又中又英｜self-conscious people

Can money buy happiness? Self-conscious people will consider that a loaded question. People who are not rich will probably say money can indeed buy happiness. People who are content with what they have will say no amount of money can buy happiness. What about super rich people like Elon Musk? Are they happy? Only they know if the billions of dollars they have truly make them happy. It\'s different strokes for different folks whether money can buy happiness. A recent study showed money can indeed buy happiness, and the more people make, the happier they are.

If you are self-conscious, it means you are insecure or uncomfortable about what others may think about what you say or do. A loaded question is a complex and unfair question that makes you answer in a particular way. For example, the question "have you stopped beating your cat?" is a loaded question because it pre-supposes you beat your cat. Self-conscious people may feel it\'s a loaded question to ask if money makes them happy because they worry about what others may think of their answer. The expression "different strokes for different folks" means different people will like or do different things. Some may feel money makes them happy, others may not.

A 2010 study in the US concluded the more people earn the happier they are but this happiness does not increase after they earn US$75,000 a year. But in a 2021 study, US happiness researchers found happiness can still rise with a yearly income beyond US$200,000. They had no data with incomes beyond US$500,000 a year. Please let me know if money makes you happy.

金錢可以買到快樂嗎？較為自覺（self-conscious）的人會認為那是一條誘導性的問題（loaded question）。並不有錢的人很可能會說，金錢確實能買到快樂；對自己所有感到滿足的人，則會說多少錢都不能買到快樂。那如果像伊隆‧馬斯克那般超級有錢的人又如何呢？他們快樂嗎？他們所擁有數以十億的身家能否真正令他們快樂，就只有他們自己才知道了。金錢能否買到快樂，真是人人各有不同（different strokes for different folks）。最近一個研究顯示，金錢確實能買到快樂，人們賺得愈多，他們愈快樂。

若你是 self-conscious，意即你會對於人們怎樣看你所言所行，容易感到不安或不自在。A loaded question是一道複合和誘導性的問題，令你以既定的方式回答。譬如，「你有停止不再打你的貓嗎？」便是一道既定觀點問題（loaded question），因為它預設了你有打你的貓。若問到金錢能否令他們快樂，自覺的（self-conscious）人會覺得那是一道誘導性的問題（loaded question），因為他們會擔心人們會怎樣看待他們所給的答案。習語“different strokes for different folks”即「蘿蔔青菜，各有所愛」：不同的人會喜歡不同的事物，或去做不同的事。有些人認為金錢能令他們快樂，有些人不。

美國一個2010年的研究總結指，人們賺得愈多，便愈快樂，但當他們一年賺取75000美元或以上，這種快樂便不會再遞增了。但在一個2021年的研究中，美國的快樂研究員發現，即使年收入超越20萬美元，快樂還是會隨着金額而增加。但他們並無年收入50萬美元以上人士的相關數據。請告訴我，金錢能否令你快樂？

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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻