If I would have to choose between drug A and no drug at all, I will take no drug any time. Why would I want to not have the memories but live through the experience? That’s really silly.
This is a good extension. If there were a paralytic (so they can actually operate without you flinching) that didn’t affect experience or memory, would you prefer that, and why?
Personally, I’m skeptical that pain leaves no trace on one’s psyche, regardless of whether short-term memories are being suppressed. But I know of no studies or tests for that, so one’s assumptions about things like that are going to dominate the choice here.
Well, first I would prefer actual anesthetic that would render me unconscious. But if that’s not available, then I would rather retain my memories than not.
Fascinating set of preferences. I have to admit that I don’t understand. I can understand the “all experiences and memories thereof are valuable” position, where you would prefer not to be unconscious. I can undersand the “don’t care about non-remembered experiences” position, where you’ll take the memory-eraser to save $1.
I don’t understand the model of value and impact of experiences which leads to a preference to be fully unconscious, but also rather be unconscious, but ALSO would rather remember the pain than forget it.
Well, I am not a masochist. I don’t like experiencing pain. Do you? ;-)
Yet, I experienced lot’s of painful moments in my life, as I guess everyone. And I mean both physical and psychological. Now, I am not traumatised by these memories. I am not trying to get rid of them, why would I? They are often valuable lessons and they help me better calibrate what to expect from the future experiences.
For many, I am glad they happened. I believe that some amount of painful experiences is good for people to experience. Pain makes you grow.
For some, I don’t think the value for pain was good enough and if I could choose, I would rather not experience them. But, does that mean I should wish to get rid of the value (memory) now that the price is paid (pain?)? That would be silly, wouldn’t it?
I could choose, I would rather not experience them. But, does that mean I should wish to get rid of the value (memory) now that the price is paid (pain?)?
Well, yeah. The price (of remembering/re-experiencing the pain occasionally) is ongoing. It’s not as immediate or intense as the original experience, but it’s still there. My question is about the VALUE you get from the memory—it’s hard for me to model that this value is positive, but not positive enough to avoid wishing the experience hadn’t happened..
Well, I guess that our memories work differently then. I truly don’t have a single memory that I would wish not to have. I see them as value. I don’t really feel that I am paying any price just by having them.
If I would have to choose between drug A and no drug at all, I will take no drug any time. Why would I want to not have the memories but live through the experience? That’s really silly.
This is a good extension. If there were a paralytic (so they can actually operate without you flinching) that didn’t affect experience or memory, would you prefer that, and why?
Personally, I’m skeptical that pain leaves no trace on one’s psyche, regardless of whether short-term memories are being suppressed. But I know of no studies or tests for that, so one’s assumptions about things like that are going to dominate the choice here.
Well, first I would prefer actual anesthetic that would render me unconscious. But if that’s not available, then I would rather retain my memories than not.
Fascinating set of preferences. I have to admit that I don’t understand. I can understand the “all experiences and memories thereof are valuable” position, where you would prefer not to be unconscious. I can undersand the “don’t care about non-remembered experiences” position, where you’ll take the memory-eraser to save $1.
I don’t understand the model of value and impact of experiences which leads to a preference to be fully unconscious, but also rather be unconscious, but ALSO would rather remember the pain than forget it.
Well, I am not a masochist. I don’t like experiencing pain. Do you? ;-)
Yet, I experienced lot’s of painful moments in my life, as I guess everyone. And I mean both physical and psychological. Now, I am not traumatised by these memories. I am not trying to get rid of them, why would I? They are often valuable lessons and they help me better calibrate what to expect from the future experiences.
For many, I am glad they happened. I believe that some amount of painful experiences is good for people to experience. Pain makes you grow.
For some, I don’t think the value for pain was good enough and if I could choose, I would rather not experience them. But, does that mean I should wish to get rid of the value (memory) now that the price is paid (pain?)? That would be silly, wouldn’t it?
Well, yeah. The price (of remembering/re-experiencing the pain occasionally) is ongoing. It’s not as immediate or intense as the original experience, but it’s still there. My question is about the VALUE you get from the memory—it’s hard for me to model that this value is positive, but not positive enough to avoid wishing the experience hadn’t happened..
Well, I guess that our memories work differently then. I truly don’t have a single memory that I would wish not to have. I see them as value. I don’t really feel that I am paying any price just by having them.