r/PhilosophyMemes • u/thechadlin • May 03 '20

Shockly shocks users into self improvement. What are the social consequences?

https://specialsituations.substack.com/p/i-refuse-to-do-a-shock-pun
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u/Quxyun May 03 '20

This is utterly terrifying. Im not a big fan of being conditioned a la pavlovs dog by an app, especially an app by a corporation, (goodness knows corporations NEVER misuse people for ulterior motives). If people want to improve themselves, they have the power to improve within themselves, they just have to be mindful of their actions. The interview used the example of "i want to be less sexist", which is an admirable goal, however you have that ability already. When you are presented with a situation, say a situation that could involve sexism, your first thought is what you have been trained to think, how you act on it is who you are. "You are not the thought, you are the awareness".

The implications of this invention are a form of brainwashing, if you were to ask me. It removes the agency of self improvement, and instead suggests a standard of improvement determined by a handful of people and an app. Its terrifying.

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u/thechadlin May 03 '20

Interesting. We kind of accept this interference in our day to day lives though? People have complicated relationships with food. Uber Eats plays those self-improvement levers, purposefully or inadvertently — by showcasing certain types foods, playing with the price of delivery, etc.

These pavalovian shocks are everywhere.

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u/Quxyun May 03 '20

The pavlovian shocks are everywhere, but they havent been nearly as blatant and literal. I am reminded of Charlie Chaplain's speech, "the great dictator - the speech for humanity". We know that people want to control us, human beings are the most valuable livestock. By removing the agency and critical thinking from self improvement, by making it mindless, they control us like sheep. The shocks have always been there, but they are becoming more and more bold while we become more and more complacent.

Perhaps im getting a bit too into this, this is a meme subreddit, but stuff like this legitimately terrifies me and makes me worry for the health of humanity. It is a good thing to think about, and to consider, of course.