14. Are You a Maximizer or a Satisficer?

以下是这段内容的中文翻译： 在这一集“无蠢问题”节目中，斯蒂芬·杜布纳和安吉拉·达克沃思深入探讨了“最大化”和“满足”这两个概念，探索这些决策策略如何影响生活的各个方面，从职业选择到膳食选择。达克沃思坦言自己是一个“最大化者”，努力在她的工作和她重视的其他领域不断改进和优化。她将“最大化者”定义为那些致力于实现最佳结果的人，他们经常将自己当前的表现与之前的自我进行比较。杜布纳开玩笑地质疑这种倾向是否让她成为了一个“讨厌鬼”，承认了始终寻求最佳选择可能带来的挑战。 达克沃思解释说，“最大化”符合传统经济学中理性行为者追求最佳结果的观点。相比之下，“满足”是诺贝尔奖得主赫伯特·西蒙提出的一个术语，它指的是选择“足够好”的选项，而不是努力追求绝对最好。虽然达克沃思承认“满足”在某些情况下的价值，比如选择快速午餐，但她表达了在自己认为重要的领域强烈倾向于“最大化”。 杜布纳虽然承认自己在职业生涯中倾向于“最大化”，但表示他刻意地在生活的其他方面融入“满足”。他强调了与“最大化”相关的机会成本，特别是在寻找“最佳”选项所需的时间和精力超过了潜在收益的情况下。他以选择食物为例，认为与其煞费苦心地研究和选择“最佳”餐厅，不如选择一个“足够好”的选项，比如简单的街边小吃，这样可以更有效率，压力也更小。 谈话涉及心理学家巴里·施瓦茨的研究，他开发了一个量表来衡量个人对“最大化”和“满足”的倾向。施瓦茨的研究表明，“满足者”往往比“最大化者”更快乐，这可能是因为他们的期望更低，并且更容易满足于“足够好”的结果。达克沃思承认这一发现，但仍然坚持自己对“最大化”的偏好，认为它是卓越和持续增长的驱动力。 杜布纳透露，在体育锻炼方面，他是一个“满足者”，优先考虑“打卡”即可，而不是努力提高运动水平。他认为，减少对某些活动的重视可以让他节省精力，专注于在自己更重视的领域实现“最大化”。 讨论扩展到在选择过多的环境中面临的挑战。施瓦茨的“选择悖论”强调了更多的选择可能导致满意度下降。达克沃思和杜布纳探讨了一个观点，即随着年龄的增长，人们往往会变得更加“满足”，不一定是满足于更少，而是选择更少地关心那些不那么重要的事情。他们还讨论了“解除束缚”的概念，即通过优先考虑关键领域以实现“最大化”，并在其他领域采取更轻松的方法来释放精神能量。 谈话转到面试环节。达克沃思和杜布纳批判了常见的面试问题，比如“你的优点和缺点是什么？”，认为它们无法有效获取有价值的信息。杜布纳更喜欢评估逻辑、计算和批判性思维能力的问题，并举了一个涉及基本比率和可能性的问题作为例子。达克沃思分享了她在麦肯锡咨询公司面试的经历，其中涉及解决逻辑问题和估计数量。 然后，他们将此与美国常见的非结构化面试（基于对话）进行了对比。 他们都同意，并引用了社会科学，这种方法并没有增加太多的价值，有时甚至会降低价值。 杜布纳还重视工作样本，即要求候选人执行与工作相关的任务。 达克沃思表达了类似的观点，并举例说明了一位雇主如何向她索要工作样本，她认为这非常有效。杜布纳回忆起他在《纽约时报》面试编辑职位时经历的广泛工作样本。 最后，达克沃思提倡拥抱“最大化”，即使是暂时的，也要体验它的潜在乐趣。杜布纳以一个假设的面试问题结束了谈话：“告诉我你应该问我什么问题，会让我雇佣你。”这个元问题鼓励候选人展示他们独特的优势，并解释为什么他们最适合这个职位，突出了自我意识和有说服力的沟通在面试过程中的重要性。

In this episode of "No Stupid Questions," Stephen Dubner and Angela Duckworth delve into the concepts of maximizing and satisfying, exploring how these decision-making strategies impact various aspects of life, from career choices to meal selection. Duckworth readily admits to being a maximizer, striving for continuous improvement and optimization in her work and other areas she values. She defines maximizers as individuals driven to achieve the best possible outcome, often comparing their current performance to their previous self. Dubner playfully questions whether this inclination makes her a "pain in the ass," acknowledging the potential challenges that come with consistently seeking the optimal choice. Duckworth explains that maximizing aligns with the traditional economic view of rational actors aiming for the best possible outcomes. In contrast, satisfying, a term coined by Nobel laureate Herb Simon, involves choosing options that are "good enough" rather than striving for the absolute best. While Duckworth acknowledges the value of satisfying in certain contexts, such as choosing a quick lunch, she expresses a strong preference for maximizing in domains she deems important. Dubner, while acknowledging his inclination towards maximizing in professional endeavors, expresses a deliberate effort to incorporate satisfying in other aspects of his life. He highlights the opportunity cost associated with maximizing, particularly in situations where the time and effort required to find the "best" option outweigh the potential benefits. He uses the example of choosing a meal, arguing that settling for a "good enough" option, like a simple street cart meal, can be more efficient and less stressful than meticulously researching and selecting the "best" restaurant. The conversation touches upon the work of psychologist Barry Schwartz, who developed a scale to measure individuals' tendencies toward maximizing and satisfying. Schwartz's research suggests that satisfiers tend to be happier than maximizers, potentially due to lower expectations and greater contentment with "good enough" outcomes. Duckworth acknowledges this finding but maintains her preference for maximizing, viewing it as a driver for excellence and continuous growth. Dubner reveals that he is a satisfier when it comes to physical exercise, prioritizing simply "ticking the box" rather than striving for athletic improvement. He argues that assigning less importance to certain activities allows him to conserve energy and focus on maximizing in areas he values more. The discussion extends to the challenges of navigating an environment with excessive choices. Schwartz's "paradox of choice" highlights the potential for increased options to lead to decreased satisfaction. Duckworth and Dubner explore the idea that as people age, they tend to become more satisficing, not necessarily settling for less, but rather choosing to care less about things that matter less. They also discuss the concept of "unchaining" oneself, freeing up mental energy by prioritizing key areas for maximizing and adopting a more relaxed approach in others. The conversation shifts to job interviews. Duckworth and Dubner critique common interview questions like "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" as ineffective in eliciting valuable information. Dubner favors questions that assess logic, numeracy, and critical thinking skills, using the example of a question involving base rates and likelihood. Duckworth shares her experience with McKinsey Consulting interviews, which involved solving logic problems and estimating quantities. They then contrast this with the unstructured interview common in America, which is based on having a conversation. They both agree, and cite social science, that this method doesn't add much value, and can sometimes detract value. Dubner also values work samples, where candidates are asked to perform tasks related to the job. Duckworth shares a similar sentiment, illustrating how one employer asked her for a work sample, which she thought was very effective. Dubner recounts his own experience with an extensive work sample during his interview process for an editor position at The New York Times. In closing, Duckworth advocates for embracing maximizing, even if temporarily, to experience its potential exhilaration. Dubner ends the conversation by sharing a hypothetical interview question for himself: "Tell me the question that I should ask you that's going to make me hire you." This meta-question encourages candidates to demonstrate their unique strengths and explain why they are the best fit for the role, highlighting the importance of self-awareness and persuasive communication in the interview process.