Ask Lemmy

you mean THC? The main side effect is apathy.

Those pills exist but they can't be taken in moderation so governments prohibit them and doctors tightly prescribe them for limited periods of time.

I would force it on the hysterical right wingers who believe they need to impose their will on the world

Then people would actually be happy

This question is explored in The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Delila Harris if you're interested in a novel on the topic.

Better question, what would you do if you found out something in the food or water or air was causing everyone to not care about things?

Because I'm pretty sure there is something like that going on. Just as lead poisoning made a generation of people with more violent impulses and other problems, some widespread pollutants, that I am willing to bet are making us compliant.

You might have wanted to do something, if those contaminants had not already made you compliant. The damage could be permanent already too.

FUCKING OF COURSE..

People do that all the time now. Hell I suck down a liquid that does that now. It is called Whiskey.

I'd take them, and then use the inability to feel bad about the state of the world to kill myself without feeling guilty about the extremely incredibly miniscule whole I'd leave in it

These pills are called cyanide

Umm drugs ARE available

Pretty sure drugs work like that already.

Is anyone going to pay my bills while I'm on these pills or am I going to be homeless?

Just like many people already have it.

And there it is. This is a not so thinly veiled post being highly judgemental about people on anti-depressants and the like.

As you've identified:

I'm sure that what me caring does to my mental state is far worse than however good is anything it does to anyone else.

So... if it's not helping anything, and arguably harming yourself, what is the point?

I promise you that it is possible to be aware of these horrible things going on, accepting that you cannot do anything about them, minimizing of the negative impact on your own emotions and mental state... and to be able to move on with your own life and enjoy what there is to enjoy around you. All at once.

That isn't a "lack of caring", it sure as hell isn't fucking ignorance. I honestly take quite a bit of offense at that.

It's basic acceptance of what you can and cannot change. The relatively recent idea that if you aren't emotionally distraught about world events then you don't care is one of the most toxic and damaging to mental health things in recent time.

Some people will call it stoicism, but it's not even going that far.

This whole idea of "I have to stay aware of all the suffering in the world, and I have to have strong feelings about all of it!" is just "thoughts and prayers" with a whole bunch of extra steps that people often use as justification to look down upon others who don't stay as up to date, or who don't get as emotionally invested.

So to answer your question, no. I wouldn't take pills that work as you describe.

Thankfully, that's not how anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication fucking work! (Unless you're on far too high a dose or perhaps on anti-psychotics instead)

Empathy is something to be proud of. We'd just be dogshit conservatives without it.

Why take pills when you can just smoke weed?

I don't want to stop caring. I just want them to turn off the torment nexus, even if it's only for a little while.

I've done this to myself. I don't care less about people. I still want good things for people not matter how far away they might be. But I've worked hard to try to accept the difference between my circle of concern and circle of influence. I try to do what I can, and the fact that there is large-scale badness, does not undo my tiny-scale goodness. We can only change what we can.

Also, it's important to know that social media and news pour money into making you angry and upset. It is worth taking a step back and limit your exposure to bad sources of news. I'm off all social media (other than Lemmy) and I follow news only via RSS, only via curated feeds and with heavy use of blacklisting phrases. There's no point in ruminating and being fed the same trash news all the time. Work towards stopping feeling bad and starting doing good.

This meme I made conveys how I feel about this.

Sometimes it's more than I can take and I take time away from social media. And it's not lack of caring, it's just a weariness of feeling helpless. What can men do in the face of such reckless hate? But I can't do it forever. Evil can't be left to its own devices.

What do you mean? I already don't care about the state of the world.

I'm not convinced this pill would be better than death. Empathy is a large part of what makes life worth living, IMO.

In my opinion the world is at this shitty state exactly because so many people just don't care and turn a blind eye to so many injustices, awful things happening in the world. You can ignore the smell of smoke coming from the neighbour, but enough sitting around will just get your roof on fire, as well. Even if the fire avoids you, you could easily be the person burning inside while the neighbour is just "taking their pills", not caring about the state of the world.

Had more people cared, we wouldn't see the same atrocities as back in and around WW2, Fascist states and semi-dictatorships running wild without anyone stopping them, white men oppressing minorities, etc.

I mean does it improve my ability to survive?

Like I have depression, does it make my depression go away for the duration of its effects?

Sure, maybe I'll take it.

I mean, I still remember what empathy is from my hippocampus, and I'll just remind myself not to be a monster...

But I guess the major downsides is that I would not longer be able to "feel" the atmosphere of a movie/tv show. No longer able to "feel" the music. "Feel" the poems I write... idk if I could even write poems anymore.

No longer be able to feel the emotions associated with my past... the nostalgia... the pain... the trauma...

I hate the trauma...

But at the same time... it reminds me who my enemies are, so I don't make that same mistake again... so I'll know... know to take precautions... cuz my enemy is still alive and nearby...

I need to be able to feel to finish my memoir (finish lol more like start writing it... I barely got 100 words in).

So...

idk...

temporay effects... maybe...

I wouldn't take a permanent one...

My wife and I often tell each other that we wish we were stupid and happy.

If it was temporary? Probably. I'd take an afternoon off. Permanently, though, I'd have to say no.

(sobs antidepressantedly)

I did but they only last like 8 hours and are very addictive

stop looking at social media. That does what you're asking without any drugs

Once people stop caring its when things will start to get worse.

Freedom is only something you miss when it's gone, and something you don't appreciate when you have it.

What you describe as "not feeling terrible" is what I would describe as "empathy", aka what makes us humans. Our ability to feel emotions regarding what is not happening to us but to someone else.

There is no need to go seek trauma-like events to experiment empathy, no need to witness a war, a child suffering or something deeply unfair. It's the same empathy that also makes us able to cry real tears when watching/reading a love story, and sincerely worry about what's happening to a fictional character that is, by definition, not even a real person. That is the same empathy that makes us feel good when witnessing someone happy in front of us, even a perfect stranger (like this sweet couple sitting in front of me in the bus, yesterday), or feel happy when we see kids playing around on the street or in a park. The same empathy that makes us feel bad when we see those same people not being happy. And it's the same empathy that makes feel like helping some random strangers that obviously needs help. To care about others, that's what make us human beings.

So, would I take pills to stop being a human in order to not feel bad? No. At the very least because I know I would also not be able anymore to feel happy, as I would not be able to feel much anymore, if anything.

if everyone stopped caring, how would the world look like?

robot like. De-humanized. A billionaire's dream I imagine. Even more so that they would make us pay for having access to those magical (?) pills.

Personal remark:

Ignoring real trauma here, just considering our emotional reactions to events happening around us. Imho, the real issue with bad/sad feelings is not in us feeling bad. The issue lies in not being educated to accept and to handle those kind of feelings as a legit part of ourselves. Exactly like so many of us now seem to have become incapable to handle any disagreement or contradictory fact, btw. It's most likely the same issue.

No pill ever will replace education, or its absence.

To an extent my brain already does that. The most I've done is join a protest that marches a few streets and back. Like, I'm not picking up my life and dedicating to helping those people. I'm just mildly upset and concerned while still trying to accumulate wealth and skills to improve my employment.

That's just antidepressants

It's easier to just stop accessing the news.

Isn't that just brain trauma?

[off topic?]

One of the best dystopian novels I ever read. "The Tomorrow File" by Lawrence Saunders

One of the subplots is a plan by the government to come up with the ultimate pleasure pill. It's addictive enough that you can't stop taking it, but mild enough that you can go to work every day.

100% no. That's a very easy answer.

You're basically describing strong opioids.

Dang it Dr Skinner, I am not taking Hapna