I consider emotions to be data, not goals. From this point of view, deliberately maximizing happiness for its own sake is a lost purpose. Its like writing extra numbers on your bank balance. If however your happiness was reliably too low, adjusting it upwards with drugs would be sensible. Whats the best level of happiness, the one that produces optimal behavior.
I also find my emotions to be quite weak. And I can set them consciously change them. Just thinking “be happy”, or “be sad” and feeling happy or sad. It actually feels similar to imagining a mental image, sound or smell.
I consider emotions to be data, not goals. From this point of view, deliberately maximizing happiness for its own sake is a lost purpose. Its like writing extra numbers on your bank balance. If however your happiness was reliably too low, adjusting it upwards with drugs would be sensible. Whats the best level of happiness, the one that produces optimal behavior.
I also find my emotions to be quite weak. And I can set them consciously change them. Just thinking “be happy”, or “be sad” and feeling happy or sad. It actually feels similar to imagining a mental image, sound or smell.