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People can boost their happiness by growing a part of the brain which increases positive thinking， scientists believe. 科學家认为，对大脑积极思考部位的开发，有助于提升人们的幸福感。
Aristotle said that “happiness depends upon ourselves” and a new study suggests it is possible to physically grow a happier brain through practices like meditation.
Although scientists have known which hormones produce emotions like pleasure or desire， it has been unclear where the feeling of overall contentment and well-being stems from.
To find out， scientists at Kyoto University asked 51 volunteers to rate their own happiness levels and then scanned their brains to see if they could spot any differences between the upbeat individuals and their more glum counterparts.
Intriguingly they discovered that an area of the brain called the precuneus was larger in people who were happier. It suggests that happiness can be worked like a muscle.
Previous studies have shown that regular meditation can boost grey matter in the precuneus， which could explain why those who meditate report experiencing feelings of general contentment and even bliss.
The scientists behind the finding said it will now be possible to clinically measure what things make people happier.
“Over history， many eminent scholars like Aristotle have contemplated what happiness is，” said author Dr Wataru Sato. “I’m very happy that we now know more about what it means to be happy.
“Several studies have shown that meditation increases grey matter mass in the precuneus.
“This new insight on where happiness happens in the brain will be useful for developing happiness programs based on scientific research.
“This study suggests it is possible to grow a happier brain.”
Researchers believe that the precuneus is particularly important for subjective happiness， such as where someone chooses to make the best of a situation and see it in a more positive light.
Volunteers who scored higher on the happiness surveys had more grey matter mass in the precuneus.
In other words， people who feel happiness more intensely， feel sadness less intensely， and are more able to find meaning in life have a larger precuneus. The difference in size between the person with the biggest and the smallest was about 15 per cent.
“Happiness is a subjective experience that has special significance for humans，” added Dr Sato.
“Our results suggest that psychological training that effectively increases grey matter and volume in the precuneus may enhance subjective happiness.” Happiness expert Prof Paul Dolan at the London School of Economics said it was clear that the brain could be changed.
Speaking about the new research he said： “This does not surprise me at all. The brain is malleable， just like other organs.
“Paying attention can literally change your brain. In London， Black Cab taxi drivers have to pass a very difficult test that requires them to know and be able to navigate 25，000 different city streets.
“Only half of the prospective cabbies who take this test pass it. Those that do pass have larger hippocampi—the part of the brain that corresponds with spatial processing—than those who fail.
“Yet it isn’t that the drivers started out with better spatial processing; instead， as they studied for the test， their hippocampi became larger as they learned more.”
Prof Dolan， who is a government advisor on how to make the population more contented， and author of the book Happiness By Design， claims that many of the things people believe will make them happy are fleeting and can actually alter their lives in a negative way.
“Most things we think will make us happy won’t，” he said. “We’re really always happier if we are focussing on the person we are with and the thing we are doing right now. So make that something you enjoy.
“You should listen to music that you like listening to. That has a substantial effect on your mood. Your brain literally lights up. There is no other stimulation like music to arouse the brain.”
亞里士多德曾说，“幸福来源于我们自己”。一项新研究表明，人们可通过冥想等练习，从生理上提升大脑的幸福感。
虽然科学家已知悉哪些激素可产生愉悦或渴望之类的情感，但却尚未明确总体满足感和幸福感由何而来。
为一探究竟，京都大学的科学家首先让51名志愿者对自身幸福水平打分。然后，扫描对比他们的大脑，判断乐观者与悲观者是否存在差异。
有趣的是，他们发现乐观者的大脑中楔前叶的体积更大。这就表明，幸福感像肌肉一样可通过训练提升。
此前研究已表明，定期冥想可促进楔前叶中的灰质生长。这就可以解释，为什么冥想者反映出普遍的满足感甚至幸福感。
支持这一发现的科学家表示，现在将有可能通过临床检测来判断哪些事物可使人们更加快乐。
该研究报告的作者佐藤弥博士说：“历史上，许多像亚里士多德这样的著名学者，都曾苦思冥想幸福的含义。现在，我们更加了解幸福的内涵，这令我十分高兴。
“多项研究均表明，冥想可增加楔前叶中灰质的质量。
“该项关于幸福在大脑何处产生的重大发现，有助于开发基于科学研究的幸福感项目。
“这项研究表明，使大脑更加快乐是可行的。”
研究人员认为，楔前叶对主观幸福感尤为重要。例如，它帮助人们充分利用某种情况，并且更加积极地面对它。
在幸福感调查中得分较高的志愿者，其楔前叶中包含更多灰质。
换言之，更易感知幸福、较少感到悲伤且更能找到生活真谛的人，楔前叶体积更大。楔前叶体积的极差，约为15%。
佐藤弥博士补充说：“幸福，是对人类尤为重要的主观体验。
“我们的研究结果表明，有些心理训练可有效促进楔前叶中灰质的生长和楔前叶体积的增加，这些训练或可提高主观幸福感。”
伦敦政治经济学院的幸福感研究专家保罗·多兰教授表示，很明显，大脑可被改造。
谈及这项新研究时，他提到：“我对此丝毫未感惊讶。和其他器官一样，大脑可被改造开发。
“专心可以改变你的大脑。在伦敦，黑色出租车司机必须通过一项高难度的测试。这项测试要求他们熟知伦敦2.5万条不同的街道，且能在其中自如地行驶。
“参加测试的准出租车司机中，只有一半获得通过。与未通过者相比，这些司机有更大的海马体——这是大脑处理空间信息的部位。
“然而，这些司机并非一开始就具备良好的空间信息处理能力。相反，当他们潜心准备测试时，学得越多，海马体就长得越大。”
多兰教授是一位政府顾问，研究如何让民众更加称心如意，同时也是《设计幸福》一书的作者。他声称，人们认为的能带来快乐的事物很多都是转瞬即逝的，且实际上会给生活带来消极影响。
他说：“大多数我们认为能让我们开心的事物，往往不会如此。其实，如果我们专注于眼前的人和事，我们总会更快乐。所以去关注那些你喜欢的事吧！
“你应该听爱听的音乐。这对你的心情有极大的影响。你的大脑会感到兴奋。音乐是唤醒大脑的最佳方式。”
（译者单位：华中科技大学）
Aristotle said that “happiness depends upon ourselves” and a new study suggests it is possible to physically grow a happier brain through practices like meditation.
Although scientists have known which hormones produce emotions like pleasure or desire， it has been unclear where the feeling of overall contentment and well-being stems from.
To find out， scientists at Kyoto University asked 51 volunteers to rate their own happiness levels and then scanned their brains to see if they could spot any differences between the upbeat individuals and their more glum counterparts.
Intriguingly they discovered that an area of the brain called the precuneus was larger in people who were happier. It suggests that happiness can be worked like a muscle.
Previous studies have shown that regular meditation can boost grey matter in the precuneus， which could explain why those who meditate report experiencing feelings of general contentment and even bliss.
The scientists behind the finding said it will now be possible to clinically measure what things make people happier.
“Over history， many eminent scholars like Aristotle have contemplated what happiness is，” said author Dr Wataru Sato. “I’m very happy that we now know more about what it means to be happy.
“Several studies have shown that meditation increases grey matter mass in the precuneus.
“This new insight on where happiness happens in the brain will be useful for developing happiness programs based on scientific research.
“This study suggests it is possible to grow a happier brain.”
Researchers believe that the precuneus is particularly important for subjective happiness， such as where someone chooses to make the best of a situation and see it in a more positive light.
Volunteers who scored higher on the happiness surveys had more grey matter mass in the precuneus.
In other words， people who feel happiness more intensely， feel sadness less intensely， and are more able to find meaning in life have a larger precuneus. The difference in size between the person with the biggest and the smallest was about 15 per cent.
“Happiness is a subjective experience that has special significance for humans，” added Dr Sato.
“Our results suggest that psychological training that effectively increases grey matter and volume in the precuneus may enhance subjective happiness.” Happiness expert Prof Paul Dolan at the London School of Economics said it was clear that the brain could be changed.
Speaking about the new research he said： “This does not surprise me at all. The brain is malleable， just like other organs.
“Paying attention can literally change your brain. In London， Black Cab taxi drivers have to pass a very difficult test that requires them to know and be able to navigate 25，000 different city streets.
“Only half of the prospective cabbies who take this test pass it. Those that do pass have larger hippocampi—the part of the brain that corresponds with spatial processing—than those who fail.
“Yet it isn’t that the drivers started out with better spatial processing; instead， as they studied for the test， their hippocampi became larger as they learned more.”
Prof Dolan， who is a government advisor on how to make the population more contented， and author of the book Happiness By Design， claims that many of the things people believe will make them happy are fleeting and can actually alter their lives in a negative way.
“Most things we think will make us happy won’t，” he said. “We’re really always happier if we are focussing on the person we are with and the thing we are doing right now. So make that something you enjoy.
“You should listen to music that you like listening to. That has a substantial effect on your mood. Your brain literally lights up. There is no other stimulation like music to arouse the brain.”
亞里士多德曾说，“幸福来源于我们自己”。一项新研究表明，人们可通过冥想等练习，从生理上提升大脑的幸福感。
虽然科学家已知悉哪些激素可产生愉悦或渴望之类的情感，但却尚未明确总体满足感和幸福感由何而来。
为一探究竟，京都大学的科学家首先让51名志愿者对自身幸福水平打分。然后，扫描对比他们的大脑，判断乐观者与悲观者是否存在差异。
有趣的是，他们发现乐观者的大脑中楔前叶的体积更大。这就表明，幸福感像肌肉一样可通过训练提升。
此前研究已表明，定期冥想可促进楔前叶中的灰质生长。这就可以解释，为什么冥想者反映出普遍的满足感甚至幸福感。
支持这一发现的科学家表示，现在将有可能通过临床检测来判断哪些事物可使人们更加快乐。
该研究报告的作者佐藤弥博士说：“历史上，许多像亚里士多德这样的著名学者，都曾苦思冥想幸福的含义。现在，我们更加了解幸福的内涵，这令我十分高兴。
“多项研究均表明，冥想可增加楔前叶中灰质的质量。
“该项关于幸福在大脑何处产生的重大发现，有助于开发基于科学研究的幸福感项目。
“这项研究表明，使大脑更加快乐是可行的。”
研究人员认为，楔前叶对主观幸福感尤为重要。例如，它帮助人们充分利用某种情况，并且更加积极地面对它。
在幸福感调查中得分较高的志愿者，其楔前叶中包含更多灰质。
换言之，更易感知幸福、较少感到悲伤且更能找到生活真谛的人，楔前叶体积更大。楔前叶体积的极差，约为15%。
佐藤弥博士补充说：“幸福，是对人类尤为重要的主观体验。
“我们的研究结果表明，有些心理训练可有效促进楔前叶中灰质的生长和楔前叶体积的增加，这些训练或可提高主观幸福感。”
伦敦政治经济学院的幸福感研究专家保罗·多兰教授表示，很明显，大脑可被改造。
谈及这项新研究时，他提到：“我对此丝毫未感惊讶。和其他器官一样，大脑可被改造开发。
“专心可以改变你的大脑。在伦敦，黑色出租车司机必须通过一项高难度的测试。这项测试要求他们熟知伦敦2.5万条不同的街道，且能在其中自如地行驶。
“参加测试的准出租车司机中，只有一半获得通过。与未通过者相比，这些司机有更大的海马体——这是大脑处理空间信息的部位。
“然而，这些司机并非一开始就具备良好的空间信息处理能力。相反，当他们潜心准备测试时，学得越多，海马体就长得越大。”
多兰教授是一位政府顾问，研究如何让民众更加称心如意，同时也是《设计幸福》一书的作者。他声称，人们认为的能带来快乐的事物很多都是转瞬即逝的，且实际上会给生活带来消极影响。
他说：“大多数我们认为能让我们开心的事物，往往不会如此。其实，如果我们专注于眼前的人和事，我们总会更快乐。所以去关注那些你喜欢的事吧！
“你应该听爱听的音乐。这对你的心情有极大的影响。你的大脑会感到兴奋。音乐是唤醒大脑的最佳方式。”
（译者单位：华中科技大学）