Be an Optimist
Read the article quickly and answer the following questions.
What’s author’s opinion about optimism and pessimism?
Do you see the glass as half-full rather than half empty? Do you keep your eye upon the doughnut, not upon the hole? Suddenly these clichs are scientific questions, as researchers scrutinize the power of positive thinking. Research is proving that optimism can help you to be happier, healthier and more successful. Pessimism leads, by contrast, to hopelessness, sickness and failure, and is linked to depression, loneliness and painful shyness. If we could teach people to think more positively, it would be like inoculating them against these mental ills.
Your habits count but the belief that you can succeed affects whether or not you will. In part, that’s because optimists and pessimists deal with the same challenges and disappointments in very different ways. When things go wrong the pessimist tends to blame himself. “I’m not good at this.” “I always fail.” He would say. But the optimist looks for loopholes. Negative or positive, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. If people feel hopeless they don’t bother to acquire the skills they need to succeed.
A sense of control is the litmus test for success. The optimist feels in control of his own life. If things are going badly, he acts quickly, looking for solutions, forming a new plan of action, and reaching out for advice. The pessimist feels like fate’s plaything and moves slowly. He doesn’t seek advice, since he assumes nothing can be done. Many studies suggest that the pessimist’s feeling of helplessness undermines the body’s natural defenses, the immune system. Research has found that the pessimist doesn’t take good care of himself. Feeling passive and unable to dodge life’s blows, he expects ill health and other misfortunes, no matter what he does. He munches on junk food, avoids exercise, ignores the doctor, has another drink.
Most people are a mix of optimism and pessimism, but are inclined in one direction or the other. It is a pattern of thinking learned at our mothers’knees. It grows out of thousands of cautions or encouragements, negative statements or positive ones. Too many “don’t” and warnings of danger can make a child feel incompetent, fearful—and pessimistic. Pessimism is a hard habit to break—but it can be done.
你所看到的是半杯水，还是杯中空的一半呢？你看见的是炸面包圈，还是其间的空洞呢？当研究人员仔细研究积极思维的效应时，这些陈词滥调陡然间就都成了科学性的问题。研究表明，乐观能使人更快乐、健康和成功。悲观则相反，它使人绝望、病态和失败，并与消沉、孤寂和痛苦的胆怯紧密相连。如果我们能教导人们更加积极地思考，就如同给那些心理疾病患者注射了预防疫苗。
习惯固然重要，但真正影响你成功的，却是你是否有成功的信念。从某种程度上说，这是因为乐观者和悲观者在面对同样的挑战和失望时，会用截然不同的态度来处理。当事情进展不顺时，悲观者会责备自己，他可能会说：“我并不擅长这个，我永远都是失败的。”而乐观者则会去找寻疏漏之处。不论是消极心态，还是积极心态，都是一种能够自我实现的预料。如果人们觉得希望渺茫，就不会努力获得成功所必须的技能。
自我控制能力是成功的试金石。乐观者觉得能掌控自己的命运。如果事情变得糟糕，他会迅速做出反应，寻找解决方案，制定新的行动计划，还会四处请教。悲观者则听任命运的摆布，行动迟缓。他认为事已至此，无能为力，固而不会寻求赐教。许多研究表明，悲观者的无助感会破坏其身体的自然防御体系，即免疫体系；他们无法照顾好自己；消极被动，禁不住生活的风雨；不论做什么，他都会担心身体不好或者会有其他不幸；他还会吞吃垃圾食品，拒绝锻炼，不听信于医生，一再放纵酗酒。
人们大多都集悲观和乐观于一身，但会偏向于其中一方。这是从小受母亲的影响而形成的一种思维模式。父母无数次地警告或鼓励，消极或积极的话语是这种思维模式形成的根源。太多的“不能”和危险的警告让孩子感到无所适从，备感恐惧——这样就形成了悲观主义。虽然悲观主义很难克服，但也不是全然不能克服。
Ace in the Hole
Keywords and expressions
1. inoculate
作动词：嫁接；灌输
短语：inoculate with灌输
例：Heavy regulation would not inoculate the world against future crises.
严格立法并不能让这个世界从此对危机免疫。
2. scrutinize
作动词：仔细检查，详审
例：Suddenly these cliches are scientific questions, as researchers
scrutinize the power of positive thinking.
当研究者仔细观察积极思维的作用时，这些陈词滥调突然间都成了科学问题。
Chunks in Practice
Translate the following sentences into English or Chinese.
1. Many studies suggest that the pessimist’s feeling of helplessness undermines the body’s natural defenses, the immune system.
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2. 人们大多都集悲观和乐观于一身，但会偏向于其中一方。
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Now a Try
试着运用inoculate，munch，incompetent撰写一篇200字的短文。