週四 (3/2)1.繽紛櫻花祭 2.八卦報刊vs章子怡

板橋區文化路段421巷11弄1號 (陽光甜味咖啡館)

新埔捷運站1號出口 旁邊7-11巷子進入20公尺 看到夏朵美髮院  左轉     PM7:00--9:30

繽紛櫻花祭

Spring in Japan can only mean one thing: cherry blossom.       insidejapantours.com

Sandwiched between the long, bitter winter months and the sweltering humidity of summer, spring is by far the most popular time for tourism in Japan - both domestic and international. The atmosphere at this time of year is infectious, with parks packed with revelers and supermarket shelves stacked with the latest blossom-flavoured snacks and drinks.

The cherry blossom (or sakura) "front" sweeps along the length of the country each year, beginning with Okinawa in the far south in February and working its way along Japan to northern Hokkaido in May. A variety of factors can affect when the cherry blossom comes into bloom: a particularly cold winter can mean that the flowers come out late, unseasonably mild weather can usher them out sooner, and heavy rain can mean that the trees drop their petals much quicker than otherwise. For this reason, the forecast is followed avidly throughout the sakura season!

Hanami

If you are lucky enough to be in Japan during cherry blossom season, it is de rigueur to head out into the local parks and gardens, bring a selection of picnic food and drinks and join the locals for a hanami - or"flower-viewing". It is during this period that the Japanese are at their most relaxed, and all public places take on a party-like atmosphere.

Typical hanami spots include city parks, landscape gardens, castle grounds and along riverbanks, and you'll find all of these areas buzzing with people throughout the sakura season. The blossom usually only hangs around for a couple of weeks - sometimes less if there is heavy rain on the cards - so you only have a brief window in which to enjoy the trees in full bloom. So popular are these parties that some companies will pay a member of staff to sit in the park all day, saving a spot for the office hanami in the evening!

Hanami can be conducted in the daytime sun or in the evening. Both are lovely, but we particularly enjoy the blossoms at dusk when lanterns hang in the trees, turning the canopy a glowing pink. You might also be lucky enough to spot a geisha or two entertaining clients under the trees!

History

The tradition of hanami has a history stretching back over many centuries, thought to have begun during the Nara Period (710-794), so by getting involved you will be joining in one of Japan's best-loved and most time-honoured rituals.

Though the term hanami has been used almost exclusively to refer to cherry blossom-viewing parties since the Heian Period (794-1185), historically the Japanese held hanami parties beneath wisteria and plum blossom too. Some older Japanese still gather to view the plum blossom (ume) today, as a more sedate alternative to the sometimes raucous hanami gatherings.

In ancient Japan, cherry blossom had great importance because it announced the rice-planting season and was used to divine the year's harvest. Its fleeting beauty, moreover, was celebrated as a metaphor for life itself - and it was praised in numerous poems of the era.

Q:

What do you think that “the cherry blossom season”?

Why do Japanese people like cherry blossoms so much?

Why do humans love flowers?

What do you think of japan culture?

Where are the best cherry blossom viewing spots in Taiwan?

Opinion about Cherry Blossom in Wulin Farm and the tour bus accident?

Which season do you like most and why?

What are the way to make you feel most relax?

八卦報刊vs章子怡

Tabloid journalism          wiki

Tabloid journalism is a style of journalism that emphasizes sensational crime stories, gossip columns about celebrities and sports stars, junk food news and astrology. Although it is associated with tabloid-size newspapers, not all newspapers associated with tabloid journalism are tabloid size, and not all tabloid-size newspapers engage in tabloid journalism.

Notable publications engaging in tabloid journalism include the National Enquirer, National Examiner and Globe.

Tabloid journalism often concerns itself with rumors about the private lives of celebrities. In some cases, celebrities have successfully sued for libel, demonstrating that tabloid stories have defamed them.

Actress Zhang Ziyi loses appeal against Next Magazine

Taipei, Feb. 7 (CNA) The Taiwan High Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal filed by Chinese movie star Zhang Ziyi (章子怡) in a defamation case against a Taiwanese tabloid, saying that the magazine had cited another publication in its story.

It was the second time that the High Court was upholding the ruling of the Shilin District Court on the matter, which arose from a Next Magazine story in 2012 that alleged several Chinese officials had paid to have sex with Zhang.

Later that year, Zhang brought a defamation lawsuit against two reporters and an editor at Next Magazine, seeking NT$1.65 million (US$53,080) in damages and a public apology from the magazine.

However, in April 2015, the Shilin District Court ruled against Zhang, saying that the Next Magazine story had cited a report on Boxun News, an overseas Chinese community website.

The district court also said Next Magazine reporters had tried unsuccessfully to contact Zhang before publishing the story and that the tabloid had since issued an apology to her.

In December 2015, Zhang filed an appeal with the High Court, which upheld the lower court's ruling.

The High Court's rejection Tuesday of her second appeal is not the final recourse for Zhang as she can still appeal the case in the Supreme Court.

The actress, who is best known for her lead role in the megahit film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," in December 2013 reached a confidential settlement in a defamation suit against Boxun News after the website alleged that she had received NT$3.2 billion in payments over a 10-year period to have sex with Chin's former Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai and several other Chinese officials.

The website also retracted the story, saying the "false reports about Zhang Ziyi should never have been published.".

Q:

What are your opinion about tabloid journalism?

What do you think that zhang ziyi (章子怡)sued for libel in a defamation case against a Taiwanese tabloid,?

Do you like sensational crime stories, gossip, and celebrity’s news?

Why we need the tabloids

Why are people interested in gossips too much?

What are your opinion about Next Magazine, and Apple Daily?

What are your opinion about this actress, reached a settlement in a defamation suit against Boxun news and she had received NT$3.2 billion in payments?

Read More 看完整內容

週二(2/28)1.台灣最高薪職業? 2.從壞經驗中學習

板橋區文化路段421巷11弄1號 (陽光甜味咖啡館)
新埔捷運站1號出口 旁邊7-11巷子進入20公尺 看到夏朵美髮院  左轉     PM7:00--9:30
台灣最高薪職業?

Pilots are highest earners, waitresses lowest: study     The China Post news 

A study recently showed that pilots and actuaries had the highest paying salaries in 2009, while gas station attendant and waitresses had the lowest, media reported.

Council of Labor Affairs conducted its annual research into local average monthly salaries for every occupation for the past year. According to the results, pilots had the highest paying jobs in the country with an average of about NT$164,000 per month.

Following pilots were actuaries, with a salary of around NT$160,000 per month, then professional athletes, earning approximately NT$117,300 monthly.

CLA officials said the amount of people working in the top ten highest-paying jobs was about nine percent of the total workforce.

Lawyers, doctors and analysts were also among the top-ten list, the report added. Kitchen staff, excluding chefs, gas station attendants and waitresses earned the least money every month, with an average of about NT$15,000, NT$16,600 and NT$17,600 respectively, the figures showed.

Pilots average highest starting salary in Taiwan: survey

Taipei, Feb. 9 (CNA) Strong demand for pilots has made them the envy of many job seekers in Taiwan because they average starting salaries of more than NT$100,000 (US$3,170)per month, an online human resources company said Monday.

According to a recent survey conducted by the 1111 Job Bank, the starting average salary of pilots is the highest of all positions in Taiwan at NT$102,540, ahead of doctors at NT$82,438 and dentists at NT$80,824.

Daniel Lee (李大華), the human resources company's public relations director, said demand for pilots is strong because Taiwan's carriers are expanding their networks or launching budget airlines to capitalize on the vibrant global aviation market.

China has also tried recruiting pilots in Taiwan, driving starting salaries in the profession even higher and allowing them to overtake the pay of doctors, who had the highest starting salary last year.

Lee noted that the positions with the highest salaries are generally those demanding a high degree of professional expertise that can only come from extended periods of nurturing and training, such as doctors or pilots.

Q:

“By the study pilots are highest earners, waitresses lowest in Taiwan?”

So why pilots are highest earners, waitresses lowest?

What are your viewpoint about work as pilot or a waitress?

What are your viewpoint about work as lawyers, doctors and actors?

Is it fair that they are highest earners?

In your opinion what are the other high pay jobs in Taiwan?

In your viewpoint that how much money is enough for the minima pay?

Will you take dangerous jobs with a high pay?

 從壞經驗中學習
Are bad experiences a need for human growth? (Jessica Figueroa)

The experiences we consider bad, are necessary to reach a certain level of mature thinking?

I come from a place where life is not the easiest one, lots of poverty, many natural disaster, very unfair when it comes to justice, etc. And now that i got to travel to other countries, sometimes i see people creating a big deal over small things, some are very attach to materialistic things, many young people (mostly girls) behave like people from tv, Im not trying to judge their life style, if they feel happy like that its ok, but i just think many people are missing out whats really important in the human life, which is family, friends, working towards your goals, get the necessary stuff to survive and find the things you enjoy doing the most etc. It's quite simple. Lots of my friends ask me why i'm happy most of the time, and I ask them why do you complain about things you shouldnt complain most of the time?.

The Anti-Model: Learning from Bad Experiences

 (by Ariana Friedlander  rosabellaconsulting)

Many of the books I’ve been reading lately talk about finding and modeling the people that you strive to be like in life. And that’s a great rule of thumb, generally speaking. But there are times when you’re dealing with people or situations that demonstrate the antithesis of the values you strive to embody.

It’s easy, typical even, to complain about these situations. It’s you’re stupid boss, that idiot presenter, the disrespectful waiter. Everywhere you go, there are moments where you learn from bad experiences, from the anti-model.

The anti-model is that person that does the thing you want to avoid doing. You know you’re in the presence of one when their actions, words and behavior make you shudder (think nail on chalkboard type of reaction here). That feeling can pre-empt a conscious decision not do “that thing.”

Following through on that intention takes continuous effort.  First you must identify the negative cause and effect. Then you must be present within yourself to know when you’re crossing the line.  From there you have to self-correct.

Anyway, I digress! The point is that having bad experiences, being treated unfairly, feeling disengaged or disrespected. All those moments where you want to complain about someone else. These are golden opportunities to learn. They’re doing something that you want to learn NOT to do. What is it?
That’s just one example of a lesson I have learned from an anti-model. What bad experiences could you learn from? Who’s an anti-model in your life right now?  And what are you going to do about it?
Questions:
Are bad experiences a need for human growth?
How to leave the unpleasant past behind?
How to deal with bad experiences?
Why we need to learn from our mistakes?
What are the things that we can learn from a bad boss/ a friend/ anti-models?
How to deal with bad people?

What are the ways to cope when bad things happen?

Read More 看完整內容

周一(2/27) 1.英語會話/諺語/歌曲 2.無可救藥地浪漫!/自動飛行空中計程車

板橋區文化路段421巷11弄1號 (陽光甜味咖啡館)
新埔捷運站1號出口 旁邊7-11巷子進入20公尺 看到夏朵美髮院  左轉     PM7:00--9:00

英文慣用語介紹

現場發放    英文會話/諺語/歌曲講義 
文章 請自行列印

無可救藥地浪漫!

Signs You’re A Hopeless Romantic     thoughtcatalog.com      Vinoth Chandar

       

The idea of receiving flowers at random gets you only slightly less excited than the prospect of winning the lottery.

You are likely to ascribe personalities and feelings to inanimate objects in your life. You also may or may not be afraid of hurting the feelings of such things as a kitten, your car, or a toaster that you hit for burning your toast.

You are known to cry at movies (and also inspirational YouTube videos or particularly poignant fabric softener commercials).

You are the person who actually enjoys those pictures of little boys and girls dressed up in fancy clothes and holding hands like they’re at some kind of tiny wedding.

Though there are a lot of problems in the love lives of your close friends, you remain convinced that they are all going to end up finding the love that they are looking for because they so deserve it.

Even if you don’t currently have this love yourself, you are extremely happy for the people around you who manage to find it.

You get secretly kind of excited when a couple announces their engagement on Facebook, because this means you get to creep romantic photos for the next few months and appreciate all the effort they put into things like their place settings.

You have been occasionally known to work yourself into tears over an egregiously earnest love song.

You get irrationally sad when you hear that one of your favorite celebrity couples has broken up/divorced.

You fantasize about long-term relationships with your crushes, as just thinking about the sex aspect of it would be terribly unfulfilling.

You cry even thinking about certain Disney scenes.

Emulating the way children see the world around them — and how easily they find the joy and beauty in things — is your ultimate goal in life.

There is a not-so-small part of you which will always believe in magic.

You are currently debating whether or not it would be possible to get: “Oh! Isn’t this amazing? It’s my favorite because, you see, here’s where she meets Prince Charming. (But she won’t discover that it’s him ’til chapter three.)” tattooed on your ribcage. You’re leaning towards yes.

Q:

What are the signs of a hopeless romantic?    

What are the ideas of being a romantic person?

Did you cry at movies?

Do you like love songs? Love story movies? Why? Or why not?

What do you feel when heard the celebrity couples has broken up/divorced?

How to meets your prince charming /princess charming?

Is romantic love a modern concept or a base instinct?

杜拜將於七月推出自動飛行空中計程車

Dubai to Launch Self-Flying Air Taxi by July

Dubai officials say they plan to use Chinese-made drones to launch a self-flying air taxi as soon as July.

迪拜官員稱他們計畫引進中國製造的無人機，在七月推出自動飛行的空中計程車。

The Chinese-made EHang 184 drone has four propeller wings.

中國製造的億航184無人機有四組旋翼。

It is designed to carry one passenger - weighing up to 100 kilograms - and a small piece of luggage.

該無人機可以搭載一名體重最高達100公斤的乘客，以及一小件行李。

The head of Dubai’s Roads and Transportation Authority says the autonomous taxi has already been tested in the city-state.

迪拜道路及交通管理局局長表示，自動飛行的計程車已在這個城市進行了測試。

He said regular service is expected to begin by July.

他說，這個系統計畫於7月正式運營。

The egg-shaped aircraft can reach a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour.

這個蛋殼狀的飛行器最高時速可達每小時160公里。

It can operate for up to 30 minutes on a single battery charge, with a flying range of 50 kilometers.

單塊電池充好電可支撐飛行30分鐘，飛行50公里。

A video demonstration of the air taxi shows the whole trip being automated.

空中計程車的演示視頻顯示整個飛行過程都是自動操作的。

Drones can be requested through an app to arrive at an approved pickup location.

無人機可以通過手機應用軟體受理請求，可抵達系統批准的地點。

The passenger then climbs in and enters the desired destination into a device built into the seat.

乘客爬上無人機，在座位上安裝的設備中輸入想抵達的地點。

The auto-piloted aircraft then powers up, takes off and heads to the drop-off location.

之後自動駕駛的飛行器會通啟動，前往降落的位置。

Officials from EHang say all movements and functions of the drone

億航公司表示無人機所有的操作和功能

will be monitored by people in a “Command and Control Center“ on the ground.

都能被地面“指揮和控制中心”的人監控。

The person inside the aircraft will also be able to communicate with the command center if needed.

飛行器內的乘客如有需要，也可和控制中心的人溝通。

EHang said it has done major testing on its 184 vehicle in China over the past few years.

億航表示過去幾年他們已經在中國完成了對184無人機的主要測試。

It has also developed and sells several consumer drone models controlled by remote devices.

該公司還開發和銷售了幾款由遠端設備控制的消費型無人機模型。

Q:

What are your opinion about Dubai to Launch Self-Flying Air Taxi?

Does Air Taxi good for smooth the traffic jam?

What Do Drones Mean to the Future of Personal Privacy?

The Pros and Cons of Drones?

What do think of Dubai?

Read More 看完整內容

週日(2/26)1.英語會話 2.壞印象 怎麼辦? 3. 潛意識 左右人心 下午4:30--6:30/晚上7:30--9:30

板橋區文化路一段421巷11弄1號 (陽光甜味咖啡館)

新埔捷運站1號出口 旁邊7-11巷子進入20公尺 看到夏朵美髮

左轉       

聚會時間下午4:30--6:30

(用此兩篇文章     另外有一場聚會  於 晚間  7:30開始--9:30)

這個聚會單元   英文會話 Conversation講義 我們會現場發放   
另外兩篇文章自行列印 

壞印象 怎麼辦?

First Impressions: How to Recover After a Bad One        | Reader's Digest By Milveen Eke-Allen

Offer a sincere apology

Bad first impressions happen for a variety of reasons; perhaps you were late for an important meeting with a new contact and came across as unprepared. Or perhaps you unintentionally said something offensive or told a joke that was taken personally. Whatever the cause, apologize as soon as possible. You can do this in person immediately or send a short email afterward. Apologizing is direct and will be better than ignoring the mistake. But don't overdo it; you may unintentionally make a sensitive situation awkward. Once you've sincerely apologized, move on.

Be genuine

By being yourself you're more likely to come across as natural and less awkward and forced. It's OK to be honest and admit that you're trying to make a good impression or that you're a little nervous, but once that's said make sure the next time you meet, you act as yourself. This reassures your new contact that you were indeed being honest and are who you say you are. If you have a great sense of humor, let it shine through. If you're talkative, take a step back and listen attentively. (Related: These are subtle habits you have that make people trust you.)

Own your mistake

We're hardwired to think other people see us the way we see ourselves but that just isn't the case. They're likely thinking the same thing we are and are focused on trying to make a good impression as well. If you've made an honest mistake, say, for instance, you're dressed casually for a business meeting, own it and feel confident in yourself. People will be less likely to pay attention to your mistake if you're comfortable and act like yourself. (Related: These magic phrases can make anyone trust you.)

Adjust your body language

Redirecting the situation may be as easy as changing your body language. Listen attentively and make eye contact, be more conscious of your body language, smile more, and avoid crossing your arms. Hold onto something (for example, a cup of coffee or notebook) if that helps. This will go a long way to showing people that while you may be shy, you're attentive and present in the moment.

Don't avoid your new contact

Rather than crawl under a rock and relive a mistake over and over again, be bold and get additional face time. Show that while you're aware you made a poor first impression, you're determined to make it right. Don't be pushy but when you have an opportunity to spend time with this person, instead of turning around and walking away, seize the opportunity. It'll take time to change the initial perception you've established, but consistency pays off.

Be patient

You've heard the saying that "it takes time to build trust, but seconds to destroy it"? This can also apply to recovering from a bad first impression. If your contact is someone you want to build a lasting relationship with, either personally or professionally, be prepared to give it some time. Once you have an idea of how you want this person to perceive you (for example, you're a compassionate person but came across as inconsiderate), ensure that subsequent meetings with this person show who you truly are. It'll take months of consistency but trust will develop and leave them with a better impression of you.

Find opportunities to work together

If you left a new co-worker with a bad impression of you, seek out ways to work together. If you're both equally responsible for the outcome of a project, you'll have to build trust in one another. Over time this will allow the other person to see you in a new light. If you follow-through on your responsibilities and remain genuine, the other person's impression of you will adjust to see the real you. You'll gradually earn his or her respect. Try these smart ways to get your boss to trust you.

Q:

What are the common mistakes that making a bad first impression?

How to recover after a bad first impression?

How to make a good first impression?

How to offer a sincere apology?

How to adjust your body language and make people like you?

How to get people to trust you?

潛意識，左右人心的隱形力量

Subconscious Mind and its Impact on Our Behaviour

    “Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality.” – Earl Nightingale

I can guarantee all of you would vouch for yourselves: “I have self-control.” “I can control my behaviour.” Surprisingly enough, our actions are little under our control and there is a driving force behind our every action.

Implausible as this might seem, I believe it is true. When you think before taking an action or deciding on something, you do so using your conscious mind. But life is replete with different actions at every moment and every step. All those actions are not always a result of your conscious decisions, but subconscious mind too plays a major role. The actions controlled by your subconscious mind are beyond your control.

The study of subconscious mind and understanding it can help improve your relations and help you know people better.

Know What Subconscious Mind Is

Let us take a simple example of car driving process. When you first learn driving, you completely focus on your car’s gear and clutch. You concentrate deeply on the whole process. You notice every bump, every pothole, and every obstacle. As you become trained, your subconscious mind stores all your actions, and you start driving without making cognisant effort. You begin to avoid obstacles automatically, change gears automatically, while performing other actions at the same time such as listening to music, or talking on phone. Once you become a pro, the whole driving process becomes natural for you and your decisions become automatic.

Here is a little practical experiment to experience actions of the subconscious mind. Put your hand horizontally, with your palm facing upwards in front of you and imagine holding a lemon. Your mouth will water. Your conscious mind is aware that no lemon actually is present and that it is just an imagination. The subconscious mind, however, acts illogically and believes what the conscious mind is thinking. This makes your mouth water.

What Happens Inside Your Subconscious Mind?

Just like driving a car on topsy-turvy roads and evading potholes, you have been constantly driving through your life’s journey- a ride that you began as a kid. There were several different potholes and obstacles that came your way, and you crossed all of them, and with vital learning all along.

Depending on whether your actions had negative or positive impact on you, important judgements were made by you on dos and don’ts, i.e. things you should and should not do. You made your own judgements on life’s potholes and decided what should be done to avoid obstacles.

You gathered some knowledge and formed a knowledge base. You judged yourself, people around you and distinguished the good from the bad. Based on people’s looks, all of you made conclusions. Just because you met some bad person who had grey eyes and a long nose, your kid brain came to a conclusion that all persons with grey eyes and long noses were bad.

Q:

How much does our subconscious mind influence our lives?

How the subconscious affects a person's behavior?

How to persuade people with subconscious techniques?

How to influence anyone?

How to discover your potentials?

Tips to help you to discover your maximum potential?

How do you follow your instincts?

Can you really trust your gut when making decisions?

潛意識，左右人心的隱形力量

科學人雜誌作者： 撰文／巴夫（John Bargh）翻譯／謝伯讓 

.

現代心理學暫把佛洛伊德的理論放一邊，透過實證研究窺探潛意識思維如何影響人們的行為與日常生活。

重點提要

■人們在投票、買東西、尋找度假地點或者為許多生活瑣事做決定時，通常不會耗費太多心思。

■潛意識思維影響我們的思考方式和日常生活中的決策，而且理由充份。例如，當我們要閃避迎面而來的車子，自動化思考就很重要。

■潛意識思維不僅只於幫助我們注意四周環境，潛藏其中、無法從意識中察覺的心態，也形塑我們對其他事物的各種態度。

■佛洛伊德終其一生都在窮究潛意識思維的意義，而現代的研究則在人際關係上提出比較務實的觀點。

當心理學家試著了解我們的心智如何運作時，他們常常得出一個可能會令人驚訝的結論：人們常常不假思索就做出決定，或更準確地說，在「有意識地」思考之前就做出決定。當我們決定投票給誰、買些什麼、去哪裡度假和其他許多事情時，我們都沒有察覺到的潛意識思維往往扮演著很重要的角色。而最近的一些研究，揭露了潛意識思維如何深刻影響人們的日常互動。

探討人們在決策過程中受潛意識影響程度的研究中，最廣為人知的一項研究是關於人們如何決定候選人是否適任。實驗者讓受試者在極短時間內檢視一些非自己選區的美國州長及參議員候選人照片，接著要求他們做出評斷。沒想到，這樣的模擬投票竟然和稍後開出來的正式結果十分接近。根據比眨眼更短的瞬間看到的候選人臉孔來做出能力評量，像這樣的判斷過程，竟然符合三個州之中兩個州的選舉結果。

100多年來，研究心智的科學家著迷於潛意識對思考與行為的影響。佛洛伊德（Sigmund Freud）的大量研究強調，人的意識層面負責理性的思維與情緒，而潛意識層面是非理性的大本營。不過現代的認知心理學家則把佛洛伊德的觀點重新定位於不再如此兩極化的心理動態歷程上，他們發現，藉由融合與重整這些「心智資源」，兩種思維歷程都可以幫助人們適應並存活在千變萬化的環境中，從石器時代智取乳齒象、中世紀的騎士長槍競技，一路到在21世紀賣空蘋果股票。

後佛洛伊德（Post-Freudian）的心理學學派把本我和自我放在一旁，並採取了比較務實的方式來定義我們的潛意識心智。諾貝爾獎得主卡恩曼（Daniel Kahneman）曾探討過自動化思考和受控思考的現代區分方式。卡恩曼在他的暢銷書《快思慢想》（Thinking Fast and Slow）中提到，自動化思考十分快速、有效率且通常不在意識思維的範疇，因此無關深思熟慮，也缺乏計畫性，只需要簡單的刺激就能有所反應，例如看到此頁的文字，就可以輕易聯結它儲存在腦中的字意。受控思考則完全相反，需要刻意且相對緩慢地在意識思維中進行推敲，想想你在填所得申報書時得花多少心力就知道了。

我們必須先知道潛意識思維對我們的影響，才不會被這些難以理解和控制的衝動所淹沒。各種行為（例如交友、快速適應新工作或克服酗酒問題）的調控能力，除了受到基因、性格和社會支持網絡的影響之外，也取決於我們是否能辨識並克制各種影響我們日常生活的自發衝動和情緒。我們如果想要自在地生活，就必須先認識自我的潛意識思維。

最直接的反應

當我們遇到陌生人時，對他的第一印象甚至在對話開始前就已經產生了。我們可能會觀察對方的種族、性別或年齡，一旦察覺到這些特徵就會自動聯結到已經內化的刻板印象，並讓我們認為什麼樣的人就會有什麼樣的行為模式。這些對於某些社群的預期心態，例如懷有敵意、懶散、討喜、機智等，其實很多時候都無法套用在我們眼前這位來自此族群的陌生人，而他通常也沒做過什麼來讓你產生這些好或壞的印象。

研究潛意識如何影響個人對自己與他人的認知，通常著重在探討刻板印象和偏見，但其實這方面的研究，範圍更廣。一般來說，人們很難釐清各種正面和負面情緒的來源，並且時常誤解它們真正的起因，有一項經典的電話訪談研究，就顯示出這種現象：訪談當天的天氣會影響受訪者對自己人生的整體評估。如果當天是好天氣，受訪者較會認為自己的一生過得不錯。此外，若受訪者察覺到這項效應，他們的反應也會立即不同。當受訪者被要求注意當天的天氣時，天氣對他們造成的情緒影響便不復存在。

生理影響心理

有一些潛意識知覺的研究探討環境如何影響人們的心理狀態。現在任職於德國烏茲堡大學的施卓克（Fritz Strack），在1980年代和同事進行一連串的實驗發現，受試者的臉部表情（微笑或皺眉）會影響他們對眼前物品的評價。要求受試者用牙齒咬住鉛筆（此動作使用的肌肉與微笑時相同）或用嘴唇抿住鉛筆（使用的肌肉與皺眉時相同），結果顯示如此操弄臉部肌肉會促發相應的心理狀態。

這類型的「體驗認知」（embodied cognition）研究發現，有許多生理動作和知覺感受都會誘發出具有象徵性或隱喻內涵的心理狀態。例如，想起過去曾經傷害別人的情感，會讓你比較想要友善地幫助別人並和他人合作，這是一種對過去惡行的補償心態。另一項廣為人知的研究也顯示，提醒受試者回想起某件感到罪惡的行為之後，如果受試者有洗手（研究人員佯稱實驗室中容易傳染感冒而要他們去洗手），則洗手行為似乎可以「洗去」他們的罪惡感；和沒有洗手的受試者相比，有洗手的受試者所有的友善或幫助傾向都會在洗手之後消失。這個現象稱做「馬克白效應」，取名來自於莎士比亞劇作角色馬克白夫人的強迫性洗手儀式。

同樣地，對抗疾病似乎也會產生社會與政治效應。一項研究顯示，一些政治傾向較為保守的受試者接種H1N1流感病毒疫苗之後，和沒有接種疫苗的受試者相比，對新移民的態度會比較友善。流感疫苗對他們的保護似乎也延伸到他們對新移民的觀感，讓他們覺得新移民比較安全、沒有侵略性也不會剝奪自己現有的文化。

人們時常用隱喻來描述我們周遭的人，例如「緊密」的人際關係或「冷酷」的父親。最近一個稱做「概念鷹架」（conceptual scaffolding）的理論認為，人們之所以能如此善用比喻，是因為心中的抽象概念和外在真實世界中的事物有強烈聯結。研究顯示，短暫握住一杯熱咖啡的受試者，與握住冰咖啡的受試者相比，容易覺得眼前的人較「溫暖」、友善且大方。一些相關的研究也探討其他生理經驗如何透過比喻的方式，不知不覺地影響人們的決策和行為。研究發現，讓受試者在談判時坐硬椅子，比起坐軟椅子的受試者，前者顯得比較「強硬」而且不願妥協；此外，握住粗糙的物品也會讓受試者對社交狀況感到突兀且不順利。

我們很容易不自覺地對接觸到的一切事物進行粗略的好壞分類。這些無法察覺的自動化反應甚至會轉化成許多我們的基本行為，而影響我們去接近或遠離某項事物。荷蘭阿姆斯特丹大學的臨床心理學家維爾斯（Reinout Wiers）最近根據這個想法，成功開發出一種介入療法來治療酗酒與藥物濫用。在療程中，當病人看到許多與酗酒有關的圖片時，必須不斷推開一個把手，除此之外，並沒有要求對圖片的意涵做出任何評價。和對照組相比，被要求他們看到圖片時要推開把手的病人，一年後的復發率明顯降低，而且對酒精也反射性地出現較多的負向態度。肌肉運動在非意識層面與迴避反應建立了聯結，並發展出對酒精的負面心態和根深柢固的拒絕反應，使得病人在離開醫院後仍然可以成功克制飲酒的衝動。

重新檢視佛洛伊德

最近的研究首重探討潛意識的動機與目標，也是就關於「人們想要什麼？」這個基本問題，當然這也是佛洛伊德畢生探究的議題。關於行為的動機，現代理論對於驅策行為的因素抱持的觀點，與當年這位奧地利神經學家主張的不盡相同，因為前者根據的是一般人的群體研究，而後者則是來自精神病患的個案研究。現代理論主張每個人都擁有一套心理系統，此系統可以在意識可察覺或不可察覺到的兩種狀態下運作；而佛洛伊德認為，潛意識心靈具有和意識活動完全獨立的運作方式。

事實上，現代心理學探討慾望的研究發現，無論我們是否意識到某個自我設定的目標，我們追求該目標的方式都不會有太大的差異。皮斯格林尼（Mathias Peesiglione）和傅瑞斯（Chris Frith）在英國倫敦大學學院威爾康基金會神經造影中心時，曾研究過這個現象。研究人員要求受試者一收到他們給的訊號就以最快速度去推動一個把手，而在每次給予訊號前，受試者都會被有意或無意地暗示，推完把手後會有什麼樣的獎勵。結果發現，高獎勵的暗示（數英鎊，低獎勵則是數便士）會讓受試者的反應變快，無論暗示是否被意識到都一樣。此外，腦造影顯示，對動機有反應的腦區，在收到意識可察覺或無法察覺的獎勵暗示時都會活化。這項研究以及其他類似的研究都顯示，潛意識訊息也可以刺激人們去追求某個目標，即使沒有察覺到動機來源也沒關係，也就是說，不需要意識或自由意志涉入其中。

幸好，大多數人的目標都是想要促進他人的福祉，例如父母總是把對孩子有益的擺在首位。如果權力真的會普遍讓人在潛意識中激起重要個人目標，那麼這些以「社會」福祉為優先的人應該會變得更願意幫助他人且不會只在乎自己。的確，研究發現，權力可以讓這些人更容易採取一種利他的觀點，並且較不會勞煩他人。這是在他們完全沒有意識到自己的動機之下發生的，還有他們也會變得比較關心別人對自己的看法，並且比較不會有種族偏見。

佛洛伊德用了成千上萬的文字解釋，為什麼人們無法達成的願望會以影像和故事的方式出現在夢境中？最新的研究提供一種比較務實的觀點，來解釋潛意識思維和情緒如何影響我們與上司、配偶和孩子之間的關係。這表示，我們可以把過時的伊底帕斯情結丟在一旁，並接受一個事實就是：潛意識思維時時刻刻影響著我們，無論我們是完全清醒或沉浸在深沉的夢鄉中。

謝伯讓是美國達特茅斯學院認知科學博士，麻省理工學院腦與認知科學系博士後研究員。現任教於杜克–新加坡國立大學醫學研究院，研究主題為人腦如何感知世界。

巴夫是美國耶魯大學心理學教授，他所領導的「自動化認知、動機與評估實驗室」專門研究潛意識思維對行為的影響以及自由意志是否存在等問題。

不一致：當呈現的顏色和字意不相符時，受試者說出顏色的速度會變慢，這類測驗可用來測試意識無法察覺到的注意力分散。

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