Day 299: On Generalizations

第299天：关于以偏概全

I often wonder why the whole world is so prone to generalise. Generalisations are seldom if ever true and are usually utterly inaccurate.

我常常在想，为什么整个世界都那么容易以偏概全。概括很少是真实的，通常是完全不准确的。

—Agatha Christie

Generalizations demonstrate lazy thinking, and lazy thinking is one trait that you most certainly don’t want to have if you want to improve your self-discipline.

以偏概全是懒惰思维的表现，而懒惰思维是你想要提高自律性所最不能拥有的一种特质。

Resist the temptation to categorize everyone and everything. Acknowledge that — besides black and white — there are all kinds of shades of gray.

抵制想要给每个人和每件事贴标签的诱惑。

承认除了黑白之外，还有各种灰色的色调。

One of the most dangerous types of generalizations is assuming that a frequently repeated opinion is a fact. Examples include:

最危险的一种以偏概全就是认为频繁重复的观点就是事实。例如：

1. Every salesman is a liar wanting to make as much money as they can on every sale. If that’s the generalization you believe, how effective will you be at selling your own services or yourself to a potential employer?

1. 每个销售人员都是想在每笔交易中尽可能多赚钱的骗子。

如果你认为这是普遍情况，那么你向潜在雇主推销自己的服务或个人能力时会有多大效果呢？

2. All men/women are horrible people. Good luck developing happy relationships with people if you categorize every member of the opposite sex as a horrible person.

2. 所有人都是可怕的人。

如果你把异性中的每一个人都归类为“可怕的人”，那么要与他们建立快乐的关系就很难了。

3. All successful people got lucky. If that’s what you believe, do you think it’s possible you’ll ever achieve success?

3. 所有成功的人都是幸运的。

如果你也这么认为，那你觉得自己有可能获得成功吗？

4. The only way to become properly educated is to go to college, and (what usually follows that generalization) your education ends the moment you graduate. Without lifelong learning, achieving and maintaining success will be a tricky proposition.

4. 要想真正受到教育，就必须上大学。

（通常，人们会以此为前提）一旦毕业，你的教育也就结束了。

如果不能终身学习，实现并保持成功将是一件很困难的事情。

5. You need to be white/wake up early/start a business/be rich/live in the United States/be male/fill in the blank to become successful. Be cautious not to equate success with a single trait or habit. Warren Buffet drinks five cans of Coke every day. Does it mean that drinking Coke leads to success and longevity?

5. 你需要拥有白人/肤色/早起/创业/富有/居住在美国/男性/填补空白等特质才能成功。

要小心不要将成功与单一的特质或习惯等同起来。

沃伦·巴菲特每天喝五罐可乐，这意味着喝可乐能带来成功和长寿吗？

Catch yourself whenever you proclaim generalizations that masquerade as facts. Unless you can state beyond a reasonable doubt that everything or everyone is the way you describe it (and it takes only one thing or person to prove otherwise), you’re only voicing an opinion.

每当你宣称看似事实的普遍性结论时，要提醒自己注意。

除非你能毫无疑义地断定所有事物或所有人正如你所描述的那样（只需要一件东西或一个人来证明并非如此），否则你只是在表达自己的观点而已。