Well, I agree that current humans can’t choose to do this, but it seems like it might be possible through technology.
Even with technology, it won’t be possible to decide to have already been apathetic at the time when you are deciding whether to become apathetic. Hence, when you are deciding whether to become apathetic, you will make that decision based on what you cared about pre-apathy. So if, in that pre-apathetic state, you care about things that apathy would harm, then you won’t decide to become apathetic.
Yeah, but people are stupid so they might do it anyway. This is why I said it was like wireheading, you are increasing your expected pleasure (in some sense) at the cost of losing lots of things you really care about.
Even with technology, it won’t be possible to decide to have already been apathetic at the time when you are deciding whether to become apathetic. Hence, when you are deciding whether to become apathetic, you will make that decision based on what you cared about pre-apathy. So if, in that pre-apathetic state, you care about things that apathy would harm, then you won’t decide to become apathetic.
Yeah, but people are stupid so they might do it anyway. This is why I said it was like wireheading, you are increasing your expected pleasure (in some sense) at the cost of losing lots of things you really care about.