= 27d567bc2d48d9f40e9ccc20ea370b15)
tyrsius comments on Not for the Sake of Pleasure Alone - Less Wrong
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
= 783df68a0f980790206b9ea87794c5b6)
Loading…= b715d02e85f7b3b4ae65ca3d3e450868)
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Powered by Reddit
= f037147d6e6c911a85753b9abdedda8d)
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
Comments (129)
This machine, if it were to give you maximal pleasure, should be able to make you feel as if you are not alone.
The only way I can see this machine actually making good on its promise is to be a Matrix-quality reality engine, but with you in the king seat.
I would take it.
Of course it would. My question is, to what extent would you mind being alone? Not feeling alone, not even believing you are alone, just being alone.
Of course, once I'm plugged in to my Personal Matrix, I would not mind any more, for I wouldn't feel nor believe I am alone. But right now I do mind. Whatever the real reasons behind it, being cut off from the rest of the world just feels wrong. Basically, I believe I want Multiplayer Fun bad enough to sacrifice some Personal Fun.
Now, I probably wouldn't want to sacrifice much personal fun, so given the choice between maximum Personal Fun and my present life, (no third alternative allowed), I would probably take the blue pill. Though it would really bother me if everyone else wouldn't be given the same choice.
Now to get back on topic, I suspect Luke did want to talk about a primitive system that would turn you into an Orgasmium. Something that would even sacrifice Boredom to maximize subjective pleasure and happiness. (By the way, I suspect that "Eternal Bliss" promised by some beliefs systems is just as primitive.) Such a primitive system would exactly serve his point: do you only want happiness and pleasure? Would you sacrifice everything else to get it?
If this is indeed Luke's intended offer, than I believe it to be a lie. Without the ability to introduced varied pleasure, an Orgasmium would fail to deliver on its promise of "maximal pleasure."
For the offer to be true, it would need to be a Personal Matrix.
Some people think that extended periods of euphoria give up no marginal pleasure. I haven't found that to be the case - but perhaps if we take away any sense of time passing then it would work.