I think the comparison to wireheading falls flat, because the Superhappies don’t seem like wireheads. They have desires regarding the external world, and seek to fulfill them, they experience sorrow, and demonstrate acute empathy. They have every appearance of a complex emotional life. Getting rid of bodily pain, embarrassment and romantic difficulties might sound like it would make our lives less interesting, complex and fulfilling, but in-story, we can just look at the Superhappies, and say “they look pretty well off.”
That’s actually my point—if you look only at the behavior of the humans, it sure looks like they’re saying, “no wireheading for us!”, even though the alternative they are rejecting isn’t.
You are taking wireheading too literally. Wireheaded animals are not actually having fun, but in most discussions of wireheading, we are taking about potential future technologies, and the least convenient possible world usually contains wireheads that are really happy.
I think the comparison to wireheading falls flat, because the Superhappies don’t seem like wireheads. They have desires regarding the external world, and seek to fulfill them, they experience sorrow, and demonstrate acute empathy. They have every appearance of a complex emotional life. Getting rid of bodily pain, embarrassment and romantic difficulties might sound like it would make our lives less interesting, complex and fulfilling, but in-story, we can just look at the Superhappies, and say “they look pretty well off.”
On a side note, it’s not clear that wireheads are actually happy.
That’s actually my point—if you look only at the behavior of the humans, it sure looks like they’re saying, “no wireheading for us!”, even though the alternative they are rejecting isn’t.
You are taking wireheading too literally. Wireheaded animals are not actually having fun, but in most discussions of wireheading, we are taking about potential future technologies, and the least convenient possible world usually contains wireheads that are really happy.
Which is why it’s a side note, rather than the main point I intended to bring to the discussion.