Are Wireheads Happy? Article by Scott Alexander on LW

If I tried it once, I'd get addicted and never stop. So I wouldn't try it unless I had "done everything I wanted to do". So I voted "never" as the closest to that, since if forced to choose "wirehead now even once or never wirehead" I would currently choose never.

@Mira I'd recommend listening to or (preferably) reading Infinite Jest if you have the time

@Mira (I'd give the same answer)

@Mira palliative care: modern medicine uses morphine.

IMO recreational drugs are a poor man's wirehead. Some differences (repeatability, control over the effects, satiation, etc), but the goal is essentially the same. I wonder whether there's a correlation between this and willingness to do drugs.

If you do drugs but wouldn't wirehead yourself, what's the reason?

@yep I'd assume that tolerance and effect of drugs negatively affecting other parts or life, or someone who's trying to quit an addiction etc would be someone who does drugs but would say not wirehead

@firstuserhere Good point, I can see why an addict wouldn't want that. Are there any sporadic/recreational drug users here that wouldn't take the wirehead?

I think the only scenario in which I'd let anyone put technology into my brain is if I'd literally die if they didn't do it.

@evergreenemily If I lost my hearing or sight I would think hard about it for sure.

@BTE Oh, that's a good point. I think I'd accept technology in my nervous system in that scenario too - I rely so much on both that I'm pretty desperate not to lose them.