The trouble is that this rationale leads directly to wireheading at the first chance you get—choosing to become a brain in a vat with your reward centers constantly stimulated. Many people don’t want that, so those people should make their beliefs only a means to an end.
However, there are some people who would be fine with wireheading themselves, and those people will be totally unswayed by this sort of argument. If Joe is one of them… yeah, sure, a sufficiently pleasant belief is better than facing reality. In this particular case, I might still recommend that Joe face the facts, since admitting that you have a problem is the first step. If he shapes up enough, he might even get married and live happily ever after.
The trouble is that this rationale leads directly to wireheading at the first chance you get—choosing to become a brain in a vat with your reward centers constantly stimulated. Many people don’t want that, so those people should make their beliefs only a means to an end.
However, there are some people who would be fine with wireheading themselves, and those people will be totally unswayed by this sort of argument. If Joe is one of them… yeah, sure, a sufficiently pleasant belief is better than facing reality. In this particular case, I might still recommend that Joe face the facts, since admitting that you have a problem is the first step. If he shapes up enough, he might even get married and live happily ever after.