1. Glenn Middleton

    Glenn Middleton New Member

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    Plausible Plot

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by Glenn Middleton, Nov 14, 2022.

    I have been working on an idea, advancements in neuroscience that develops a treatment which improves a person's cognitive skills.

    This includes being able to visualise, an intense focus and a profound mind body connection.

    However many in society refuse to access the treatment, is it also stops people being prejudiced.

    Is this plausible to create such a divided society.
     
  2. Louanne Learning

    Louanne Learning Happy Wonderer Contributor Contest Winner 2023 Contest Winner 2022

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    So it appears these people in your society are looking at it from a cost/benefit viewpoint. The benefit is the intense focus and mind-body connection. For them, the fact that they no longer form opinions without reason is considered a cost?

    Not sure of the connection between the two (exactly what kind of an advancement is this in neuroscience?), and why validated opinions would be considered a cost.
     
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  3. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    It sounds like it greatly increases the psychological dimension known as Openness (open-mindedness), which is closely allied to creativity. A lot of people are terrified of open-mindedness and make fun of open-minded people, because they suffer from issues that force them to develop simple childish defense mechanisms, and then they're incapable pf growing out of them. Certain kinds of trauma, if it's intense enough, halts growth mentally and emotionally—often you run into people who are essentially a 3-year-old in an adult body. They tend to be extremely close-minded and set in their ways. Of course I'm only talking about one particular thing here, there are many other things that can cause people to be close-minded, and some of them are temporary like lack of sleep, physical pain, frustration, etc.

    But my main point is, people who cling to a very narrow-minded worldview often pride themselves on it and make fun of the open-minded. And of course there's also such a thing as becoming too open-minded, as they say don't get so open-minded that your brain falls out. It's a messed-up metaphor (your brain isn't inside your mind), but the meaning is clear. Some people are so open-minded they seem unable to make a decision, or to have any personality.

    Experimental medical practices are dangerous, and the people who test them first are guinea pigs who often sufer terribly for it later, maybe short-term, maybe long, and possibly their offspring will suffer too, or they'll be incapable of having any. So people are wise to wait and see what happens to the early testers before jumping in on trials. Unless this technology has already been in use for a few generations and it seems clear there are no bad side issues. In which case probably the poor would be unable to afford it.

    Also, here's the thing. Any drug that's going to change your mind changes who you are. Your very sense of self. Most people would be very loath to try such a thing. You might become someone very different, and no longer care about what are now your favorite things, including quite possibly people you love. You might get smarter and see flaws in them you didn't see before. Maybe someone has spent a lot pof time developing a set of skills and there's a possibility when their mind changes they will no longer care about those skills and lose that hobby, that they currently see as a big part of who they are. Like writing for instance, or painting. Would you take something that would make you smarter or more open-minded, not being sure if you'd still care about writing afterwards?
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2022
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  4. TheOtherPromise

    TheOtherPromise Senior Member

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    The idea that an advancement in neuroscience that improves people's cognitive behavior leads to a divided society is definitely plausible.

    But presenting it such that the only people who are opposed are bigots who want to keep their prejudice, is a limited take.

    The concept you are working with here sounds very similar to eugenics. Now eugenics is about genealogy as opposed to cognition, but the goal is effectively the same. With technology and science we can force humanity to improve. It assumes that there are some aspects of the human condition that are undesirable and humanity would be better off if such traits didn't/couldn't exist.

    This is definitely fodder for great sci-fi, but I'd suggest caution on how you approach the topic.
     
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  5. Some Guy

    Some Guy Manguage Langler Supporter Contributor

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    We already have such, and many times over, just within the US. Still, pick any country and you'll be fine.
    Is this story intended to be a lesson? Irony? Parody? Is it just to see what happens?
    Cognitive skills? Are you going in-depth about cognitive development?
    What about evolutionary consequences?

    Your idea strikes a chord with me on a similar story issue that involves choice and evolution.
     
  6. w. bogart

    w. bogart Contributor Contributor Blogerator

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    For this type of divide, I would suggest looking at the various vaccine debates, both covid and immunization. They can give you a model to work from.
     
  7. w. bogart

    w. bogart Contributor Contributor Blogerator

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    Flowers for algon, came to mind seeing this.
     
  8. Alcove Audio

    Alcove Audio Contributor Contributor

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    Sounds sort of like the "Divergent" series.
     
  9. Banespawn

    Banespawn Member

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    The bolded is where you lost me. Not only is it implausible, but now I'm expecting the book to be heavily written to that theme, to the point that it becomes preachy.

    If you expand the concept to eliminate all feelings, both good and bad, then I can more easily buy into it. Maybe the drug enhances intelligence while reducing emotions. Some people might still be prejudiced in that scenario, but that prejudice would be based more on their own internal logic rather than emotion.

    Prejudice isn't something that will be eliminated by science, not unless we also take out everything else that makes us human. Any organism capable of rational thought must also be capable of irrational thought. You can't have one without the other.
     
  10. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    Maybe not, if it increases openness. It's on of what's called the Big Five psychological dimensions that go to determine a person's personality. The acronym is OCEAN:
    • Openness
    • Consciensciousness
    • Extraversion
    • Agreeableness
    • Neuroticism
    Here's a brief article: The Big Five Trait Theory of Personality

    Openness
    Openness to experience is the willingness to engage in new social interactions, cultures, and perspectives. If you score low on openness, you are more hesitant to try new things. You might choose to go to a familiar place rather than somewhere new. If you score high, you love exploring, trying new things, and experiencing other cultures.
    It's also strongly correlated with creativity. Most of the geniuses of history were very high in openness.

    Openness is basically open-mindedness. It makes a certain kind of sense, in a fictional universe, that a drug or treatment that raises openness significantly might bring about extreme open-mindedness, and possibly reduce prejudice. Of course what makes it interesting is that it would also cause problems, like an inability to discriminate between what's good or bad for you, or no longer caring about such things. As I said above, becoming so open-minded that you can no longer make good decisions. Maybe you become too kind and trusting and open yourself up to users and abusers and those who like to take advantage of the naive.

    In fact if the society splits along the lines of those who willingly take the treatment and those who refuse to, then you've basically split it along the lines I just laid out—wicked tricksters on one side and overtrusting naive souls on the other waiting to be fleeced. It's at both of the extremes where the problems develop, the place to be is somewhere close to the middle. But that's in real life. In a story we can use devices like this to explore these extremes of human behavior in interesting ways.
     
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2022
  11. Banespawn

    Banespawn Member

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    Yes, that's what I was trying to say in regards to expanding the idea. I thought it implausible that only prejudice would be affected. The ramifications of any such drug would need to be fully considered. As you say, there would be bad to go with the good.
     
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  12. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    There always is. And it gets really interesting when you consider the motives of the ones pushing the treatment. Why would they want a society of pliable, obedient and naive people?
     

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