Text1 Habits are a funny thing. We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine. “Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting herd,” William Wordsworth said in the 19th century. In the ever-changing 21st century, even the word “habit” carries a negative connotation. So it seems antithetical to talk about habits in the same context as creativity and innovation. 习惯是件有趣的事情。我们无意识间养成了一些习惯,我们的大脑是自动运转的,轻松进入熟知套路所带来的不自觉舒适状态。“这并非选择,而是习惯控制了那些没有思想的人”,这是威廉•华 兹 华 斯 ( William Wordsworth) 19 世 纪 时说 的话 。在 现 在 这个 日 新 月 异 的21 世 纪 ,甚 至 习惯这个 词 本 身 也 带有负 面 涵 义 。因 此 ,在 创 造 和 革 新 的背 景 下 来谈 论 习惯,似 乎 显 得 有点 矛 盾 。 But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel synaptic paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks. But don’t bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the hippocampus, they’re there to stay. Instead, the new habits we deliberately ingrain into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads. 但 大脑研 究 人员 发 现 ,当 我们有意识地 培 养新 的习惯的时 候 ,我们创 建 了平行 路径 ,甚 至 是全 新 的脑细 胞 ,可 以 让 我们的思路跳 转到新 的创 新 轨道上来。但是,不必费心试图摈弃各种旧习惯;一旦这些程序惯例融进大脑,它们就会留在那里。相反,我们刻意培 养的新 习惯会创 建 平 行 路径 能避开原来那些老路。 “The first thing needed for innovation is a fascination with wonder,” says Dawna Markova, author of “The Open Mind” and an...