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?

  • WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    12·
    1 year ago

    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.

  • Uranium 🟩@sh.itjust.works
    7·
    1 year ago

    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)

    • verity_kindle@sh.itjust.worksOP
      2·
      1 year ago

      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.

  • bl4ckblooc@lemmy.worldEnglish
    6·
    1 year ago

    ‘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.

  • healer_56@lemmy.world
    4·
    1 year ago

    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.

  • newIdentity@sh.itjust.works
    4·
    1 year ago

    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.

    • verity_kindle@sh.itjust.worksOP
      1·
      1 year ago

      In the novel, everyone seems to do their jobs competently- soldiers fight well, the toilets get cleaned well, the spaceships are piloted well, etc. That is all done by a hierarchy of slaves, who seem to have been on Happiness all their adult lives. The concept of personal freedom is unknown. Also the concept of “kill and mutilate everyone”. :)

  • kromem@lemmy.worldEnglish
    51·
    1 year ago

    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.

  • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
    3·
    1 year ago

    [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.

  • EbenezerScrew@lemmy.world
    3·
    1 year ago

    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.