Soma

Baked.noodle · 27-06-2014 10:29pm #1

If you could take a drug that would make you happy but stupid, would you?

Let’s jump fifty years into the future when most jobs are automated and employing people is more about having consumers in society than actually earning a living. Say if it was cheap, socially acceptable but not obligatory, legally available with no physically unpleasant side effects and no withdrawal. If you take the drug you can function perfectly fine in an unchallenging job and look after yourself. It lets you experience absolute contentment, joy and all the range of happy emotions in between and never becomes boring or unsatisfying. You’re never ridiculously happy at a funeral for example, but you’re happy. Your house burns down on your wedding day and your mother dies and it’s still the best day of your life.

The catch is you lose interest in everything except other people. Anything that isn’t absolutely necessary isn't a concern, so you’re so happy you don’t think about anything except whatever you happen to be happily reflecting on or experiencing in the moment. Looking after yourself is kind of on automatic in the back of your mind and you walk about doing your job or shopping or whatever; enjoying what you’re doing and how wonderful the world is and not minding that you ate the same meal last night and who cares about before that! You can come off it at any time and you will return to how you feel right now. People go for happiness brakes, working a few months, studying a few more and taking the rest of the year off to be happy.

The thing is when you do stop it begins to dawn on you the room is kind of disorganised and not very interesting. You are in danger of losing your job for not being happy enough with the customers and you want to punch your boss who you like and is your friend, but is a complete idiot. Your girlfriend loves you and wants to be with you and you love her but you can’t stand how happy she is when you’re not, and she is also currently an idiot. The world is probably not as violent and angry as it used to be but you kind of wish it was, and you hate yourself for that. Unhappy people are everywhere, but they are probably the minority and work in libraries.

Would you take this drug? Would you ever stop?

Fat Christy · 27-06-2014 10:30pm

No.

Tail Docker · 27-06-2014 10:31pm

Most people I know are on it already.

Sulla Felix · 27-06-2014 10:33pm

On the weekends.

Yeah, why the fsck not. It'd stop the need for mental gymnastics at least.

dodderangler · 27-06-2014 10:33pm

Soma tells me this thread will be over soon

solomafioso · 27-06-2014 10:34pm

So basically Limitless mixed with Idiocracy.

Manach · 27-06-2014 10:35pm

To busy watching Reality TV to consider this.

Shakespeare's Sister · 27-06-2014 10:35pm

"Soma", the drug in the novel Brave New World, just seems like MDMA/Prozac.
Huxley wasn't too far wrong.

Tail Docker · 27-06-2014 10:35pm

How much is a pint of Soma, and is it nicer than Budweiser?

beano345 · 27-06-2014 10:42pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gt6DPnLwRk

sock puppet · 27-06-2014 10:45pm

Magaggie wrote: »

"Soma", the drug in the novel Brave New World, just seems like MDMA/Prozac.
Huxley wasn't too far wrong.

Yep, just like Heroin/tetanus shots.

L'Enfer du Nord · 27-06-2014 11:00pm

How would these people off their heads on soma act as consumers? As you describe it people on soma are perfectly content how would you persuade them to consume anything else?

What can you sell to the man who thinks he has everything?

Only an epsilon semi-moron could conceive of a consumerist world where people take occasional breaks from soma rather than one where people take regular soma breaks.

Baked.noodle · 27-06-2014 11:07pm

On the weekends.

People still need to eat, and shower and have clean fresh clothes. Perhaps the stupidity would make people more reliant on services and there would be parties and resorts and theme parks. Even stupid people are greedy. When I referred to unhappiness I was leaning on the idea that the more you know the more you have to be unhappy about.

efb · 27-06-2014 11:09pm

tldr. Huh?

Awkward Badger · 27-06-2014 11:13pm

During the working week.

Of course. Why would you not want to be happy ? The only reason certain things are of interest or worth is to occupy you or help you attain a certain level of contentment in your life. For some its excitement, for others its challenge or a need to understand. But all of them are striving towards being busy and happy its just simply based on your individual outlook. If you could take something that doesn't have any real negative affects outside of that and find contentment and happiness in everything why would you not want it ?

P_1 · 27-06-2014 11:15pm

OP put down the Huxley

Shakespeare's Sister · 27-06-2014 11:15pm

I want to be non depressed. After that, happiness is generally up to me. I think soma would be very tempting to someone who has depression, but then again, it is kinda like Prozac.