5 ms·

Opoid issues get quite a bit of press in midwestern newspapers. In my experience it gets more press than terrorism. How can you prevent crazy people? I'm aski

Opoid issues get quite a bit of press in midwestern newspapers. In my experience it gets more press than terrorism. How can you prevent crazy people? I'm asking because I often wonder what price we're willing to pay to make to make the chances of killed by another person 0%. Is there anyway to acheive that without creating a police state with zero privacy and zero possibility of dissent? If we start editing people's genes so they aren't "crazy" who decides what the legalized normative behaviour is?

ajmurmann 9y ago
I'm not sure labeling as "crazy" is fair or helpful. These substances are addictive and many people got them prescribed by their doctor whom they trusted. Lab experiments with rats might be pointing is towards what we have to do to mitigate this at least somewhat. Experiments showed that rats in a healthy social environment are much less prone to opioid addiction than ones living in isolation or having lived in isolation. See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Park https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Park. I finds it easy to imagine that the same is true to some degree for humans. I wouldn't be surprised if the effect was even stronger on humans. We are very social animals after all.
- dsfyu404ed 9y ago
  "My life was great before I got addicted" said no drug addict ever.
  - DanBC 9y ago
    You don't know many addicts right? Especially in the US the opioid addiction epidemic is caused mostly by doctor. Last year less than 1% of the population tried heroin or opium poppy. A bit more than 5% of the population tried opioids.
    - MaysonL 9y ago
      Especially in the US the opioid addiction epidemic is caused mostly by doctor. And doctor prescription is caused mainly by drug company.
    - hiram112 9y ago
      WTF? 'Opioids' are the prototype solution to human pain. Have you never had surgery, a massive fever, or a broken bone? Morphine and its analogs are probably up there with HVAC, internal combustion engines, and carbohydrates with respect to human progress.
  - dagw 9y ago
    I don't know any opiod addicts, but I know several alcoholics who would definitely say that.
  - willhslade 9y ago
    Prince. That shit killed Prince.
- CydeWeys 9y ago
  > I'm not sure labeling as "crazy" is fair or helpful. These substances are addictive and many people got them prescribed by their doctor whom they trusted. I'm pretty sure the person you're replying to was using the word "crazy" in reference to terrorists, specifically the ones of a suicide variety, not your garden variety person who ends up addicted to prescription drugs.
  - evanlivingston 9y ago
    Whoops. I was only using the word crazy as a quote from the person I was responding too. I think the word crazy only exists in a perjorative sense and is used to do discredit a set of individuals.
    - CydeWeys 9y ago
      Most people have a broader conception of the word "crazy".
Bakary 9y ago
In your hypothetical example where personality editing is possible, the consequences would be much more wide-ranging. Much of human suffering is due to human shortcomings and weaknesses. Therefore, if it becomes possible to edit minds, the incentive to make everyone resilient, jovial, agreeable, patient, extroverted... etc. would be strong enough that a natural normative standard would put itself into place by the action of market forces. Having a diverse set of personalities helps society but every parent would want to give their kid the traits most conducive to fitting in and being happy.
- evanlivingston 9y ago
  And then begins the real beginning of homo financus. I have a hard time imagining anything except a real monoculture of individuals would emerge from such a possibility.

ajmurmann 9y ago

I'm not sure labeling as "crazy" is fair or helpful. These substances are addictive and many people got them prescribed by their doctor whom they trusted. Lab experiments with rats might be pointing is towards what we have to do to mitigate this at least somewhat. Experiments showed that rats in a healthy social environment are much less prone to opioid addiction than ones living in isolation or having lived in isolation. See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Park https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Park. I finds it easy to imagine that the same is true to some degree for humans. I wouldn't be surprised if the effect was even stronger on humans. We are very social animals after all.

dsfyu404ed 9y ago
"My life was great before I got addicted" said no drug addict ever.
- DanBC 9y ago
  You don't know many addicts right? Especially in the US the opioid addiction epidemic is caused mostly by doctor. Last year less than 1% of the population tried heroin or opium poppy. A bit more than 5% of the population tried opioids.
  - MaysonL 9y ago
    Especially in the US the opioid addiction epidemic is caused mostly by doctor. And doctor prescription is caused mainly by drug company.
  - hiram112 9y ago
    WTF? 'Opioids' are the prototype solution to human pain. Have you never had surgery, a massive fever, or a broken bone? Morphine and its analogs are probably up there with HVAC, internal combustion engines, and carbohydrates with respect to human progress.
- dagw 9y ago
  I don't know any opiod addicts, but I know several alcoholics who would definitely say that.
- willhslade 9y ago
  Prince. That shit killed Prince.
CydeWeys 9y ago
> I'm not sure labeling as "crazy" is fair or helpful. These substances are addictive and many people got them prescribed by their doctor whom they trusted. I'm pretty sure the person you're replying to was using the word "crazy" in reference to terrorists, specifically the ones of a suicide variety, not your garden variety person who ends up addicted to prescription drugs.
- evanlivingston 9y ago
  Whoops. I was only using the word crazy as a quote from the person I was responding too. I think the word crazy only exists in a perjorative sense and is used to do discredit a set of individuals.
  - CydeWeys 9y ago
    Most people have a broader conception of the word "crazy".

Bakary 9y ago

In your hypothetical example where personality editing is possible, the consequences would be much more wide-ranging. Much of human suffering is due to human shortcomings and weaknesses. Therefore, if it becomes possible to edit minds, the incentive to make everyone resilient, jovial, agreeable, patient, extroverted... etc. would be strong enough that a natural normative standard would put itself into place by the action of market forces. Having a diverse set of personalities helps society but every parent would want to give their kid the traits most conducive to fitting in and being happy.

evanlivingston 9y ago
And then begins the real beginning of homo financus. I have a hard time imagining anything except a real monoculture of individuals would emerge from such a possibility.