He uses this new power to finish his book, get back together with his girlfriend, become rich, and eventually become president of the united states. Incidentally he gets in shape, establishes himself as high status at top tier social events, learns many new languages, and sleeps with a bunch of women.
How would it work if everyone had this power?
Doesn’t being rich require that others be poor?
Only one person can become president at a time.
Doesn’t being at the top tier of social events (or anything) mean that there needs to be sub tiers?
“Sleeps with a bunch of women”: this seems to answer the above problems. Humans would be so busy “sleeping” with each other they’d have little time or use for money, politics, or meaningless social gatherings. Food would still be important. I’d like to think art would be too. Sex, food, and transformative experiences. A return to the animal kingdom. That makes me almost hopeful.
But, I have this all wrong, don’t I. I’m going back to the sequences now....
In relative terms (eg being in the top 1%) obviously yes.
In absolute terms (eg being able to experience more places, creative works, ideas, etc than people 1000 years ago could have dreamed about) obviously no.
There is a moment where he gets “the idea”. This is the thing that takes him from his hedonic whirlwind to a purposeful existence. He’s trying to change the world.
My hope is that he’d use the powers of the pill to set up labs to study the process it works on, mass produce it, use his political clout as president to push it though as a legal nootropic, and use the bully pulpit to promote it. Make everyone smart.
What I’m gathering from the other replies to my comment is that people are not so much in need of intelligence as they are in need to realize their full value.
Doesn’t being at the top tier of social events (or anything) mean that there needs to be sub tiers?
Yes. Status is kind of zero-sum in that your increased status means someone else’s decreased status.
When you stop focusing solely on status though, the game can (but doesn’t always) become positive sum. Sometimes people get status by helping others, and sometimes they use it to help others.
In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, McMurphy regularly manipulates the other patients into partaking in plans which put him on top, and ultimately get him what he wants. In the process of doing so however, he builds them up and helps them to better enjoy their own lives.
How would it work if everyone had this power?
Doesn’t being rich require that others be poor?
Only one person can become president at a time.
Doesn’t being at the top tier of social events (or anything) mean that there needs to be sub tiers?
“Sleeps with a bunch of women”: this seems to answer the above problems. Humans would be so busy “sleeping” with each other they’d have little time or use for money, politics, or meaningless social gatherings. Food would still be important. I’d like to think art would be too. Sex, food, and transformative experiences. A return to the animal kingdom. That makes me almost hopeful.
But, I have this all wrong, don’t I. I’m going back to the sequences now....
No.
To follow up, lets pretend that I invented light bulbs, and got rich selling you light bulbs and electricity to power them.
Now I’m rich, and though you may have slightly less money, you now also have light whenever you want it.
I’d call that a net win.
In relative terms (eg being in the top 1%) obviously yes.
In absolute terms (eg being able to experience more places, creative works, ideas, etc than people 1000 years ago could have dreamed about) obviously no.
One is more important than the other.
More people would live happy productive lives, fewer people would live unproductive/self-destructive ones.
Prosperity isn’t a zero-sum game. Civilization is all about building up the common wealth (commonwealth).
There is a moment where he gets “the idea”. This is the thing that takes him from his hedonic whirlwind to a purposeful existence. He’s trying to change the world.
My hope is that he’d use the powers of the pill to set up labs to study the process it works on, mass produce it, use his political clout as president to push it though as a legal nootropic, and use the bully pulpit to promote it. Make everyone smart.
What I’m gathering from the other replies to my comment is that people are not so much in need of intelligence as they are in need to realize their full value.
Yes. Status is kind of zero-sum in that your increased status means someone else’s decreased status.
When you stop focusing solely on status though, the game can (but doesn’t always) become positive sum. Sometimes people get status by helping others, and sometimes they use it to help others.
In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, McMurphy regularly manipulates the other patients into partaking in plans which put him on top, and ultimately get him what he wants. In the process of doing so however, he builds them up and helps them to better enjoy their own lives.
Please define your use of the word “rich”.
i was quoting from the original post. In the context i assumed it meant: enough money to not have to worry about needed more money.