[ExI] Are hard drugs not really addictive after all?

[Stathis Papaioannou]

2009/6/8 BillK <pharos at gmail.com>:

> The monkeys in cages killing themselves with drugs has led futurists
> to speculate that transhumans will wirehead themselves into oblivion
> because they will be unable to resist the overwhelming pleasure. This
> is proposed as one explanation for the Fermi problem. But if this
> research is correct, then that won't happen. If our future lives are
> pleasant and fulfilling, then wireheading will just be an occasional
> pleasure and not a life-threatening addiction.

Having complete access to the source code of your brain would not be
like drug addiction or wireheading. This relates to the concept of
second order desires, or desires about desires: "I wish I didn't have
such an urge to use heroin; I wish I got as much pleasure from going
for a walk as I do from using heroin." If the addict could simply
adjust his brain in accordance with these wishes, there wouldn't be a
problem.


-- 
Stathis Papaioannou