Have you ever seen a tiny kitten or puppy and felt like squeezing it? This strange but common feeling is called “cute aggression.” It occurs when something is so adorable that you feel both love and a small amount of aggression. Even though you would never harm the object, you might say, “It’s so cute; I can’t stand it!”
Scientists believe that cute aggression helps balance our emotions. When we see something cute, our brain releases strong positive feelings. However, if these emotions are too intense, they can overwhelm us. To help us stay in control, the brain adds a bit of aggression to even things out.
你曾經看見一隻小貓或小狗，忍不住想捏一捏牠嗎？這種奇怪但常見的感覺被稱為「可愛侵略性」。當某樣東西太可愛，使你同時感受到愛意和一絲侵略性時，就會出現這種感覺。儘管你絕對不會傷害這個東西，你可能會說：「這太可愛了；我真受不了！」
科學家認為，可愛侵略性有助於我們平衡情緒。當我們看到某樣可愛的東西，大腦會釋放強烈的正面情緒。然而，如果這些情緒過於強烈，它們可能會使我們感到難以承受。為了幫助我們保持穩定，大腦會加入一點侵略性來平衡情緒。
生活必備字詞：
squeeze vt. 捏，緊抱∕握
harm vt. 傷害
intense a. 強烈的，極端的
even... out / even out... 使……平衡
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本文節錄自《常春藤生活英語》雜誌，完整內容請見五月號。
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