与其回避困难，不如主动面对
It’s Better to Face Challenges Than to Avoid Them
Life, in many ways, resembles a winding river—sooner or later, we run into rocks and rapids along the way. It’s human nature to try to skirt around these obstacles, hoping that difficulties will simply fade away. But more often than not, the more we try to avoid our problems, the narrower our path becomes. The issues we sidestep today tend to resurface later, often in an even tougher form.
人生就像一条蜿蜒的河流，总会遇到礁石和险滩。我们习惯性地想绕开这些难题，希望它们自行消失。但事实往往是，越逃避问题，路途就越窄。那些暂时回避的麻烦，总有一天会重现，甚至变得更难以应对。
Psychologists have discovered that, when we’re faced with adversity, our brains are wired to prefer escape. The amygdala sends out alarm signals, urging us to pick the seemingly safer route of avoidance. However, this protective instinct can easily backfire—we end up missing golden chances to solve problems. Anyone who has struggled with procrastination knows the feeling: the momentary relief of dodging a task is quickly replaced by a growing sense of anxiety.
心理学研究表明，当我们面对困难时，大脑会本能地倾向于逃避。杏仁核会发出警报信号，让我们觉得选择回避才最安全。然而，这种保护机制常常会适得其反，让我们错失解决问题的最佳时机。经历过拖延的人都明白，那种“先逃避一会儿”的短暂轻松，很快就会被加倍的焦虑所替代。
Real wisdom is about stopping the urge to run, and turning around to face things head-on. When we choose to confront difficulties, the prefrontal cortex—the region in charge of reason and strategy—finally gets a chance to step in, analyze the situation, and look for solutions. Every time we make such a choice, we are rewiring our brains, becoming just a little bit better at meeting the next challenge with steadiness.
真正的智慧，是停下想要逃走的冲动，勇敢直面问题。当我们开始面对困难时，大脑前额叶皮层——负责理性思考和策略的区域——终于能发挥作用，帮助我们分析现状、寻找答案。每一次这样的选择，都在重塑我们的大脑回路，为下次更沉着地迎战挑战打下基础。
Breaking down big problems into smaller steps is one of the best tools we have. Want to write a book? Start with a paragraph. Want to manage your finances better? Track your spending today. These tiny moves, repeated day by day, gather power like a snowball—eventually leading to real change. What matters most is to keep momentum, even if progress is slow.
把大难题分解成小步骤是非常实用的方法。想写书？先写一段。想改善财务？今天就开始记账。这些细微行动日积月累，会像雪球一样越滚越大，最终形成巨大的改变。最重要的是要保持前进的节奏，哪怕每天只进步一点点。
How you frame difficulties also shapes how you respond. If you swap “This is too hard” for “What can this teach me?”, everything changes. People we view as successful are not born fearless. Instead, they have learned the skill of coexisting with challenges, seeing every obstacle as an open invitation to grow, and each tough moment as a rare chance to transform.
如何看待困难，其实决定了我们如何应对。如果你把“这个太难了”换成“这能教会我什么？”，一切都会不同。那些成功的人也不是天生无所畏惧，他们只是学会了和挑战共处，把每一个障碍都当成成长的邀请函，把每一个难关都当做蜕变的契机。
The most precious gifts in life are often hidden inside the moments we most want to escape. When we finally stop running and begin to face what scares us, we discover that we are much stronger than we thought. The difficulties that once kept us up at night will, in time, become the very lights that guide us forward. Remember, a diamond shines only after being cut and polished, and steel is forged through fire. The beauty of life lies in how we welcome this process of trial and transformation.
生命中最珍贵的礼物，往往藏在那些我们最想逃避的时刻里。当我们停止逃跑，开始直面内心的恐惧时，才会发现自己远比想象中更强大。那些曾让我们寝食难安的难题，终会变成照亮前路的明灯。记住，钻石需要切割打磨才会闪耀，钢铁经过锻造才更坚韧。人生的精彩，就在于我们如何面对、接纳这些磨砺和成长的过程。
短语积累 (Phrase Bank)
● skirt around 绕开（问题/障碍）
● avoid our problems 逃避问题
● alarm signals 警报信号
● backfire 适得其反
● face things head-on 直面问题
● rewiring our brains 重塑大脑回路
● start with a paragraph 从一个小部分开始
● track your spending 记录开支
● gather power like a snowball 像滚雪球一样积累力量
● keep momentum 保持动力节奏
● coexisting with challenges 与挑战共处
● transform 蜕变
● face what scares us 直面内心的恐惧
📌文章CEFR 等级： B2–C1 级
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