Sadly, psychology has not yet advanced to the point where we can give people electric shocks for thinking things
So long as one could convince someone psychology (or magic) has advanced to the point where we can give people electric shocks for thinking things, one could possibly trick people into monitoring their thoughts themselves.
“So, let’s test this out. Practice thinking of a jar of pennies and we’ll see if it triggers the shock.”
“OK.”
bzzzzzzz.
“Ow, that hurt!”
“Brace yourself next time. It helps. Try now. Brace, but don’t think of the pennies.”
“OK.”
“Now think of the pennies.”
bzzzzzzzz
“@#$%! You’re right, bracing helped a lot”
“Good. A few more tests to make sure it works, then you go wear it around all day.”
The subject then braces every time he thinks of the pennies, which the monitor detects.
Neither deception nor electric shocks are really necessary, of course. People very often change what mental associations they have without them.
So long as one could convince someone psychology (or magic) has advanced to the point where we can give people electric shocks for thinking things, one could possibly trick people into monitoring their thoughts themselves.
“So, let’s test this out. Practice thinking of a jar of pennies and we’ll see if it triggers the shock.” “OK.” bzzzzzzz. “Ow, that hurt!” “Brace yourself next time. It helps. Try now. Brace, but don’t think of the pennies.” “OK.” “Now think of the pennies.” bzzzzzzzz “@#$%! You’re right, bracing helped a lot” “Good. A few more tests to make sure it works, then you go wear it around all day.”
The subject then braces every time he thinks of the pennies, which the monitor detects.
Neither deception nor electric shocks are really necessary, of course. People very often change what mental associations they have without them.
You’ve just reinvented the bogus pipeline. New and improved (now with electric shocks!).
Upvoted for evil brilliance.
I thought evil was bad?
In the sense that you expect evil to decrease the number of paperclips in the universe, or in some parochial human definition of the word “bad”?
The second—my confusion was about the human’s appraisal of evil as meriting upvoting.