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Robert Heinlein's idea of the perfect crowd control drug- would you take Happiness daily? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 1 year ago by verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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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?

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[–] newIdentity@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 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.