In Robert Heinlein’s novel “Farnham’s Freehold”, the protagonists accidentally end up in a very technologically advanced feudal society that depends on a drug called “Happiness” to control things and keep social classes rigidly separated. The hypothesis of this question: the drug is a pleasant tasting drink you take daily. It has no known negative side effects. It rapidly induces a feeling of deep contentment, peace, clarity of mind and general satisfaction with your life. You will not become physically dependent on it. You don’t have to pay anything to get it. A small, unchanging dose must be taken every day to maintain this effect, but you don’t control its distribution. It is distributed by the ruling class of your society, but no one is coerced to take it, as they are psychologically dependent on it. After many centuries of Happiness distribution, no one has shown desensitization or needed a higher dose. The protagonists in the book rejected their doses, escaped briefly and were recaptured. Would you take Happiness? Why or why not?
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.
10 years this week for me (alco, not heroin, but it served same purpose)!
When you find the drug that makes you bulletproof, that’s when you have a real problem on your hands.
Exactly. I self medicated for over a decade, then attempted to stop. Went insane; was wild.
Withdrawal is so much worse than people make it out to be. When the physical part stops, the mental part remains forever.
When I was an addict, I was able to stare down a gun in my face with no fear. Now, I may have a panic attack when my boss says they want to talk to me. Even though I know that is a human experience, once you know there is an off button, it is very hard to resist the temptation.
Luckily, I invested in people and activities that make it embarrassing/impossible for me to be that way again. It is part of my ongoing strategy to make relapse not worth it.
I still have dreams though.
Yeah well said.
I had to change a lot about life and manage my anxiety carefully. I have to stay away from social media/drama, keep only a couple close friends, walk slower, meditate, stay busy with work and hobbies. And I have to make sure everyone that I’m around is aware of my alcohol allergy - to keep me honest.
Once upon a time I was heavily involved with the church, small groups, kids ministries, etc and the treatment I got from that world during my battle to quit drinking was unreal. Even thinking about that friend group, including my ex-wife, really raises my anxiety.
I went from being very religious to hating the modern church but having a deep spiritual and personal relationship with a higher power.
Proud of you, keep going.
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.
Heh
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)
Never played the game. In “Farnham’s Freehold”, their new world is definitely a functional dystopia based on slavery. Slaves can rise really high in the hierarchy, but that is about it.
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.
Mind you, this book is considered one of Heinlein’s worst. In my opinion Heilein was great SF writer, but under the surface there’s always something off, which can be explained by his political views. This book has a high percentage of libertarian propaganda.
Not the point, but thanks for participating.
You’re welcome.
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.
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.
That is insightful, I don’t know much about AI except that it can make pretty pictures.
