worry or be angered or give way to anxiety only as much as the circumstances before us

不會因為擔心或生氣的情緒而產生比當下情境實際賦予我們更多的焦慮感

actually dictated. But we are not – of course – most of us quite sane, as evidenced by

不過首先大多數的我們都不是完全瘋掉的狀態，這一點可以從我們對於當下

the way that we respond with such disproportion to certain events in the here and now. We

發生的事件會有不一致的回應來加以證明

have occasional tendencies to get wildly more worried, angry and anxious than we should,

我們偶爾會有超乎常態感到擔憂、生氣和焦慮的傾向

if we were simply following the facts in front of us. What causes us difficulty is that we

導致此情況的原因主要在於我們往往是依據過去的經驗去回應

are wired to feel and respond according to precedent rather than on the basis of a dispassionate

當下發生的事，而非不感情用事根據當下事實來評估事情

evaluation of the present, and in particular we follow emotional tracks laid down in the

我們尤其會依據長久以來過去發生過事件留下的情緒軌跡來回應

distant past – when many of us were victims of deeply unrepresentative and unusually painful

當我們過去遭受許多不典型且不尋常的痛苦經驗

experiences, from which we continue to make panicky, gloomy and unhelpful extrapolations.

我們 (的內心) 會根據這些經驗持續進行恐慌、驚慌失措、憂鬱悲觀的向外類斷

In other words, we are, to use the inelegant but useful contemporary term, easily (far

換言之，不客氣一點用白話來講，我們真的非常容易 (超級無敵容易)

too easily) 'triggered'. That is, situations in the present elicit from us with undue haste

產生「情緒制約」。那些引發我們產生倉促過度反應當下情境的回應

responses formed by, and frankly better suited to, a past whose details we have forgotten

直白恰當來說是基於過去一些我們已忘記其細節

and whose distinctiveness we cannot now perceive. A tricky but not objectively existentially

且無法察覺其獨特性的事件記憶。因此一封不客觀的詭異騷擾電子郵件

troubling email will hence convince us at once that this is The End. An item in the

就有可能讓我們立即確信要出大事了、新聞中的某段內容

news will plunge us immediately into devastating guilt or boundless fury. The prospect of a

即可使我們陷入瘋狂的愧疚或怒火中燒的情緒、光想到我們即將要去參加一場

party we have to go to or a speech we need to give brings on unbudgeable, monumental

不想出席但必須去的派對或發表不想做但必須發表的演講就會令人極度的恐懼

terror. The triggering happens so fast, there is no chance to observe the process and see

情緒制約發生的速度之快，讓我們無法觀察到中間的過程

the way in which we cede our powers of evaluation from present to past. Our minds are simply

以及看清睹我們是如何將評估現況的主導權放棄讓給過去的經驗。

flooded with panic, we lose our bearings, the rational faculties shut down and we are

我們的內心純粹充滿了恐慌、迷失了方向，我們的理性機制關閉了，接著我們感到

lost, perhaps for days, in the caverns of the mind. We get triggered because we don't

數日內心空蕩蕩的迷失感。我們之所以會受到情緒制約是因為

have a direct link with objective reality: each of us approaches the outer world through

對於客觀現實沒有直接的連結；這是因為我們或多或少都是透過與內心稜鏡的微弱連結

the prism of an inner world with a more or less tenuous connection to it. In this inner

去回應外在世界。我們的內心世界中存在著一個期望貯藏室，期望貯藏室的內容來自

world of ours lies a repository of expectations formed through our unique histories; our internal

我們獨特過去經驗、內在運作模型或對於外在世界樣貌的最佳推測、

working models, or our best guesses, of what the outer world will be like; how others will

別人回應我們的方式、當我們抱怨時別人會說些甚麼、

respond to us, what they will say if we complain, how things will turn out when there is a challenge.

以及遇到挑戰時因應之後的結果

Crucially, and this is what we of course miss when we have been triggered, the inner world

關鍵是，當我們受到情緒制約時會完全忽略了內心世界不等於外在世界這件事

isn't the outer world. It contains generalisations and extrapolations from a past that may be

內心世界的機制會將過去的經驗概括普遍化和向外類斷，儘管實際上過去經驗

far harder, stranger and more dangerous than the present. Psychologists have a handy rule

比現在更加艱困、奇特及危險。心理學家有一套很好用的基本原則有助於

of thumb to alert us to the disproportionate side of our responses: if we experience anxiety

警醒我們自己的回應是否有不合理的地方：當我們感到焦慮和生氣的等級

or anger above a five out of ten, they tell us, our response is likely to be fuelled not

有超過五分 (總分十分) 時，心理學家說此時我們的回應不是單純針對問題本身

by the issue before us, but by a past we're overlooking. In other words, we have to believe

而是將過去我們忽視的情緒火上加油過的結果。換句話說，我們應該要理性

(contrary to our feelings) that the issue won't be what it seems to be about. Image

(相對於感覺) 相信問題沒有看起來那麼嚴重

result for david hockney The best way to free ourselves from being so eagerly triggered

如要讓我們免於容易受到情緒制約的影響，最好的方法就是

is to refuse to believe in most of what overwhelmingly and rapidly frightens or angers us. We must

拒絕相信大部分難以忍受的和快速驚嚇或激怒我們的情境。我們要學習

learn to adopt a robust suspicion of our first impulses. It isn't that there is nothing

堅強懷疑我們當下的第一個衝動反應。這麼做不是說外面世界真的沒有甚麼

scary or worrying in the outer world whatsoever, simply that our initial responses are liable

令人恐懼或擔憂的事情，而是在於說我們的第一個反應容易傾向

to be without proportion or without calculation of adult strength, resilience, resourcefulness

欠缺理性和欠缺考量成人擁有的體能、韌性、足智多謀及選擇

or options. Another way to approach our panic and anxiety is to remember that, despite appearances,

另一個和我們恐慌和焦慮的因應方式就是謹記，儘管就外表看來是一個人

we are not a single person or unified 'I'. We are made up of an assemblage or a blend

但我們並不是單一性或是統合的個體，而是由早期幼年迄今所有

of parts dating right back to our earliest days. In a way we can't easily track, different

經歷積累而成的集合體或混合體。我們無法輕易找出哪些事件

events will engage with different parts of us. Some of our most troubled moments are

影響到了哪部分的我們。有時我們覺得最困擾的情境是由於過去遇到此困難時

when a difficulty in the present isn't handled by an adult part, but by a part formed when

處理問題的我們還不是成年人，處理問題的我們可能還只是

we were six months or three years old. We end up so scared because the challenge of

六個月大的幼兒或是三歲的孩童。我們可能會一直對公開演說感到恐懼

public speaking or of a seduction or a worry at work has, unbeknownst to the adult part

工作上容易感到擔憂，是由於在我們還未成為大人之前

of us, been left in the hands a very scared toddler. In the circumstances, it can help

就已經先是個受到恐懼制約的嬰孩了。心理學家的方法可以幫助我們在情境當下

to ask ourselves at points not what 'we' are afraid of but what a 'part' of us

遇到過不去的坎的時候問問自己，不是問我們恐懼的東西是甚麼，而是自問是哪個時期

is worried about – and to learn more carefully to differentiate the parts in question. What

的我們有這樣的擔憂 - 接著學習更加謹慎的要如何用問題詢問那個時期的我們

might we tell a part of us in order for it not to be so scared? Image result for david

我們該如何向那個時期的我們讓那個時期的我們不會再感到害怕呢？

hockney flowers It is a milestone of maturity when we start to understand what triggers

當我們開始了解讓我們產生情緒制約的源頭和原因時，我們就往成熟的里程碑

us and why – and to take steps to mitigate the most self-harming of our responses. Whatever

更邁進一步 - 接著我們便可逐步減輕那些最具自我殺傷力的反應。無論我們的過去

our past seems to tell us, perhaps there won't be a catastrophe, perhaps we're not about

遇到了些甚麼，未來不見得就會發生災難，我們也不見得就會

to be killed or humiliated unbearably. Perhaps we have adult capacities for survival. Too

遭到殺害或是不堪的汙辱，可能是因為現在的我們已經有大人的生存能力了。

much of our past is inside us in a way we don't recognise or learn to make allowances

我們有太多過去的經歷是以我們無法識別或學習體諒的狀態進入我們的內心世界

for. We should dare to approach many of our triggers like a starting pistol or a fire

從現在起，基於對長遠有好處的原因，我們應該要敢於扣下板機

alarm that we will from now on, for well-grounded reasons, refuse to listen to.

或按下警鈴拒絕聽從 (情緒制約的聲音)！我們設計的韌性力量卡

Our resilience cards are designed to help us become tougher in the face of adversity. To learn more follow the link on your screen now.

可以幫助您在遭遇困境時可以更堅強面對。若要瞭解更多請追蹤螢幕下方的連結