How to De-influence Your Life?如何“反种草”？

毛思玉/译

Right now， I have three different insulated water bottles sitting on my desk. My makeup station is so cluttered it would take me a good three minutes just to find my mascara. My closet is full of clothes I don’t think are cute anymore， and underneath my bed I have bags， purses and who knows what else that I’ve forgotten about.

此刻，我的桌子上摆着三个不同款的保温杯。梳妆台凌乱不堪，光是找睫毛膏就得花上整整三分钟。衣柜塞得满满当当，都是我不再喜欢的衣服。床底下堆着手提包、钱包，谁知道还有什么我已经忘记的东西。

It’s not a unique position. Like many other people， I have fallen victim to influencing.

这般堆放，并非个例。和许多人一样，我也成了“种草”的受害者。

In today’s world of fast fashion， light-speed trend changing and ever-growing social media， it has become almost impossible to not be influenced by advertisements， TikTok tutorials or recommendations from your favorite content creator.

如今的世界，快时尚遍地开花，潮流瞬息万变，社交媒体肆意生长。我们几乎不可能不受到影响，无论这影响是来自广告、TikTok教程，还是自己最喜欢的内容创作者的推荐。

That is， until now.

但是时候作出改变了。

One of the newest， and perhaps also one of the healthiest， social media trends is now “de-influencing.” Essentially， de-influencing is when creators tell you why you don’t need to buy popular products in an effort to promote financial stability， sustainable shopping and mental health.

“反种草”是目前社交媒体上最新的潮流之一，或许也是最有益的潮流之一。从本质上说，“反种草”就是创作者告诉你为何无须跟风购买热门产品，其目的在于提高财务稳定性，促进可持续消费，改善心理健康。

So， how do we take the premise of de-influencing and apply it to our own lives？ How do we escape the cycle of buying things when we don’t know what we truly want？

那么，我们怎样做才能抓住“反种草”潮流，并在生活中践行这种理念呢？怎样做才能跳出不知真正所需却仍买个不停的恶性循环？

There definitely isn’t a one-size-fits-all toolkit. If you’re looking to de-influence your life， these tips can help.

万能的解决方案固然不存，但以下建议有助于你在生活中“反种草”。

Never buy on a whim1

不要冲动消费

If you see something you like or are tempted by a social media recommendation， put a pin in it2. Take a day （or a week if it’s a big purchase） and see if you still want it after the initial “high” has passed.

看見自己喜欢的产品或受社交媒体上的推荐诱惑时，先将其搁置一旁。用一天（若是大额消费，就用七天）的时间思考，看看最初的冲动消退后，自己是否仍然需要这个产品。

Keep note of multiples

切记不要重复购买物品

If you already have three water bottles， do you really need another one？ Whenever you’re about to buy something， consider what you’ve already got. It’s likely you have a perfectly workable alternative， whether it’s a lipstick in a similar shade or yet another fast fashion dress.

如果你已经拥有三个水杯，真的还需要再买一个吗？每次购物前先回想一下自己已有的东西。你很可能已经拥有完全可行的替代品，无论是色号相似的口红，还是另一条快时尚裙子。

Repurpose or fix broken products

维修旧物或更换用途继续用

Before you replace an item， look at how you could repair or repurpose it to avoid waste. Homeware can be customised with fabric or paint， while a tailor can make light work of rips and tears in clothes.

换新之前，先尝试维修旧物或更换其用途，以避免浪费。家居用品可以用布料或涂料改造，裁缝则可以轻而易举地缝补衣物的裂缝和破洞。

Work out your own “ride or die3” products

找出你真正需要的产品

Influencer recommendations can be useful when looking for that holy grail4 item， but it’s your verdict5 that matters most. If you do buy something based on a social media endorsement， don’t beat yourself up about it. Instead， go through the pros and cons for your needs （including things like skin type and whether you’ll use it day-to-day） and have an audit of what you own. Get rid of anything that doesn’t work or has been left at the back of a drawer， keep what works， and hopefully your capsule collection6 will make you less susceptible to influencing.

如果你在寻找梦寐以求的产品，网红的推荐或许很有参考价值，但你自己的判断才是最重要的。如果你确实因为社交媒体的宣传而购买了某产品，也不必自责。你应该根据自己的需求（比如是否适合自身肤质、是否每日使用）审视该产品的利弊，并审核自己已有的产品。扔掉失效或闲置已久的，保留有用的，但愿你的“胶囊系列”能让你少受“种草”影响。

Shop secondhand

淘二手货

Charity shops and sites like eBay and Vinted are great for when you want that hit of retail therapy7 but don’t want the guilt that comes with fast fashion. They have the added benefit of saving you money on buying new—plus you’ll never get caught in the same outfit as someone else.

如果你想收获购物疗法的快感，但又不想因为购买快时尚服饰而内疚，慈善商店和eBay、Vinted等网站就是非常好的选择。淘二手货还有一个好处，那就是能帮你省下購买新衣服的钱，而且你永远不用担心和别人撞衫。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者；单位：北京理工大学）

1 whim心血来潮；一时的兴致；突发的奇想。  2 put a pin in sth暂时搁置。

3 ride or die全心全意支持的。  4 holy grail圣杯，此处指努力追求的目标，梦寐以求之物。  5 verdict（经过检验或认真考虑后的）意见，决定，结论。  6 capsule collection胶囊系列，通常包括便于搭配和穿着的基本款和经典款。此说法可追溯至20世纪70年代，伦敦精品时装店“衣橱”（Wardrobe）的老板苏茜·福克斯（Susie Faux）首推“胶囊衣橱”（capsule wardrobe）系列，主打实用好穿且不受潮流影响的经典款。此处的“胶囊”有“浓缩的精华”之义。  7 retail therapy 购物疗法，通过购买服装等让人高兴起来的方法。