Before every show, Beyonce listens to the same playlist, performs stretches, and meditates (冥想) for precisely one hour. This is part of her per-performance ritual (仪式) .
Rituals help to structure our lives. People perform group rituals that mark significant social events and stages such as singing at birthday parties and celebrating at weddings. Individuals also have personalized rituals that help to organize their days, such as getting that morning cup of juice, performing a bedtime routine, or stretching before going on stage.
Research shows that rituals can help us enjoy experiences. Researchers from the University of Minnesota and Harvard found that enacting a ritual enhanced how much people enjoyed eating chocolate. Before having participants eat a chocolate bar, the researchers asked participants to perform a ritual by breaking the chocolate bar in half without removing the wrapper, then unwrapping only half of the bar and eating it, and finally unwrapping the other half and eating it. Compared to people who simply relaxed before eating the chocolate, those who had performed the ritual reported that the chocolate was more flavorful. Rituals appear to heighten how involved we are in our experiences.
Rituals can also help reduce anxiety and improve performance. In a 2020 study, researchers asked participants to engage in a task of singing a popular song in front of an experimenter, aiming to cause anxiety. Before singing, some participants just sat quietly while they waited, but others were asked to perform a ritual. The results showed that compared to participants who had sat quietly before singing, those who performed the ritual reported being less anxious and sang the song more accurately using the correct volume, key, and note duration. If you think Beyoncé performs well at her concerts, maybe her ritual has something to do with it.
We can include rituals into countless aspects of our lives. We can light a candle at the end of the workday to improve how much we enjoy our leisure time. We can regularly visit locations that are special to us to de-stress and feel more in control. We can meditate before important tasks to reduce our anxiety and improve our performance. The choice is ours.
12. Which of the following is an example of group rituals?
A.Applauding at the end of a concert. | B.Putting a family photo in the purse. |
C.Buying a bunch of flowers for oneself. | D.Taking a deep breath before a performance. |
13. According to the text, what made the chocolate more flavorful?
A.Removing the wrapper. | B.Breaking it into halves. |
C.Relaxing before eating. | D.Ritualizing the eating process. |
14. What can we infer about rituals from the study in 2020?
A.They help ease people’s tension. | B.They make people find inner peace. |
C.They give inspiration for new songs. | D.They are essential for singing songs. |
15. What does the author advise us to do?
A.Have more leisure time. | B.Decrease travel frequency. |
C.Bring rituals into our lives. | D.Balance work and pleasure. |