We all know that smoking is unhealthy. But what’sthe best way to get someone to quit? By harping onthe dangers of lighting up, or by touting thebenefits of kicking the habit? According to one study,being positive may be the best approach. Theresearchers looked at how callers to a stop-smoking-tobacco-quit-line responded to positive and negativemessages. The results were encouraging, ifsomewhat limited. When smokers trying to quitcalled the hotline, they were told either about thecosts of smoking and the benefits of quitting, oronly about the benefits of quitting. Callers hearing only the benefits of quitting message werenearly twice as likely to quit smoking.

　　我们都知道，吸烟是不健康的。但什么是最好的戒烟办法?通过反复强调吸烟的危害，或极力赞扬不吸烟的好处?根据研究发现，积极乐观可能是最好的戒烟方法。研究人员观察了处在戒烟边缘的人对正面和负面的消息是如何反应的。结果是令人鼓舞的，如果有些是有限的。当想放弃戒烟的吸烟者试图拨打电话，他们被告知有关吸烟的成本和戒烟的好处，或告诉戒烟的好处。只听到戒烟的好处的人戒烟的可能性要高出近两倍。