国旗下讲话
Ms. Fanny
早上好，尊敬的校长、同事们以及亲爱的同学们。今天，我想和大家分享如何培养和体现IB学习者特质中的“思考者”这一特质。
在IB学习者的特质中，“思考者”被定义为那些能够批判性和创造性地思考，解决复杂问题，并做出合乎道德、合理决策的个人。成为一个思考者对于深刻理解世界并成长为一个积极、有见识的全球公民至关重要。
“思考者”这个词听起来像是孔子或柏拉图这样的哲学家的头衔。事实上，思考在日常生活中至关重要，任何人都可以成为思考者。想想你如何决定度过周末：你会去看电影、和朋友打篮球，还是在家自学两个小时？每一个选择都是在权衡每个选项的优缺点后做出的最佳决策。即使你选择不在家学习两个小时，这也是在当下最合理的决定——无论他人是否认同。
思考使你能够做出明智的决策。在经济学中，我们将“思考者”理解为那些运用“权衡思维”的人, 即思考者认识到每一个选择都涉及机会成本。以美国第34任总统艾森豪威尔的观点为例，他曾将一架现代重型轰炸机的成本与30多所现代化学校、两个发电站（每个发电站足以为一个6万人城镇供电）、两家设备齐全的医院、约80450米的水泥公路或1360万公斤小麦相比较。
想象一下，如果你是一个国家的总统。你会选择优先生产什么？在做出决策之前，你会考虑哪些因素？国家是面临战争，还是在应对粮食短缺？优先级会因此而有所不同。一个真正的思考者会评估所有可能的权衡，权衡每种选择的机会成本，做出最大化福祉并符合人民最佳利益的决定。
对个人而言，思考可以使我们最大化我们的认知潜力，并做出能带来更大好处的决策。哈佛大学行为经济学教授Sendhil Mullainathan和普林斯顿大学心理学教授Eldar Shafir在印度对甘蔗农民进行了一项研究。这些农民每年只有在收获后才会获得一笔可观的收入。收获前，他们面临资源稀缺，收获后情况相对好转。Mullainathan和Shafir在收获前两个月和收获后两个月对同一批农民进行了认知测试。令人惊讶的是，尽管教育程度和价值观相同，这些农民在收获前的智商测试得分比收获后低了10分。
为什么会有这样的差异？答案在于他们有多少时间和精力来思考。收获前，农民们的注意力都集中在满足当下需求上，几乎没有精力去规划、进行审辩思考或寻找更高效的方法。当时间和资源稀缺时，思考受限，认知表现也会下降。
年轻的思考者们，正如弗兰克·奥地普所说，“思考的方式，决定了未来的可能性。” 。在座的每一位都拥有无数的选择和可能性等待着你们去探索。所以，我鼓励你们：有意识地去思考，保持好奇心，让你的思想去探索所有的选择、权衡和新想法，为你的未来开拓更广阔的视野。拥抱“思考者”的身份，看看你深思熟虑的决定将如何对自己和他人产生深远的影响。
谢谢大家。
Good morning, dear principals, colleagues, and students. Today, I’d like to talk about how we can cultivate and embody the traits of an IB Thinker.
In the IB Learner Profile, Thinkers are defined as individuals who can reason critically and creatively, tackle complex problems, and make ethical, well-reasoned decisions. Being a Thinker is essential for gaining a deep understanding of the world and for becoming a proactive, informed global citizen.
“Thinkers” might sound like a title reserved for philosophers like Confucius or Plato. In reality, thinking is essential in everyday life, and anyone can be a thinker. Consider how you decide to spend your weekend. Will you watch a movie, play basketball with friends, or study at home for two hours? Every choice you make represents the optimal decision after weighing the pros and cons of each option. Even if you decide not to study at home, you’ve made the most rational decision for that moment—regardless of what others may think.
Thinking equips you to make sound decisions. In economics, we interpret the concept of a Thinker as someone who uses "trade-off thinking"， which is recognizing that every choice involves an opportunity cost. As an example, consider a perspective shared by Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States. He compared the cost of a modern heavy bomber to that of over 30 modern schools, two power plants (each able to power a town of 60,000 people), two fully equipped hospitals, or approximately 80,450 meters of concrete road. Similarly, the cost of each fighter jet could provide 13.6 million kilograms of wheat.
Imagine if you were the president of a country. What would you choose to prioritize in production? What factors would you consider before making a decision? Is the country facing war, or is it dealing with food shortages? The priorities would shift accordingly. A true Thinker would evaluate all possible trade-offs, weigh the opportunity costs of each alternative, and make choices that maximize well-being and serve the best interests of the people.
For individuals, thinking enables us to maximize our cognitive potential and make decisions that lead to greater benefits. Sendhil Mullainathan, a professor of behavioral economics at Harvard, and Eldar Shafir, a professor of psychology at Princeton, conducted a study with sugarcane farmers in India, who receive a substantial income only after the harvest each year. Before the harvest, these farmers face scarcity, whereas afterward, they are relatively better off. Mullainathan and Shafir performed cognitive tests on the same farmers two months before and two months after the harvest. Surprisingly, the results showed that, with the same level of education and values, farmers scored 10 points lower on IQ tests before the harvest than after.
Why does this difference occur? The answer lies in how much mental space they have to think. Before the harvest, farmers are fully focused on meeting their immediate needs, with little room left for planning, critical thinking, or finding more efficient methods. When time and resources are scarce, thinking becomes constrained, and cognitive performance declines.
Young thinkers, as Frank outlaw said, "The way you think determines the possibilities of your future." Each of you has a world of choices and possibilities waiting. So, I challenge you: be intentional, be curious, and let your mind explore all options, all trade-offs, and all new ideas that will open your future to the widest horizons. Embrace being a Thinker, and see just how impactful your thoughtful decisions can be for yourself and others.
Thank you.
