To paraphrase Bostrom: many people are walking around quietly leading desperately unhappy lives, and much of the improvements they could make don’t get talked about because it is low status to admit you are unhappy.
On the other hand, there do exist people with depression diagnoses who try to do something about it. Some folks are willing to ① admit that they are markedly unhappy, ② seek independent verification in the form of a depression diagnosis, and ③ attempt to stop being depressed through various forms of therapy, drugs, etc.
So even if it were “low status to admit you are unhappy,” that doesn’t stop some people.
Moreover, as regards status: “it is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied” (J. S. Mill); having high standards but being unhappy may be higher-status than having low standards and being happy.
Moreover, as regards status: “it is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied” (J. S. Mill); having high standards but being unhappy may be higher-status than having low standards and being happy.
On the other hand, there do exist people with depression diagnoses who try to do something about it. Some folks are willing to ① admit that they are markedly unhappy, ② seek independent verification in the form of a depression diagnosis, and ③ attempt to stop being depressed through various forms of therapy, drugs, etc.
So even if it were “low status to admit you are unhappy,” that doesn’t stop some people.
Moreover, as regards status: “it is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied” (J. S. Mill); having high standards but being unhappy may be higher-status than having low standards and being happy.
Mill was talking about utility, not status.