Ignorant of bliss.

[stratego]

(I know I asked this several months ago, but let's try this question again)

You are given an opportunity to live a whole year of pure happiness, your vision of happiness. However after that year, you'll forget everything that has happened and any evidence would be erased. You'll notice that a whole year has passed, but you won't know what has happened, that period of time would just be a void in your memory. Also you won't be able to acquire that information from other people. Would you take the opportunity to live that year?

 

[Dark Ascendant]

No. Sounds like a wasted year that should have been spent finding pleasures that WILL remain in my long-term memory.

 

[WickedSmurf]

I'm happy enough to say to no any such 'offer'.

 

[Mapache]

I don't want to have a hole in my wallet. Neither do I want it in my memory.

 

[h4ppy]

It depends what effects that year would have on me when it is over.

 

[Mrogreturns]

Do I forget only the particulars of what happened during that year or do I also forget the fact of the deal itself?

 

[Chimp]

Ah now, after answering no I remembered thinking about this once. If you truthfully would answer no, you wouldn't do little things which give you immediate gratification. Now, if your main gripe is with a sudden loss of memory and you think you'd go insane, then I'm gonna rephrase it. You can hook yourself up to a machine which just pumps happiness into your head, but when you unhook a year of time has passed and the happiness machine doesn't leave memories of actions, afterall, you were just happy. You didn't do anything to get happy. So do you do it? It's not really appealing to me either... So... serious question here... seriously... why do we masturbate? It's compulsory I suppose, but logically it's very nearly the happiness machine. You get immediate gratification, yet no memory(at least not a valuable one) and you've really just wasted time for an amount of happiness which will not carry into the following day.(beyond maybe a morning wood) So by the same logic which made me vote no... I wouldn't masturbate?

No... I've found it myself while typing... It's boredom. If in that year instead of being hooked up to the machine I would be doing nothing of interest... I'd say **** it and go for the machine. I suppose I only masturbate when I'm bored, or have nothing any more fun or valuable to do. Sorry if I've defiled this topic now, but I think it's topical. If need be I suppose I could substitute it with eating candy or something...

 

[Mise]

I can't believe how many people would turn down a WHOLE YEAR of PURE HAPPINESS! Plus, you don't have to think about the consequences! Man that would be great... Sign me up!

 

[FredLC]

As it is proposed, I'd answer no, because it would be a lifetime of madening doubt after that, an endless desire to know that would never be fulfilled. Of course, that if this hypothetical proposal came true, there are things that could make me change my mind, if I knew, for example, that would only my memories disapear, but not the consequences of my actions in the period. Because if not, I would gladly accept it - for my motto is "to save the world and get rich in the process", I think that a year of absolute fulfillment of my personal notion of happiness would leave consequences that both me and the whole human race would benefit from for a loooong time.

Regards .

 

[Iggy]

I would take the year of happiness. When I get really old I will probably forget most things anyway (including to go to the toilet). Of course there is no gaurentee that one will definately be alive in 12 months, so what the heck... grasp it now.

 

[ManOfMiracles]

I wouldn't just miss a year of my life but also a year of my daughter's life. Not worth it.

 

[Hitro]

It depends what effects that year would have on me when it is over.

That's the problem.

Assuming they would be not with a bigger problem, I'd defintely take it. I mean at some point I'm going to forget everything forever anyway...