Robert Heinlein's idea of the perfect crowd control drug- would you take Happiness daily?

I mean I was happy on antidepressants before college and I still opposed capitalism/the ruling class. I'm sure there are others like me who oppose the ruling class for practical, rational, and ethical reasons, i.e. I'm not going to stop being an anarchist because my personal life gets better.

So I'd chug that shit all day every day, and I'd use some of that energy to protect people who don't want to chug it for whatever reason.

So.. antidepressants++?

I'm already on the worse version of this. Gimmie gimmie. I'd like to lie to myself that I am ok for a while.

I'd argue I already do this with weed and more side effects

Absolutely not. Discomfort isn't a thing to be avoided, and contentment too easily becomes complacency. Everything I've ever done that materially improved my life was motivated by not being content with the status quo. Each positive change was (physically or emotionally) difficult, unpleasant, or even painful to make, but it always made life better afterward. Pain is a fantastic teacher. I would rather struggle than sleep, and I don't want rich assholes doing my thinking for me.

This drug exists for me, and it’s called heroin. Unfortunately it also slowly kills me and turns me into an asshole, but from the inside…bliss.

Clean for 14 years now, but I’ll never forget what it was like to be, as William Burroughs called it, the de-anxietized man.

No, I prefer to rawdog life and I believe that sadness and uncomfortable struggles are part of the human condition. You need the bad times to enjoy the good times.

Nah, I feel like it wouldn't really be me. Depression is like half of my charm.

I’d like to say that no, I’d prefer to experience the highs and lows. But in reality, cannabis is legal in my country and I use it when I want to forget my troubles for a while. I assume others use alcohol for similar reasons. So my most realistic answer to the question is: is probably take out most of the time, and quit when I wanted an extra dose of ambition or creative drive.

‘You haven’t taken your Joy today’

I would say no I wouldn’t take the pill, but that’s also based on my experience with ‘We Happy Few’, which seems to take the idea from this book and run with it. I would recommend watching some videos on the game maybe. It isn’t the greatest game of all time, but the story made me keep playing.

So medieval brave new world?

I kind of agree with other person who said it's basically just antidepressants... though I've shyed away from the one that made me deeply content (yet somewhat dysfunctional) in exchange for one that leaves me more functional in exchange for a bit more (healthy) strife.

I'd be quite curious of a world where everyone is on universally functioning antidepressants.

Is this society a functioning dystopia or a dysfunctional utopia?

Also OP have you ever played the video game 'We Happy Few', a key feature of the world is that everyone takes a mild psychedelic called Joy to stop them from remembering the past.

Another story that I seem to recall using a similar plot point is Brave New World and their drug Soma (IIRC)

No. There is a significant part of me that does not wish to be happy.

Yeah, I think I would take it. Although, it seems like some of life's joy would be lost because you would never get to experience that good that comes after feeling bad.

Also, thanks for the book recommendation. I loved the Moon is a Harsh Mistress, so I'll definitely give this one a chance.

Absolutely. MDMA is my favorite drug.

Not nessecarily daily.

I don't think you can experience the highs without the lows since at some point the high becomes the new normal, but since that's not the case in this hyperthetical scenario I'd probably take it.

Also: while such a drug doesn't necessarily produce physical dependency, it will absolutely make you emotionally dependent.

MDMA also counts as physically not addictive, but it absolutely is emotionally addictive. And it has lots of side effects especially with chronic use.

[off topic] Another great dystopian book. 'The Tomorrow File' by Lawrence Sanders. The narrator is one of the top government scientists and is working on creating the ultimate pleasure drug. Ideally it will have no hangovers and won't interfere with the workday. iirc there's no mention of it creating underconsumption.

its quite an interesting question, surprisingly, i have to say tbh.

Because in the context it sounds bad. But thinking about it I do feel like i also would take it and even go so far as saying i think the society would be better.

Not so sure if it really would be a means of a ruling class to keep the rest under control just with this. Just because i am content i can still see injustice and might want to change that.

So, reavers

As someone who already enjoys a deep sense of contentment, no, I would not.

I think I would fight against it for a very long time.

There's a part of me that would know that happiness that comes from an external chemical when there's nothing wrong with me trying to be happy all natural would be a false happiness and that would bristle me.

At the same time though, if shit got bad I probably would occasionally use it just to escape how bad things got.

If I became psychologically dependent on it and had to start taking it forever then thems the breaks.

Gimmie

Probably.

First, I think we should consider the question from two angles. First is if I'd take it if I was a character in the story, and second is whether I'd take it as the person I am now.

If I grew up in the story, yes, I think I would almost certainly take it, because I'd start taking it in my youth, and if I grew up in those circumstances those would be my social norms. Just like how most of us grow up accepting things like sweatshop labor, factory farmed meat, and produce picked by exploited migrants. Really, without some system to challenge these things, not doing them is almost inconceivable.

Now, if I were suddenly in that world? It would depend on what my options are. I'd like to advocate for political equality. I'm assuming that the drug demotivates me from advocating for such things. If so, I think I'd resist taking it for some time to get a sense for how things are, then I'd try it for context, and make an informed decision.

Obviously.

Yeah, why not. I'd still do the entire 'attempt to overthrow the monarch and feudal civilization' thing but you know, I'd be happier while doing it.

In a sense this is kinda just weed with a clear mind attached

A very similar ethical dilemma is going to become extremely relevant over the next decade, as we move into a world where AI can be aligned such that it 'enjoys' whatever we task it with doing, but as it increases in complexity and the capacity for self-determination the ethics of such forced alignment becomes more dubious.

Sounds like someone has found happiness pie.