Re: TSD: Emotion vs. Intellect (magnify human emotions?)

From: Matt Gingell (mjg223@is7.nyu.edu)
Date: Sun Apr 30 2000 - 00:57:54 MDT


>Being in love is already such an overwhelming experience! And to not have
>that love returned while sensing it never will, is to be in a mental state
>of PURE HELL. To be in agony over a failed romantic venture, and have
>medication to greatly lessen the emotional pain(not alcohol!) would be a
>boon for humanity. For some it takes many months or even years to get over
>heartbreak, and some individuals never truly get over it. The emotional
>agony of heartbreak can interfere will all the other areas of that persons
>life.

I don't believe there's anything noble about pain - the idea that suffering
builds character is horribly patronizing and unkind - but there's something
creepy as hell about the idea of popping a pill to take away the pain of lost
love.

Surely love is a chemical state, some dopamine regulated attachment response.
What about inventing a pill that fakes it? Two lonely people with nothing
particular in common could agree to be imprinted upon each other. Rather than a
dating service, you just swing by a clinic and get hooked up with some other
lonely heart. The cognitive aspects would follow from the chemistry - it doesn't
matter how revolting you'd otherwise find each other, once you've been treated
you hallucinate your true love's perfection as usual.

(Images of Midsummer's Night Dream...)

-matt



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