The pleasure machine. Would you plug in? -

[ApatheticViewer]

The Pleasure Machine

The thought experiment asks you to consider a machine that could give you unlimited and diverse kinds of physical pleasures for the duration of your natural life. However, once you choose to “plug in” to the machine, you can never be disconnected. The question Nozick poses is, if such a machine existed, would you plug in?

Curious to know what kiwis think

 

[heyilikeyourmom]

How am i supposed to plug myself into myself?

 

[Chilson]

Nope, unlimited pleasure means nothing if there is no baseline to fall back down to. You would simply get bored and frankly probably become exhausted no matter how diverse it could be because you would constantly be on the high setting of pleasure.

 

[ditto]

Sounds like the wireheads from Ringworld:

Current addiction is the youngest of mankind's sins. At some time in their histories, most of the cultures of human space have seen the habit as a major scourge. It takes users from the labor market and leaves them to die of self-neglect.

Times change. Generations later, these same cultures usually see current addiction as a mixed blessing. Older sins -- alcoholism and drug addiction and compulsive gambling -- cannot compete. People who can be hooked by drugs are happier with the wire. They take longer to die, and they tend not to have children.

 

[AmbiTron]

There are people who think having constant orgasms would be great but the people who actually have constant orgasms are in deep suffering for it. I'll go with no.

 

[I Love Beef]

To quote a piece of entertainment:

"Good! Hand to hand! The basis of all combat! Only a fool trusts his life to a weapon!"

And the obvious "It's just like one of my Japanese animes....."

 

[Eryngium]

There are people who think having constant orgasms would be great but the people who actually have constant orgasms are in deep suffering for it. I'll go with no.

You don’t know true suffering until you spontaneously bust a nut at your Dad’s funeral

 

[ApatheticViewer]

There are people who think having constant orgasms would be great but the people who actually have constant orgasms are in deep suffering for it. I'll go with no.

True

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

Living a life of desensitization and imprisonment sounds like a nightmare.

 

[oldcassettes]

I just thought of something that’s fairly similar. The idea of heaven for Christians is that we would just be praising God forever and ever and ever, and apparently it’s something Christians want.

Frig. It’s wayyy to late to think about these kinds of things.

 

[Whatsup bud?]

I just thought of something that’s fairly similar. The idea of heaven for Christians is that we would just be praising God forever and ever and ever, and apparently it’s something Christians want.

Frig. It’s wayyy to late to think about these kinds of things.

I think a lot of it is fear of hell rather than anticipation of heaven.

 

[NIGGER ASS PEE POOPY RAPE]

Nope, unlimited pleasure means nothing if there is no baseline to fall back down to. You would simply get bored and frankly probably become exhausted no matter how diverse it could be because you would constantly be on the high setting of pleasure.

what if the machine accounted for this and provided just enough baseline to optimize your overall pleasure? it would still be far more pleasure than you would get in even an extremely fortunate life (billionaire).

I'd do it. I don't think there is any purpose to life other than pursuing pleasure.

 

[Watermelanin]

The people bringing up the practical issues of this thought experiment are missing the point, and that's assuming those considerations are valid in the first place. Mice given access to a button that provides a direct dopamine shot to the brain would rather continuously press the button than walk away for 5 seconds to eat so they don't fucking die. They had to be removed from the cage periodically just to keep the things alive.
Anyway, back to the main premise of this exercise: I see this as basically the moral equivalent to suicide. The only real difference is one implies removing yourself from the world to avoid some form of suffering and the other is doing much the same except it's for acquiring untold amounts of pleasure. The existence of such a machine would make for a great suicide alternative, but I don't think the wider range of non-suicidal individuals would enlist for something so permanent.

As for myself: maybe in 50-60 years time when I've pretty much outlived my purpose anyway and I'm just counting down the days until I die. But even then, it's debatable whether I'd do it if the option were put forward to me. As the saying goes: the only guy who wants to live to be 90 is an 89 year old. All the grandstanding about not wanting to be an old fuck go out the window once the time to make the decision comes.

 

[Tim Buckley]

How am i supposed to plug myself into myself?

Like this

Spoiler

You're welcome

 

[nohull]

No, but I would plug in to the shitpost machine.

We shitposters also need our dopamine.

 

[Xenomorph]

I already do its called my computer.

 

[Spamy the Bot]

No. Of course not. I aim for things higher than plain earthly pleasures.
Such as conquering space, killing aliens and making anime/cartoons real.

 

[Lemmingwise]

I'd plug my enemies in.

They'd cease to be able to cause problems. Imagine if their friends and family tried to unplug them. The scorn they'll get for denying them pleasure.

 

[Bone Juice]

Honestly, I’ve been realizing that sexual pleasure is only as good if your with someone else. I’m tried of the whole self pleasuring that we as a society have diluted to. Not having someone to actually bond with, to feel what having a partner who you respect and love with all your heart, and they give you the same thing. It’s like a void sometimes when it’s yourself, it’s the whole in things.

 

[heyilikeyourmom]

Like this

Spoiler

View attachment 1317432

You're welcome

That’s the hardest I’ve laughed today, so thanks for that.