Poll: What would you do?

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

I'd keep it for a while.

Being happy all the time would be a nice change from being depressed. That happiness would outweigh the lack of drive my depression gives me, and I'd use it to improve my life. Get a more reliable job, build up my confidence...Then, when I felt ready, I'd get it removed.

(Captcha: never give up. lol...)

 

[soren7550]

I'm inclined to say that I'd remove it, but then again, I'm depressed a fucklot, so maybe the tumor would be better for me.

 

[SextusMaximus]

I don't think I'd want to feel happiness in a sad situation, like a relative dying. It would seem inappropriate.

 

[IrenIvy]

I'll remove it because I'd prefer to be myself than some other, always-happy person

Basically because of this [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul]

 

[ReinWeisserRitter]

As someone who attempts to see the world for what it is and values our array of emotions and what they mean, this would be horrible to me. Not every situation merits happiness, besides, and becoming a drone whose only reaction to anything is to smile about it disturbs me on a personal level.

 

[Blood Brain Barrier]

Anything that taints your perception of reality beyond your control is something you can - and should, I think - do without.

And you trust doctors to tell you what reality is?

 

[afbrien]

Remove, Being happy all the time would become annoying after a while.

 

[Joccaren]

Nope, not keeping it. Its getting removed. If it alters my perception of the world, I'm not interested. At all. Even if its only slight. I enjoy having my thoughts as my own and uninfluenced by factors such as alcohol, medication or brain tumours, even if they lead to happiness, or less sadness.

 

[Henkie36]

This puts me in mind of that one episode of My Life As A Teenage Robot where *insert main character's name here* gets a dream device, allowing her to experience dreams like everyone else, but her dream world is a place where evryone, including herself, is always happy, and it completely fucks her up. Being happy a little more wouldn't harm anyone, but happy all the time just isn't healthy - or very sensible for the people who don't know you very well. Imagine: Co-worker who father just died tells the people by the watercooler, and you reaction is: BWAHAHAHAAHAHA!

 

[shrekfan246]

I think it depends on the "level" of 'happy' being experienced. If I'm euphoric all the time, to the point of being nonplussed when experiencing physical/emotional pain, then I'd probably want it removed. If I'm just always seeing the positive side of everything and trying to put smiles on peoples' faces, I think I could live with it. Might make me less boring to spend time around, at the very least.

 

[Aetera]

I'd keep it. I'm bipolar. I'd kill to get rid of these down episodes.

 

[Lt._nefarious]

As much as happiness sounds great I'd never be able to get over the fact that I had a tumor in my head, so yes, I'd get rid of it and stick to huffing dolphin tears...

 

[beastro]

Yes.

Anything which impairs judgement is dangerous and a tumour which causes such symptoms would prevent you from empathizing with people and giving them much support.

Imagine if you had this condition and you encountered someone in danger or who was in trouble and turned to you. Would you help them? Would you be able to offer them the support, assurance and emotions they require?

You see someone in trouble, you feel bad and that bad feeling makes you want to help them. If that was removed then why help them?

In essence, you'd be a sociopath without the severe self-esteem issues that plague them and cause them to be abusive, controlling and manipulative in order to compensate for it.

 

[sam13lfc]

Yes because fuck brain tumours. And laughing at a funeral or something would be rather awkard to explain...

 

[thesilentman]

Yes, as I need my daily dose of cynicism and rationale to get me through my day. If I'm not rational, I become part of the homogenized masses, something that I've swore to never do.

 

[SuperSuperSuperGuy]

I'd remove it. It's not fun being happy all of the time. It would also prevent me from enjoying a lot of my favourite things. My taste in music tends to be emotionally charged, but not always cheerful. A lot of it is rather sad. In addition, my favourite endings for things like anime tend to be bittersweet or sad, and being happy all the time would stop me from experiencing them properly.

Being happy all the time would make life very monotonous, as well; there'd be no anger or sadness, and I wouldn't be able to empathize with the people around me. I wouldn't be able to connect with them on an emotional level.

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

I'd keep, nothing wrong with being happy all the time, sounds pretty awesome. What we percieve as reality is largely subjective anyway so sure, bring on the mind-altering!

You see, I thought that too but then I thought I'd never be able to be anything other than happy. I couldn't be angry about anything, I couldn't react to anything how I really wanted with the amount of emotion I should. I would have to be happy about everything regardless. Imagine being happy about getting a terminal illness, the death of a pet or a loved one leaving forever; that would suck.

 

[rwllay]

i enjoy my misery to much

 

[Stampede]

Anything that taints your perception of reality beyond your control is something you can - and should, I think - do without.

You could argue that the normal makeup of our brains does this anyway. We can already only perceive reality in a particular way.

Voted "Yes" but with a catch... See, a few very fundamental human traits collide because of your simple poll and after thinking about it over a smoke my answer is "Yes, after a little while..."

- traits being:

- Humans operate primarily through hope and the idea that what's ahead is better or somehow different at least. Make that redundant and the human will have no need to progress, which is not healthy or productive in any way.

- It is human nature to seek what is lacking and in the process of obtaining it to twist and misshape the very image that it sought, converting it to further need, making one of our strongest drives one of our most paradoxical. To clarify - a gamer wants a PC because he is tired of DLC and bad business, works hard, thrashes the PS3 he already owns to no end in front of people, saves enough cash for a decent rig, starts gaming and one morning realizes that even though Steam is awesome there is no SSF4 competitors or MGS sequels and no matter how much he forces himself to like L4D2 he still wants to play his PS3, goes back and uses his pricey rig for facebook and SC2 Bronze, but also realizes just how much SSF4 really means to him.... until the PS Vita declares the new MGS to be exclusive...

- It has come to be that humans are not and will never be able to handle too much of one thing, even unconditioned happiness... Tumor or not, after a few months most people would beg for a job out of sheer boredom... We are weird little creatures.