Intuitively, this feels true. I rarely do things based on how much pleasure they bring me. Some of my decisions are indirectly linked to future pleasure, or other people's pleasure, i.e. choosing to work 6 am shifts instead of sleeping in because then I won't be poor, or doing things I don't really want to but said I would do because other people are relying on me and their plans will be messed up if I don't do it, and I wouldn't want them to do that to me... Actually, when I think about it, an awful lot of my actions have more to do with other people's pleasure than with my own, something which the pleasure machine doesn't fulfill. In fact, I would worry that a pleasure machine would distract me from helping others.