Is the Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty?
Want to perform a quick and easy psychological test on friends and family members?
想给亲友做一个快速简单的心理测试吗？
Grab a clear glass and fill it halfway with water. Place it on the table and ask friends and family members to describe it.
拿一个透明的杯子，装一半水。把它放在桌子上，让亲友描述这个杯子。
Some people will probably say the glass is half-full. Others may look at it and say it's half-empty. Since both groups would be correct, what does this test tell you?
有些人可能会说杯子是半满的，另一些人看了则可能会说杯子是半空的。既然两组人的说法都对，那这个测试能说明什么呢？
Psychologists use simple tests like this to determine whether a person tends to be an optimist or a pessimist.
心理学家会用这类简单的测试，判断一个人倾向于是乐观主义者还是悲观主义者。
Optimists will usually say the glass is half-full, whereas pessimists will usually point out that it's half-empty. Optimists tend to focus on the good: there is still water available to drink. Pessimists, on the other hand, see the negative: there is water missing from what otherwise could be a full glass.
乐观主义者通常会说杯子是半满的，而悲观主义者则通常会指出杯子是半空的。乐观主义者倾向于关注好的方面：还有水可以喝；而悲观主义者则会看到不好的一面：原本可以装满的杯子，现在缺了一部分水。
But is it all just a matter of maintaining a positive attitude? Maybe not!
但这真的仅仅是保持积极态度的问题吗？或许并非如此！
Some researchers now believe that your genes might play a critical role in determining whether you focus on the positive or the negative. In fact, recent studies have shown that there is a genetic component to whether one tends to be an optimist or a pessimist.
如今一些研究人员认为，基因可能在决定你更关注积极面还是消极面中起到关键作用。事实上，近期的研究表明，一个人倾向于是乐观主义者还是悲观主义者，存在遗传因素的影响。
Even if you're genetically tend to look at the negative side of things, you can be more optimistic with some practice. Every negative situation presents the opportunity to view it in a different light. With a little effort, it's possible to choose to take life's lemons and make lemonade!
即便你天生就倾向于看到事情的消极面，通过一些练习也能变得更乐观。每一个消极的情境，都提供了换个角度看待它的机会。只需稍加努力，你就完全可以选择把生活中的“酸柠檬”（困境）酿成“柠檬汁”（美好）！
2028年12月14日于云南财经大学
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