Hypothetical Question- Quality of life

[Kjata]

Say that all emotions could be assigned a numerical value. Every good feeling you have has a number attached, and the sum of your entire life = x.

On the flipside, your life has been predetermined that every bad feeling you have = -x. x-x=0. Every good feeling you have will have a equivalent negative feeling. How would you like your life to go?

Would you like a life of soaring peaks, filled with every pleasure, intermittent with the lowest valleys of heartbreak and tradegy? Or would you like a quiet, simple life, with simple pleasures and simple dissapointments? In the end, your ultimate quality of life is the exact same, but how would you like the journey to go?

[Asta Kask]

Give me the calm life.

[Yora]

{Scrubbed}

[scurv]

I would wish to experience it all.
The peaks and valleys of passion in all its definitions.
And on some occasions the calm mountain lake.

Although on a personal note. I value the calmness that is found in the storm. More-so then I value the serenity of the mountain lake.

[Jay R]

It's a classical idea.

There was a Greek myth that before you were born, you were offered a double cup, one side filled with ambrosia, and the other with bitter wormwood. You could drink as much as you wanted, but equally from both. How much you drank would determine your life.

[Aedilred]

My experience on antidepressants is probably the closest I'll come to emotional flatlining: it evened everything out wonderfully. I hated it, which is why I stopped the medication. The lows can be rough, but they're worth it for the highs.

[Mikhailangelo]

I'm bipolar. Yeah.
(Ok, I have cyclothymia, but no one knows what that is and even the spell-checker doesn't believe it's a real word, so I work with the tools I gots.)
I honestly cannot imagine a continually calm life - I really do not know how that would feel.

[Coidzor]

Considering what I imagine my sources of happinesss and misfortune to be, there's some question of what net effect my life would have on the world and those around me. If that's also a net 0 then there's no real difference.

Though it does make one wonder what triumph would be worth being on the receiving end of a familicide.

[Crow]

I enjoy the big "highs". When I hit the big lows, it is usually more a matter of changing my attitude around than anything else. Most of the time, I just feel "normal", and lows, while sometimes brutal, don't last long for me.

[Coidzor]

I enjoy the big "highs". When I hit the big lows, it is usually more a matter of changing my attitude around than anything else. Most of the time, I just feel "normal", and lows, while sometimes brutal, don't last long for me.

That or the lows involve massive loss of life that would typically take one's self with it anyway, in which case it'd be quite nasty but relatively short barring some kind of bond villain level of implausibility of method of execution by a terrible enemy.

[arguskos]

Peaks and valleys, all the way. Life is boring otherwise. Sure, things are alright all the way through, but did anyone who had a generically alright life ever change the world or make history? Nah, I have a powerful desire to change the world and the only way to do that is to reach new heights and new lows.

To use the Greek view of it, I'd empty both cups.

[Amidus Drexel]

Given the choice? Calm. I don't get nearly enough of that as it is. Those brief spurts of euphoria are nice, but I don't think they're really worth being bitter and tense the rest of the time.

There was a Greek myth that before you were born, you were offered a double cup, one side filled with ambrosia, and the other with bitter wormwood. You could drink as much as you wanted, but equally from both. How much you drank would determine your life.

Well, I like bitter drinks, so that might not be a great myth for me to follow (although it would explain quite a lot).

[Grinner]

It's ultimately a rather subjective question. (Isn't it always?)

A lifestyle of placidity would not necessarily prevent someone from leading an interesting life, but they wouldn't get same rush as someone else. Instead, they would be relegated to a quieter appreciation for the comedies and tragedies of life.

In the end, it's all about how you look at things, right?

[Ravens_cry]

Given how much life has been so far, a holding pattern at -3, meh, give me them peaks. At least it will be a hell of a ride!

[Anarion]

I'll take the highs and the lows. I bounce back quickly either way and it's worth it for the experience. Even the lows can become valuable and make you a better person if you use them right.

Feeling nothing, that's too boring.

[Slipperychicken]

Truly outrageous negativity (entire lifetime's worth of trauma) in the first moment: I'll soon forget it, I'm supposed to be screaming/flipping out in pain at that point anyway, and I'm certainly not going to commit suicide as a newborn. I'll live the good life after that, unburdened by the pain experienced at the moment of my birth

[Brother Oni]

Peaks and valleys. You have to learn to take the bad with the good, else you both under-appreciate the good and can't cope with the bad.

There was a Royal Navy Commander who managed to ground his ship on some charted rocks a couple years ago to great embarassment. I remember an interview with him where he said something along the lines of "Today has been the absolutely worst day of my life. Real character building stuff.".

[Kjata]

Truly outrageous negativity (entire lifetime's worth of trauma) in the first moment: I'll soon forget it, I'm supposed to be screaming/flipping out in pain at that point anyway, and I'm certainly not going to commit suicide as a newborn. I'll live the good life after that, unburdened by the pain experienced at the moment of my birth

The only way that could feasibly work is if the "entire lifetime's worth of trauma" was so powerful it would mess you up forever. Since you wouldn't remember anything, it wouldn't have much impact on your net happiness. However, you'd likely be a sociopath, unable to feel anything good or bad, leaving all your pleasures and miseries purely physical.

You'd never be happy or sad, but would enjoy good food and sex with not enjoying stubbing your toe in the morning.

Also: Quit trying to cheat

[willpell]

Having had many highs and many lows, I would happily choose neither. Complete flatness would be boring, but I'd happily choose, say, X = 5 on a scale of 1-100. Perhaps 10 at the most. Any miseries and horrors exceeding 10 in value wouldn't be worth any amount of joy. At a rough guess, 5-10 would amount to the value of a Turkey to Go sandwich, the single most delicious food item I've ever consumed. I've had experiences that were more enjoyable than that, but they weren't worth their cost, and they weren't food so they didn't contribute directly to my staying alive. So that seems like an adequate cut-off point. Hopefully this also leaves me with the ability to enjoy watching "Avatar" and "the Matrix".

[Kjata]

Anyway, now that I've got some responses, I'll give you my answer.

This thread was inspired by me realizing my life has basically boiled down to working, eating, sleeping, playing games, and occasionally getting a little toasty. I'd say my life hovers around the middle, with neither excessive highs nor lows.

Several years ago, my life consisted of constant partying, excessive drug intake, casual flings, etc., followed by horrific hangovers, a couple arrests, family problems, heartbreak, etc. Very little was slow, nothing was boring, but the good and the bad were both overwhelming.

As it stands today, I much prefer the quiet life. Maybe that's just because currently I'm experiencing a mild net positive, while back then it was a mild net negative (which, I just realized adds up to my question).

But in the end, I would rather be at home wishing there was something t do besides post on internet forums, then be in a situation where anything could happen.

[Slipperychicken]

The only way that could feasibly work is if the "entire lifetime's worth of trauma" was so powerful it would mess you up forever. Since you wouldn't remember anything, it wouldn't have much impact on your net happiness. However, you'd likely be a sociopath, unable to feel anything good or bad, leaving all your pleasures and miseries purely physical.

If I was happy, and didn't have so many bad feelings after the initial "burst" of negativity, I'd take it. Who cares if you're a sociopath, or a lunatic, or whatever; as long as you're content and feeling good, does anything else really matter?

[celtois]

I think its a hard question to answer.

Mostly because no matter how I cut it I see both as a downgrade from my current life. In which the sum of good things and bad things does not sum to zero.

So I'm going to answer throwing that initial assumption out, and base it instead off my current level of average happiness. In which case I still find it a hard question to answer. But I no longer find them both as unappetizing. I'd probably go somewhere towards the more extreme end of middle. As I believe life isn't worthwhile without fits of passion, one way or the other.

And while I see the merits of a stoic viewpoint to moderate the ups and downs, I certainly would not desire to do away with them altogether. I love getting caught up a positive swirl of emotions as I get carried away in a discover, or when talking about something I'm passionate about.

[Brother Oni]

If I was happy, and didn't have so many bad feelings after the initial "burst" of negativity, I'd take it. Who cares if you're a sociopath, or a lunatic, or whatever; as long as you're content and feeling good, does anything else really matter?

So suppose your initial "burst" of negativity left you unable to advance beyond the developmental status of a small child, or some other genetic disease like Downs Syndrome?
You'd be happy simply because you're unable to comprehend anything else and would require constant care and help from others.

Additionally being a sociopath is not a good thing as you often take your enjoyment in a societally unacceptable (and often illegal) manner.

[willpell]

Mostly because no matter how I cut it I see both as a downgrade from my current life. In which the sum of good things and bad things does not sum to zero.

So that explains my fortunes....

[Pie Guy]

First result.

[Slipperychicken]

So suppose your initial "burst" of negativity left you unable to advance beyond the developmental status of a small child, or some other genetic disease like Downs Syndrome?
You'd be happy simply because you're unable to comprehend anything else and would require constant care and help from others.

Additionally being a sociopath is not a good thing as you often take your enjoyment in a societally unacceptable (and often illegal) manner.

Those things (mental disability and social rejection) are unpleasant for us to imagine, but aren't much of an issue in a life where one experienced no displeasure from them. I would turn down the deal if I had to be mentally handicapped to do it (that idea is abhorrent to me), but not if I had to be a sociopath.

[Avilan the Grey]

In this hypothetical life: A calm life all the way. Since I am guaranteed to experience tragedy equal to my happiness / excitement. Besides, I am good at enjoying the small things. Birds singing in the morning. Sunsets. The first swim in a lake every spring. Etc.

In real life? I wish I had more money so I could experience more (since all tragical events in my life will be completely random and not a matter of "destiny"), but I am content with what I have.

[Brother Oni]

I would turn down the deal if I had to be mentally handicapped to do it (that idea is abhorrent to me), but not if I had to be a sociopath.

So no if you had to be mentally retarded, but being a serial killer is fine?

[Mauve Shirt]

What are the disappointments like? Is loving and then losing it a high life disappointment or a simple life disappointment?
If the high life disappointments are something like getting million-dollar lawsuits and having your house burned down because your son couldn't pay for his cocaine habit, then give me the simple life. If being happy with simple things means I never get to fall in love, give me the high life.

[noparlpf]

Give me the calm life.

Yeah, I'll second that.