3 ms·

I don't think anyone would mind a society without work so much if there wasn't the threat of starvation and destitution there currently is.

subarctic 17d ago
Reminds me of the mouse utopia studies i read about where the mice didn't have to work and there was plenty of food and water, no diseases etc and eventually everything got all messed up and the mice lost the ability to reproduce
- watwut 17d ago
  Pet mouses have plenty of everything and reproduce a lot if you allow them.
  - imthatsteve 17d ago
    The mouse utopia experiment is nothing like having a pet mouse. Its more like exploring the way mice react to being institutuionalized. Its been a while since i read about it so i dont recall how much excersize or enrichment the mice had access to. But from what i recall id call it more like a prison where all their needs are met and they have absolutely zero responsibilities, thus their current choices have zero impact on their future quality of life. In people id expect that to lead to depression and mental illness which is basically what we saw in the mice. Im not convinced this experiment could be considered a utopia any more than a coed prison which also provides, food water and shelter but not entertainment or enrichment/stimulus. Without entertainment/enrichment/stimulus even humans develop all sorts of problems like dementia, just look at nursing homes/classical assylums for the human equivalent/example.
    - cattenwallen 17d ago
      The nuance is it wasn't a utopia because eventually the population of mice were extremely overcrowded: that's when things circled the drain. If you trapped a bunch of humans where they had no personal space ever they would all also go insane.
- greygoo222 17d ago
  Source: it came to me in a dream
  - imthatsteve 17d ago
    Im confused, are you saying the famous mouse utopia experiment never occured and was simply imagined?
TFNA 17d ago
Some cultures would mind, China for instance: the anthropology of the CCP holds that the ability to labour is what makes us human and separates us from lower primates. Therefore, as AI grows more powerful and takes over jobs, it is important people be given other jobs to occupy their lives even if they are just makework.

subarctic 17d ago

Reminds me of the mouse utopia studies i read about where the mice didn't have to work and there was plenty of food and water, no diseases etc and eventually everything got all messed up and the mice lost the ability to reproduce

watwut 17d ago
Pet mouses have plenty of everything and reproduce a lot if you allow them.
- imthatsteve 17d ago
  The mouse utopia experiment is nothing like having a pet mouse. Its more like exploring the way mice react to being institutuionalized. Its been a while since i read about it so i dont recall how much excersize or enrichment the mice had access to. But from what i recall id call it more like a prison where all their needs are met and they have absolutely zero responsibilities, thus their current choices have zero impact on their future quality of life. In people id expect that to lead to depression and mental illness which is basically what we saw in the mice. Im not convinced this experiment could be considered a utopia any more than a coed prison which also provides, food water and shelter but not entertainment or enrichment/stimulus. Without entertainment/enrichment/stimulus even humans develop all sorts of problems like dementia, just look at nursing homes/classical assylums for the human equivalent/example.
  - cattenwallen 17d ago
    The nuance is it wasn't a utopia because eventually the population of mice were extremely overcrowded: that's when things circled the drain. If you trapped a bunch of humans where they had no personal space ever they would all also go insane.
greygoo222 17d ago
Source: it came to me in a dream
- imthatsteve 17d ago
  Im confused, are you saying the famous mouse utopia experiment never occured and was simply imagined?

TFNA 17d ago

Some cultures would mind, China for instance: the anthropology of the CCP holds that the ability to labour is what makes us human and separates us from lower primates. Therefore, as AI grows more powerful and takes over jobs, it is important people be given other jobs to occupy their lives even if they are just makework.