对话
So here is a question for our listeners: If there were a potion that would allow you to stay young forever, would you take it? Don: That’s obvious, Yaël? Who wouldn’t want to recapture their youth? I’m not so sure the answer is obvious, Don. Because the researcher has shown that the older you get, the calmer and happier you tend to be. Wait a second, old age is hard. There is disease, loneliness, and depression. True, I’m not saying that being old age is easy, but social scientists at the University of Texas have found that overall, aging is associated more with positive, passive emotions instead of negative, active emotions. Passive emotions? Yes, emotions can be passive and active as well as positive and negative. So, for example, feeling calm is a passive emotion. And it’s also usually seen as positive. Anxiety and anger, on the other hand, are clearly negative emotions. And at least in many cases they’re also active. Can anger be passive when someone is passive aggressive? Sure, but the point is that in general, aging seems to make us more emotionally passive. And being passive seems to correlate more with positive emotions like calm and contentment. It’s not clear why aging has this effect, but maybe it’s because when you’re older you’re no longer trying to prove yourself, no longer as anxious about getting ahead. Although, to be fair, the researchers found that the richer and more educated you are, the more you experience positive emotions.
Yaël:那么，我想问问我们的听众：如果有长生不老药，有人愿意吃吗？ Don:Yaël，这个问题显而易见，有谁不愿返老孩童？ Y：Don,我倒不这么认为。研究人员已经发现人越老越平静、快乐。 D:等等，人老了可不轻松，比如：疾病、孤独、抑郁。 Y：你说得对，我并不是说人老了轻松，但是德克萨斯州大学的社会科学家发现：大体而言，老年人情绪更加乐观而被动，并非消极而主动。 D:被动情绪？ Y：没错，情绪可分为主动和被动；乐观和消极。比如，淡定就是被动情绪，也被看作是乐观情绪。反之，焦虑和生气很显然是消极情绪。很多时候，还是主动情绪。 D:因为他人而好斗时，生气就是被动情绪吗？ Y：没错，关键是随着人变老普遍的情绪会被动。而被动情绪和很多乐观情绪相关。比如平静或知足。原因不详，但可能是因为人老了，再也不会试着表现自我，也不会争先恐后。公正地说，研究人员还发现越富裕和有文化的人，乐观情绪会更多。