题型:阅读理解 题类:常考题 难易度:普通
江苏省盐城市2019-2020学年高二下学期英语期中考试试卷(含听力音频)
Last spring, I started a new exercise class. As someone who dislikes doing jumping jacks, burpees, and push-ups, I found the workouts surprisingly enjoyable, at least for a while. But after several months, I was overly familiar with the class routine, and my excitement had been replaced with boredom.
A 2016 study for the American Psychological Association estimated that 63 percent of us suffer from boredom regularly. And research shows that chronically(长期地) bored people tend to fall into depression, drug abuse and anxiety.
But boredom isn't a character weakness. It's a state caused by something called hedonic(享乐的) adaptations, or the tendency to get used to things over time. This explains why activities and even relationships that were initially satisfying can sometimes lose their appeal.
Humans are remarkably good at growing accustomed to changes in our lives, both positive and negative, according to Sonja Lyubomirsky, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside. This is a good thing when we are faced with adjusting to setbacks such as losing a loved one or a job. But becoming insensitive to positive events can prove harmful. Think about the last time you got a raise, bought a car, or moved. At first, these experiences can bring immense joy. But over time, they become part of the routine. We are ready for the next new thing to excite us.
While boredom can be a downer when it removes the pleasure from our lives, it can provide a sort of service. “If our emotional reactions didn't weaken with time, we couldn't recognize new changes that may signal rewards or threats,” Lyubomirsky says. In other words, we'd ignored cues signaling us to make important decisions about our relationships and safety.
It's not unlike how our reactions change when we fall in love or experience loss. Being caught in the glow of happiness or the web of sadness can make us distracted or forgetful. We may miss signals that indicate whether we're about to make a smart move or a disastrous one. The good news is that understanding the connection between hedonic adaptation and boredom can help us.
A study published in 2018 in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin showed that finding unusual ways to get along with familiar people, places, and things can make everyday experiences feel exciting. In other words, sometimes you've just got to shake things up!
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