楊瑞

“Im so tired.”

We hear this complaint all the time. These days， it seems everyone is exhausted. Everyone is at the end of their rope1）. Everyone needs some time off.

Indeed， 53 percent of American workers report feeling burnt out. Its easy to blame this on modern work culture. Meanwhile， were spending more and more time in front of our computer screens， to our own detriment2）： Recent research says emails cause emotional exhaustion. A 2014 study found that using a smartphone before bed made workers more tired and less productive the next day.

Exhaustion can feel like the by-product of a new and modern era， where work has slithered3） past the four walls of the office or the three walls of the cubicle into the home； where emails invite themselves on our beach vacations； where the media consistently reminds us of climate change， terrorism， and the chaotic political scene.

Surely， it wasnt always this way？ There was a time when the sun and the seasons dictated work schedules and instead of clocking in on Sunday people observed4） theSabbath5）， and everything was just so ... simple.

Right？

Actually， as much as wed like to think that our feelings of exhaustion are unique to today， it turns out our ancestors werent more relaxed or less worn out. “At any point in history， people have experienced exhaustion and theorized it in many different ways，” says Anna Katharina Schaffner， a medical researcher at the University of Kent and the author of the new book， Exhaustion： A History， which chronicles the trajectory6） of exhaustion discourse. “For each era， exhaustion was this hybrid7） creature， which was not only understood through biological and physical contexts， but at times， also wrapped up in the social and political climates as well.”

What could be comforting to the fried， 21st-century worker is that regardless of the epoch， regardless of whether humans were living in agrarian societies or were bystanders to a world that was modernizing at an unprecedented velocity， people were tired. Really tired. But how they sought to explain their weariness changed over time.

The first theories of exhaustion may date back to the 2th century when Greek physician Galen8） touted the importance of balance between the four bodily “humors9）”： blood， yellow bile10）， black bile， and phlegm11）. When an excess of black bile—the humor associated with melancholia—threw off the bodys internal scales， the individual exhibited symptoms emblematic of exhaustion， including lethargy12）， lack of energy， and sluggishness.

Though some people tended to naturally lean toward melancholia， Galen believed the condition could also be a result of individual behaviors such as eating the wrong foods， and excessive worry. In that respect， exhaustion existed in a very holistic13） realm and parts of that brand of thinking are very much present today. “Though the humors have disappeared as a medical model， the holistic theory of balance is something that is still currently practiced in many Eastern models of medicine，” Schaffner says. “Many people also believe that a disrupted body can lead to a disrupted mind.”

In the Middle Ages， exhaustion theories migrated from the medical realm to the church and the responsibility to remain energized was placed solely on the individual. Labeled as “acedia14），” exhaustion stemmed from participating in sinful activities that drained energy or submitting to an apathetic attitude that shunned interest in God and the divine good that he created. This explanation held the individual accountable for lacking the willpower to choose more godly and active pursuits. The solution to acedia was simple： upping ones commitment to God and work.

This was one of the only times in history that doing work was prescribed as an antidote15） to exhaustion， whereas now and even in the 19th century， its the last thing anyone would suggest.

In the years that followed， exhaustion leaped from one field to the next. It wasnt until the mid-19th century that medical theories once again took over， when American neurologist George Beard popularized the diagnosis of neurasthenia16）. The root of the condition was “weak nerves，” and when energy levels of the nervous system were depleted， an individual exhibited fatigue， anxiety， and even complete mental collapse.

While the idea that nerves are a part of the larger reservoir of human energy has been disproved， there is a part of 19th century exhaustion models that still resonates today. “Its the era thats the most similar to ours in terms of pointing the finger at modernization as the cause of exhaustion，” says Schaffner. “You had lots of people arguing that city life was draining peoples energy reserves and the lights， new inventions like the telegraph and the steam engine， and hustle and bustle were overstimulating society.”

The advent of electricity meant the worker didnt have to clock out when the sun went down and the rise of a more capitalistic way of thinking encouraged managers to take advantage. But if 19th century workers were “burnt out，” they didnt refer to it that way； the term wouldnt be coined for nearly another century.

In the early 1970s， German-American psychologist Herbert J. Freudenberger was working as a psychiatrist at St. Marks Free Clinic in New Yorks East Village. At the time， the decrepit neighborhood was one of the epicenters for the rampant drug use that was sweeping the city. While he was consulting with drug addicts and homeless youth with a group of volunteers， he began to notice that they were growing weary and emotionally depleted from the service work. In his 1974 book， he chronicled their decline and labeled them as “burnt out，” a term he ironically borrowed from the illicit drug scene in which they were working.

Following Freudenbergers poignant label， researchers began to study burnout in the service industry， describing the emotional exhaustion and gradual depletion of motivation that was experienced by those whose professional trajectories were devoted to helping others： nurses， doctors， and teachers. Today， the terms reach has expanded to anyone who experiences chronic stress and who is simply maxed out.

Whats clear from Schaffners book is that exhaustion is messy， and the theories behind it dont necessarily build on each other—they vacillate17） betweensomatic18） and psychic， between pointing the finger at modernization and placing the blame on the individual. Some explanations， like sin， fall out of fashion completely， while others like capitalism， continue to play a role in discourse today. But what the 21st century lacks， in stark contrast to eras past， is a clear medical paradigm19）.

“Ours is an eclectic age， a historical moment that is distinct because we have so many models that attempt to explain exhaustion，” Schaffner says. “Every other era tends to have one distinct theory that everyone believed. Now we live in an age where people choose what chimes with them， whether its holistic， biochemical，hormonal20）， or something else.”

Its hard to tell what the future of burnout will hold. While Schaffner maintains that given the ample time she has spent with the research， she speculates well come full-circle. “I would expect that a return to more holistic explanatory models like Galens will become prominent again； a model that looks more closely at the interplay between mind and body. Something like mindfulness， which is now a very popular method of coping with stress and exhaustion.”

The Myth of Modern

“我真是太累了?！?/p>

這樣的抱怨不絕于耳?，F(xiàn)今，似乎每個(gè)人都精疲力竭，每個(gè)人都快要被掏空，每個(gè)人都需要休息。

實(shí)際上，在美國，53%的勞動(dòng)者都說自己感到十分疲倦。我們很容易把這種現(xiàn)象歸咎于現(xiàn)代的工作文化。同時(shí)，我們在電腦屏幕前花費(fèi)的時(shí)間越來越多，結(jié)果害了我們自己：近期的研究表明電子郵件會(huì)引起情緒上的精疲力竭。2014年的一項(xiàng)研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，睡前使用手機(jī)導(dǎo)致勞動(dòng)者更加疲倦，第二天工作效率更低。

倦怠感覺像是摩登新時(shí)代的副產(chǎn)品。在這個(gè)時(shí)代，工作已悄然穿過辦公室的四面墻壁或小隔間的三面隔板溜進(jìn)家里；在這個(gè)時(shí)代，當(dāng)我們在沙灘上度假時(shí)，郵件會(huì)不請自來；在這個(gè)時(shí)代，媒體會(huì)不停地提醒我們氣候變化、恐怖主義和政治亂象。

當(dāng)然，以前并非一直這樣？曾幾何時(shí)，太陽和四季決定了勞作的日程，周末人們過安息日而不是打卡上班，每一件事都是如此的……簡單。

對嗎？

其實(shí)，盡管我們喜歡把我們的疲憊感想像成當(dāng)代所獨(dú)有的，但事實(shí)證明我們的祖先也沒有比我們更輕松或比我們少勞累?！盁o論哪個(gè)歷史時(shí)期，人們都有精疲力竭的經(jīng)歷，并用各種方式將其理論化。每一個(gè)時(shí)代，倦怠都是混合產(chǎn)物，不能僅僅根據(jù)生理和物理環(huán)境去理解，同時(shí)也受到社會(huì)和政治氣候的裹挾?！笨咸卮髮W(xué)的醫(yī)學(xué)研究人員安娜·凱塔琳娜·沙夫納說道。其新作《倦怠史》記錄了倦怠論演變的軌跡。

對于這些生活在水深火熱之中的21世紀(jì)的工作者來說，可以覺得寬慰的是，不管在什么時(shí)代，不管是生活在農(nóng)業(yè)社會(huì)，還是作為旁觀者看著這個(gè)世界以前所未有的速度實(shí)現(xiàn)現(xiàn)代化，人們都一樣累。真的很累。但是他們試圖解釋疲倦的方式隨著時(shí)間的推移而變化。

最早關(guān)于倦怠的理論可以追溯到公元2世紀(jì)。那時(shí)古希臘的醫(yī)生蓋倫宣揚(yáng)保持四種體液（血液、黃膽汁、黑膽汁和黏液）平衡的重要性。當(dāng)黑膽汁（和憂郁癥有關(guān)的一種體液）過量，打破了身體內(nèi)部的平衡，人就會(huì)出現(xiàn)象征疲憊的癥狀，包括昏睡、乏力、行動(dòng)遲緩。

雖然一些人本身就有患憂郁癥的傾向，但是蓋倫認(rèn)為這種癥狀也可以是個(gè)人行為的結(jié)果，例如吃了不好的東西或擔(dān)心過度。從這方面來說，疲倦屬于整體觀醫(yī)學(xué)領(lǐng)域的范疇，今天仍可見到這種思想的痕跡。“盡管體液已經(jīng)不再作為醫(yī)學(xué)模型，但整體平衡理論目前仍然運(yùn)用在很多東方醫(yī)學(xué)模型中?！鄙撤蚣{說道，“許多人仍然相信身體崩潰可以導(dǎo)致思想崩潰?！?/p>

在中世紀(jì)，倦怠理論從醫(yī)學(xué)領(lǐng)域進(jìn)入教會(huì)。保持精力充沛的責(zé)任完全落在了個(gè)人肩上。疲憊不堪被貼上“倦怠”的標(biāo)簽，它是參加損耗精力的惡行造成的，采取對神及其創(chuàng)造物不感興趣的冷漠態(tài)度也會(huì)形成倦怠。這種解釋認(rèn)為，如果缺乏意志力去選擇更加神圣和積極的追求，個(gè)人應(yīng)對此負(fù)責(zé)任。疲憊的解決辦法很簡單：加強(qiáng)對神和工作的信奉。

這是歷史上唯一認(rèn)定工作可以緩解倦怠的時(shí)代。但是現(xiàn)在，甚至是19世紀(jì)，這是人們最不推薦的方法。

接下來的幾年，倦怠從一個(gè)領(lǐng)域跳到另一個(gè)領(lǐng)域。直到19世紀(jì)中期，美國神經(jīng)學(xué)家喬治·比爾德普及了對神經(jīng)衰弱癥的診斷，醫(yī)學(xué)理論才再次接手。倦怠的根源是“虛弱的神經(jīng)”，神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)的精力水平衰竭時(shí)，個(gè)體就會(huì)出現(xiàn)疲勞、焦慮甚至精神完全崩潰的癥狀。

有人曾經(jīng)認(rèn)為，神經(jīng)是人類更大精力庫的一部分。這一觀點(diǎn)已經(jīng)證明是錯(cuò)的，不過19世紀(jì)的倦怠理論模型有一部分直到今天仍然有道理。“在把矛頭指向現(xiàn)代化，認(rèn)為它是倦怠的原因這一點(diǎn)上，19世紀(jì)和我們這個(gè)時(shí)代最相似，”沙夫納說道，“你身邊有很多人都會(huì)說，城市生活在消耗人們的精力儲(chǔ)備。燈光，諸如電報(bào)、蒸汽機(jī)這樣的新發(fā)明，以及忙亂喧囂的生活，這些過度地刺激著這個(gè)社會(huì)。”

電的出現(xiàn)意味著工作者不需要在太陽下山時(shí)下班了，出現(xiàn)了一種更加資本主義的思維，鼓勵(lì)經(jīng)營者要對電加以利用。但是如果說19世紀(jì)的勞動(dòng)者感到“倦怠”，他們并不會(huì)用這個(gè)詞來描述。這個(gè)詞要到近一個(gè)世紀(jì)以后才出現(xiàn)。

20世紀(jì)70年代早期，德裔美國心理學(xué)家赫伯特·J. 弗羅伊登貝格爾在紐約東村的圣馬可免費(fèi)診所做心理醫(yī)師。當(dāng)時(shí)，猖獗的吸毒行為橫掃整個(gè)城市，而東村這個(gè)破舊的社區(qū)是毒品使用的中心。當(dāng)他和一幫志愿者為癮君子和無家可歸的年輕人治療時(shí)，他開始注意到，這些志愿者在服務(wù)工作中逐漸疲倦并精神衰竭。在他1974年出版的書中，他記錄了這些人精力衰弱的過程，并給他們貼上了“倦怠”的標(biāo)簽。他不無諷刺地從他工作的地方——那個(gè)非法毒品泛濫地——借用了這個(gè)詞。

后來的研究者采用了弗羅伊登貝格爾的這一切中要害的標(biāo)簽，開始研究服務(wù)業(yè)中的職業(yè)倦怠，記述那些職業(yè)生涯獻(xiàn)給幫助別人的人（護(hù)士、醫(yī)生和老師）是如何情感衰竭以及動(dòng)力逐漸枯竭的?，F(xiàn)在這個(gè)詞的涉及范圍已經(jīng)擴(kuò)展到任何經(jīng)受過長期壓力或到達(dá)自己極限的人。

我們從沙夫納的書中可以很清楚地知道，倦怠是混亂而復(fù)雜的，有關(guān)倦怠的理論相互未必有依托——時(shí)而側(cè)重身體，時(shí)而又側(cè)重心理，有時(shí)把矛頭指向現(xiàn)代化，有時(shí)又對個(gè)人進(jìn)行責(zé)難。有些解釋，如原罪說，已經(jīng)完全過時(shí)了，但也有些解釋，如資本主義說，如今還繼續(xù)在倦怠論中扮演角色。但是21世紀(jì)和過去的時(shí)代突出的反差是，這個(gè)時(shí)代沒有一個(gè)清晰的醫(yī)學(xué)范式。

“我們這個(gè)時(shí)代是個(gè)折衷的時(shí)代，一個(gè)特點(diǎn)鮮明的歷史時(shí)刻，因?yàn)槲覀冇心敲炊嗟哪Ｊ絹韺Ａ呒右越忉?。其他的每個(gè)時(shí)代都有一個(gè)明確且每個(gè)人都相信的理論?，F(xiàn)在我們生活的這個(gè)時(shí)代，人們會(huì)選擇和自己共鳴的理論，這些理論可能是整體論，也可能是生物化學(xué)論、荷爾蒙論或其他的理論。

很難說倦怠感會(huì)有怎樣的未來。沙夫納堅(jiān)稱，她在這項(xiàng)研究上花的時(shí)間足夠多，有理由推測我們會(huì)經(jīng)歷一個(gè)完整的輪回?！拔夜烙?jì)又會(huì)回到蓋倫的理論，整體論的解釋模式將再次占據(jù)主導(dǎo)地位。這種模式更加注重身心的交互作用，比如全神貫注的冥想狀態(tài)。這種狀態(tài)現(xiàn)在是一種頗受歡迎的方法，用來應(yīng)對壓力和精疲力竭。

彩虹合唱團(tuán)的新曲《感覺身體被掏空》前段時(shí)間火遍網(wǎng)絡(luò)，原因是唱出了“勞苦大眾”的心聲：我太累了，我要休息。身心疲憊漸漸成為現(xiàn)代人生活的一種常態(tài)。但你要是以為疲憊感是我們這個(gè)時(shí)代獨(dú)有的產(chǎn)物，那就大錯(cuò)特錯(cuò)了。事實(shí)上，“被掏空”的感覺由來已久。

12. lethargy [?leθ?（r）d?i] n. 昏睡

13. holistic [h???l?st?k] adj. 整體的；[醫(yī)學(xué)]整體觀醫(yī)學(xué)的，身心相關(guān)學(xué)的

14. acedia [?si?d??] n. 倦怠

15. antidote [??nt??d??t] n. 解藥；緩解辦法；對抗手段

16. neurasthenia [?nj??r?s?θi?ni?] n. [內(nèi)科]神經(jīng)衰弱癥

17. vacillate [?v?s?le?t] vi. 猶豫；躊躇；搖擺

18. somatic [s?um?t?k] adj. 軀體的；肉體的

19. paradigm [?p?r?da?m] n. 范例

20. hormonal [h??（r）?m??n（?）l] adj. 荷爾蒙的，激素的