美国"泄愤屋" 专治不开心！

20160526ou 一中两外锵锵三人行 今日话题： 美国"泄愤屋" 专治不开心！ Lincoln: Now, a new therapy for rage is – if you’ll excuse this – all the rage, Michael. Maybe you can explain a little bit more about what they’re doing. Michael: Yeah, so this chap called Shawn Baker started a company based in Houston. It’s what’s known as a “rage room” where people come and they destroy inanimate objects – you know, old televisions, things of that nature, using baseball bats. Lincoln: Yeah, and he formed “Tantrums”, which has the slogan “relaxation after devastation”. Actually, that’s pretty good, but why specifically in Houston, Michael? Michael: Well, Houston, Texas obviously has a large oil and gas and drilling industry, and obviously, low oil and gas prices, we’ve seen a lot of over the course of the last couple of years, and obviously Houston has been particularly badly hit, so that would certainly explain why a lot of people feel a bit disaffected and disenfranchised, and release a bit of rage every now and again. Lincoln: Yoyo, what do you make of this? Yoyo: I have a different opinion. The only difference between human beings and monkeys is because we can communicate, and we don’t really need this kind of relaxation after devastation therapy, because you have lots of methods to release your anger, to release your rage [instead of] paying someone $25 or $85 [for] only a five-minute session to smash some television to release your anger, and also, do you think that is sustainable? Because this time you pay this money to release your anger, what about next time? You need to pay again, and [eventually] you need to have a year membership of that rage release room. Do you think that is sustainable? Of course not. Lincoln: Well, let me say this though: maybe it’s not sustainable on a regular basis, but every now and again, if you feel things are getting a bit too much, maybe this isn’t a bad idea. Boom, boom, boom, hit all those televisions straight up! Yoyo: That is a question of your characteristics, because you cannot even control your emotion. I can totally understand that we all, as normal human beings, we have [times when things really get to] us and we feel so angry, but there can be better methods to deal with it, because it’s not the only way, smashing things and being so violent. You can deal with it. I have a method. We can go jogging, we can swim, we can do exercise, or there’s an even better method: doing housework, washing clothes. It’s a very good way to just release your anger. Lincoln: I’m very likely to have to go and visit one of these rage rooms if I have to do housework, if that’s something that’s going to have to happen to me. What about you, Michael? How do you release your stress? Michael: I must say, this does sound like tremendous fun. Lincoln: It does, though, doesn’t it? Michael: Although it’s interesting to note that a lot of psychologists, and people who you would think know a lot about this sort of behavioural phenomenon, they’re not really on board with the whole thing. [Clinical psychology professor Todd Kashdan says] “When you’re bashing glass or hitting a telephone or a TV set with a baseball bat, you’re going to attack some inanimate object. That just increases your arousal and thus makes you even angrier”, and I agree with Wu You, perhaps not on the housework front, but I do agree that I think that there are better outlets for this sort of thing. If I was feeling like this and I went out for a ten-mile run, I think when I came back I’d be feeling considerably less angry. Lincoln: I agree with both of you from that sense. I still think it does have some sort of – well, a short-term kind of release, but that being said, I also agree with you – it just seems like fun. Michael: If I was really stressed, and considering we’re in China, why not try taking up Tai Chi, so you can be at peace with yourself? Yoyo: Yin and Yang in your body can balance, and you have the inner peace. Lincoln: Yeah, I mean, if you’re feeling that rage, that anxiety building up, maybe just talk to someone, go for a run, something like that.