美国国家公共电台 NPR I Want To Be 'Popular': Psychologist Examines Our Lingering Teenage Selves

 

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

Most of us remember our status in high school. You were either in the, like, theater nerd, yearbook editor, band camp, or you were more in the world of cheerleaders and prom queens and quarterbacks. And we like to think that none of that matters after we grow up. But it turns out it kind of does. That is what psychology¹ professor Mitch Prinstein says in his new book "Popular." He has been studying the science of popularity² for over 20 years, and he's with us now from the University of North Carolina, Chapel³ Hill. Welcome.

MITCH PRINSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

MCEVERS: OK, so in high school I was definitely not getting invited to all the parties, but...

(LAUGHTER)

MCEVERS: ...I did do a lot of stuff like speech team and theater and music and sports. Does any of that stuff really still matter?

PRINSTEIN: Yeah, believe it or not, it does. But there's good news. It's not the kind of popularity that you might be thinking of that ends up being the most important because the people who were those cheerleaders and the prom kings and the queens, they actually end up not doing so well in the long term. So it's good news if you were a little bit of a nerd or a theater geek. We're the ones that turn out the best in the long run.

MCEVERS: OK, so when we tell our kids, like, honey, it doesn't matter, we're actually right?

PRINSTEIN: Well, you know, there's two different kinds of popularity. We use the word popular to refer to who we like very much, but we also use the word popular, perhaps even more so, to think about who has the most status. Those are two different forms of what we call popularity.

MCEVERS: OK.

PRINSTEIN: And they lead to completely different outcomes⁴.

MCEVERS: So go further. So the status popularity versus⁵ likeability - what are those outcomes?

PRINSTEIN: Those who were the most likable, studies have found that even 40 years later they are happier. They have better marriages. They do better at work, higher salaries. They're even physically⁶ healthier. But research also shows those who were the highest status, as a lot of people might remember from their high school reunions, they actually are at greater risk for relationship problems and anxiety, depression and addictions⁷.

MCEVERS: Were you popular in high school?

PRINSTEIN: Oh, no.

(LAUGHTER)

PRINSTEIN: Not in that cool way.

MCEVERS: Were you likeable?

PRINSTEIN: Yeah, I think I - I think that along the way I was able to be likeable. And, you know, that has been interesting in just the way the research says once you're likeable, people give you the benefit of the doubt. They open doors for you. They invite you to get extra resources and information and opportunities that people who are not likeable don't get. And it creates this remarkable⁸ kind of cycle where either you spiral⁹ up and you continue to do well or you're constantly deprived¹⁰ of opportunities and you continue to suffer.

MCEVERS: If you could go back to your, like, 15-year-old self, what would you say? Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give?

PRINSTEIN: I would say, thank God you are uncool and nerdy because it's much more important that you focus on knowing how to interact¹¹ with others in a way that helps them to feel valued. And I think that's a really important message not just for ourselves when we were 16, but, you know, also for today's teenagers because this has become a world where people care about that status form of popularity....

MCEVERS: Likes...

PRINSTEIN: ...Way too much.

MCEVERS: ...Followers¹².

PRINSTEIN: Totally. Kids are getting the message that their value can be measured in the number of their retweets or Instagram followers. And that's a really dangerous message because this is exactly what we know will make kids suffer in the long run. So I hope we can really change the way we think about popularity.

MCEVERS: Psychology professor Mitch Prinstein. His new book is called "Popular: The Power Of Likability In A Status-Obsessed World." Thank you so much.

PRINSTEIN: Thank you.

1 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

2 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

3 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

4 outcomes   

结果( outcome的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The two scenarios provide illustrations of consistent set of outcomes for range of possible policies. 这两个方案说明某一套可能采取的政策将会产生的一系列后果。
• We analyzed all the possible outcomes of your mission, Commander. 我们分析过所有可能的结果，指挥官。

5 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

6 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

7 addictions   

瘾( addiction的名词复数 )； 吸毒成瘾； 沉溺； 癖好

参考例句：

• He has removed the stigma of drug addictions. 他已经洗去吸毒的污点了。
• Intelligent people are good at using reason to control excessive addictions. 智慧的人善于用理性来控制过度的嗜欲。

8 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

9 spiral   

adj.螺旋的；n.螺旋（线）；vi.盘旋上升（或下降）

参考例句：

• The production in this factory is spiral.这个厂的产量呈盘旋上升。
• Their profits began to spiral down disastrously.他们的利润开始螺旋形地急剧下降。

10 deprived   

adj. 缺乏足够教育的；缺少食物的

参考例句：

• the stunted lives of children deprived of education 未受教育的孩子所过的局限生活
• They deprived the criminal of political rights for all his life. 他们剥夺那罪犯的终身政治权利。

11 interact   

vi.相互作用，相互影响，互通信息

参考例句：

• All things are interrelated and interact on each other.一切事物互相联系并相互作用。
• The policeman advised the criminal to interact with the police.警察劝罪犯与警方合作。

12 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。