A recent research shows benefits to writing about a traumatic (创伤性的) experience or difficult situation in a manner that psychologists refer to as “expressive writing.” People who do this, recording their deepest thoughts and feelings, often show improved mental and physical health, says James Parker, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Texas, Austin.

Expressive writing is a specific technique, and it’s different from writing in a journal. 【小题1】

Parker says that hundreds of studies over several decades have looked at the potential benefits of expressive writing and found that it can strengthen the immune system, including for people with illnesses such as cancer, PTSD and depression. 【小题2】 And it may even help reduce symptoms of depression and PTSD, and prevent colds and flu.

Expressive writing works because it allows you to make meaning out of a painful experience. Recognizing that something is bothering you is an important first step. 【小题3】 And creating a narrative (叙述) gives you a sense of control.

What if you don’t consider yourself “a writer”? Don’t worry about spelling or grammar, and don’t share your writing with anyone. 【小题4】 The goal of the exercise is to find meaning in an unsettling event.

【小题5】 Expressive writing isn’t a magical panacea (灵丹妙药). It shouldn’t be used as a replacement for other treatments. And people coping with a severe trauma or depression may not find it useful to do on their own, without therapy.

People realize that, although animals may not have the same intelligence as human beings, they are clever enough to learn certain things.

Dogs are extremely useful as companions for blind people. When a dog has been properly trained, he will always lead his blind master in the right direction and keep him out of danger. For example, seeing-eye dogs learn never to cross a busy road when cars are coming, even if their master ordered them to do so.

Horses are also able to learn many things. Horses that are used for guard or police duty must learn never to be frightened of noises and traffic. Racing horses are able to run much faster than other horses, but they are also quite tense. Therefore, it is necessary for those people who train them to be very patient and understanding.

The movie and television can use trained animals too. Some animals, such as monkeys and foxes, are easy to film. All you have to do is make a trail in front of the camera by putting something that smells good to the animals over the ground. Big animals, such as lions and tigers, can be photographed as they come happily back to their families or dinner. If a movie actor is nearby, the well trained animal will pay no attention to him. However, the audience may imagine that the actor escaped a terrible death.

When we came across a troublesome problem, we often gather a group to brainstorm. However, plenty of evidence has shown that when we generate ideas together, we fail to maximize collective intelligence.

To unearth the hidden potential in teams, we’d better turn to a process called “brainwriting”. You start by asking group members to write down what is going on in their brains separately. Next, you collect them and share them among the group without telling the authors. Then, each member evaluates them on his or her own, only after which the team members come together to select and improve the most promising options. By developing and assessing ideas individually before choosing and expanding on them, the team can surface and advance possibilities that might not get attention otherwise.

An example of great brainwriting was in 2010 when 33 miners were trapped underground in Chile. Given the urgency of the situation, the rescue team didn’t hold brainstorming sessions. Rather, they established a global brainwriting system to generate individual ideas. A 24-year-old engineer came up with a tiny plastic telephone. This specialized tool ended up becoming the only means of communicating with the miners, making it possible to save them.

Research by organizational behavior scholar Anita Woolley and her colleagues helps to explain why this method works. They find that the key to collective intelligence is balanced participation. In brainstorming meetings, its too easy for participation to become one-sided in favor of the loudest voices. The brainwriting process ensures that all ideas are brought to the table and all voices are brought into conversation. The goal isn’t to be the smartest person in the room. It’s to make the room smarter.

Collective intelligence begins with individual creativity, but it doesn’t end there. Individuals produce a greater volume and variety of novel ideas when they work alone. That means they not only come up with more brilliant ideas than groups but also more terrible ideas. Therefore, it takes collective judgment to find the signal in the noise and bring out the best ideas.