of anxiety 講解

但它同樣以一種強大且悲劇性的方式，不可避免地導致了普遍的高焦慮

and widespread low-level depression.

以及廣泛存在的輕度憂鬱。

There are six particular features of modernity that have this psychologically disturbing effect.

現代社會有六個顯著特徵造成了這種心理困擾。

Each one has a potential cure,

每一個都有潛在的解藥，

which we will only collectively put into action 片語搭配

而我們能夠集體將其付諸行動的前提，

when we know more about the disease in question. 片語搭配

是我們對相關「疾病」有了更多的了解。

Here are the six.

以下就是這六個特徵。

1. Meritocracy.

1. 唯才是用。

Our societies tell us that everyone is free to make it if they have the talent and energy. 慣用語

我們的社會告訴我們，只要有才華和精力，每個人都能自由地獲得成功。

The downside of this ostensibly liberating and beautiful idea is that any perceived lack of success 用詞

這種表面上自由而美好的想法，其缺點是任何明顯的失敗

is taken to be, 文法

都會被認為，

not as in the past, 文法

不像過去那樣，

an accident or misfortune,

是意外或不幸，

but as a sure sign of a lack of talent or laziness.

而被看作是缺乏才華或懶惰的確鑿證據。

If those at the top deserve all their success, 表達脈絡

如果那些身居高位的人理應獲得他們所有的成功，

then those at the bottom must surely deserve all their failure.

那麼那些處於底層的人也必然理應承受他們所有的失敗。

A society that thinks of itself as meritocratic

一個自認為是菁英管理體制的社會

turns poverty from a problem to evidence of damnation, 表達脈絡

會把貧窮從一個問題變成被詛咒的證據，

and those who have failed

並且把那些失敗的人

from unfortunates to losers.

從不幸者變成了失敗者。

The cure is a strong

解決之道是一種強烈的、

culturally endorsed belief in two big ideas:

獲得文化認可的、對兩個重要觀念的信念：

luck, which says success doesn't just depend on talent and effort, 文法

一是運氣，即成功不僅僅取決於才華和努力；

and tragedy, which says good decent people can fail

二是悲劇，即善良正直的人也可能會失敗，

and deserve compassion rather than contempt. 片語搭配

他們理應得到同情而不是鄙視。

2. Individualism.

2. 個人主義。

An individualistic society preaches that the individual and their achievements are everything 用詞

一個個人主義的社會宣揚個人及其成就是一切，

and that everyone is capable of a special destiny.

每個人都能擁有不凡的命運。

It's not the community that matters,

社區並不重要，

the group is for no hopers. 用詞

群體是留給沒有希望的人的。

To be ordinary is regarded as a curse.

平庸被視為一種詛咒。

The result is that the very thing that most of us will end up being, 片語動詞

結果是，我們大多數人最終的樣子，

statistically speaking, 片語搭配

從統計學上講，

is associated with freakish failure.

卻被與怪異的失敗聯繫在了一起。

The cure is a cult of the good

解決之道是推崇美好、

ordinary life and proper appreciation

敬重平凡生活，並恰如其分地欣賞

of the pleasures and quiet heroism of the everyday. 慣用語

日常生活中的樂趣與默默無聞的英雄主義。

3. Secularism.

3. 世俗主義。

Secular societies cease to believe in anything that is bigger than or beyond themselves. 慣用語

世俗社會不再相信任何比自己更偉大或超越自己的事物。

Religions used to perform the useful service of keeping our petty ways and status battles in perspective. 慣用語

宗教曾提供過一項有用的服務，即讓我們客觀看待自己微不足道的行事方式和地位之爭。

But now,

但現在，

there is nothing to awe or relativize humans, 用詞

再沒有什麼能讓人類感到敬畏或相對渺小的事物了，

whose triumphs and mishaps

人類的成功與不幸

end up feeling like the be-all and end-all. 慣用語

最終感覺就像是唯一的全部。

A cure would involve regularly using sources of transcendence

解決之道將包括經常利用超驗的力量

to generate a benign relativizing perspective on our personal sorrows. 用詞

針對我們的個人悲傷產生一種溫和而又相對的視角。

Music,

音樂，

the stars at night,

夜空的繁星，

the vast spaces of the desert or the ocean

沙漠或海洋的廣闊空間

would humble us all in consoling ways. 用詞

都會以令人欣慰的方式讓我們感到謙卑。

4. Romanticism.

4. 浪漫主義。

The philosophy of romanticism

浪漫主義的哲學思想

tells us that each of us has one very special person out there 表達脈絡

告訴我們，世界上有一個非常特別的人

who can make us completely happy.

能夠讓我們徹底感到幸福。

Yet, mostly,

然而，大多數情況下，

we have to settle for moderately bearable relationships 片語動詞

我們不得不妥協於一段勉強過得去的關係，

with someone who is very nice in a few ways

對方在某些方面非常好，

and pretty difficult in many others.

但在許多其他方面卻相當難搞。

It feels like a disaster in comparison with our original huge hopes.

與我們最初的巨大期望相比，這感覺就像是一場災難。

The cure is to realize that we didn't go wrong. 片語搭配

解決之道是認識到我們並沒有做錯什麼。

We were just encouraged to believe in a very improbable dream.

我們只是被鼓勵去相信一個極不可能實現的夢。

Instead,

相反，

we should build up our ambitions around friendship and non-sexual love. 片語動詞

我們應該把我們的抱負建立在友誼和非性的愛之上。

5. The media.

5. 媒體。

The media has immense prestige and a huge place in our lives,

媒體在我們的生活中享有極高的聲望並佔據著巨大的地位，

but it routinely directs our attention to things that scare, worry, panic, and enrage us 片語搭配

但它卻經常把我們的注意力引向那些讓我們害怕、擔憂、恐慌和憤怒的事情上，

while denying us agency or any chance for effective personal action. 用詞

同時又剝奪了我們的主觀能動性或任何採取有效個人行動的機會。

It typically attends to the least admirable sides of human nature 片語動詞

它通常關注人性的陰暗面，

without a balancing exposure to normal good intentions, 片語搭配

而沒有平衡地展示正常的好意、

responsibility, and decency.

責任感和體面。

At its worst, 表達脈絡

在最糟糕的情況下，

it edges us towards mob justice. 講解

它將我們推向網路暴民的私刑。

The cure would be news that focused on presenting solutions rather than generating outrage, 文法

解決之道是關注呈現解決方案而非引發憤怒的新聞，

that was alive to systemic problems 慣用語

對系統性問題保持敏感，

rather than gleefully emphasizing scapegoats or emblematic monsters, 慣用語

而不是幸災樂禍地強調替罪羊或典型的怪物，

and that would regularly remind us that the news we most need

並且定期提醒我們，我們最需要的新聞

comes from our own lives and direct experiences.

來源於我們自己的生活和直接經歷。

6. Perfectibility.

6. 完美主義。

Modern societies stress that it is within our remit to be profoundly content, sane, and accomplished. 用詞

現代社會強調，獲得深深的滿足、理智和成功是我們的職責所在。

As a result, 表達脈絡

結果，

we end up loathing ourselves, 片語動詞

我們最終討厭自己，

feeling weak, and sensing that we've wasted our lives.

感到虛弱，並覺得我們虛度了光陰。

A cure would be a culture that endlessly promotes the idea that perfection is not within our grasp, 慣用語

解決之道是一種不斷宣揚完美是我們遙不可及的文化，

that being mentally slightly and at points very unwell is an inescapable part of the human condition, 講解

宣揚精神上有些許、有時甚至非常不適是人類境況中不可避免的一部分，

and that what we need above all 片語搭配

宣揚我們最需要的

are good friends with whom we can sit and honestly discuss 文法

能夠坐下來誠實討論的真正好朋友，

our real fears and vulnerabilities.

談論我們真實的恐懼和脆弱。

The forces of psychological distress in our world 慣用語

在我們的世界中，導致心理困擾的力量

are currently much wealthier and more active than the needed cures.

目前比所需的解決之道要豐富和活躍得多。

We deserve tender pity for the price we have to pay 慣用語

我們為生在這個現代所付出的代價

for being born in modern times.

理應得到溫柔的憐憫。

But, more hopefully, 表達脈絡

但是，更令人充滿希望的是，

cures are now open to us individually and collectively 片語搭配

治療方法現在對我們個人和集體都是開放的，

if only we recognize with sufficient clarity 文法

只要我們能足夠清晰地認識到

the sources of our true anxieties and sorrows.

造成我們真正焦慮和悲傷的根源。

Did you know

你知道嗎，

The School of Life is a real place

The School of Life 是一個真實存在的地方，

with classes, events, and a shop?

裡面有各種課程、活動和一家商店？

Visit our website to learn more.

造訪我們的網站了解更多。