Ye Shall Be As Gods? – Class 6, Period 3

[last-mizrahi.livejournal.com]

"Personality reconditioning," Juli said quietly, as soon as her class had gathered and had settled down, "is what we will be discussing today."

"A person's personality is defined, in its simplest form, as the totality of an individual's behavioural and emotional characteristics. This," a faint smile, "as I'm sure should come as no surprise to any of you, can be altered through various methods--such as drugs, and the like."

"In my universe," Juli told them, "this sort of reconditioning is used instead of capital punishment. If you commit a crime, your mind is rewired to produce a 'new you' that is more beneficial to society. What other uses can you think of for rewriting someone else's mind?"

She leaned folded her hands neatly over her stomach, her eyes sweeping the classroom. “Would you ever alter someone else’s mind?” Pause. “What do you think would drive you to do it? If you are sure you would never do it—and, please, remember that there are no certainties and the universe enjoys making a fool of the best laid plans—consider what might drive someone else to do it. Would you condemn them?”

“After that,” Juli said, “I open the room to discussion about the pros and cons of personality reconditioning. What do you think? Compare and contrast your ideas with your classmates and see if what they say has any impact on your own opinions.”

[Wait for the OCD is up! Go to it!]

Comments

Re: Discuss!

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

"Docility would defeat the purpose, if you're planning to use someone as a weapon," Anemone remarked lazily, finally looking up from her picture. "Loyalty is usually more useful."

Re: Discuss!

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"Both can backfire," Naminé said. "Loyalty to what, or whom? And if you train a weapon, it might be used on you. You had better hope that the end result is loyal to you, and that they never discover your treachery."

Re: Discuss!

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

"If their loyalty lies with you, they won't care about the treachery. It gets rationalized as being 'in my best interest' or some other crap like that." Anemone tucked her crayon behind one ear. "Of course it's dangerous, people are dangerous. Besides, if you break it, you have to start over. That's why it's not worth the time."

Re: Discuss!

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"They'll fight to protect you to the end," Naminé said bitterly. "When you're only the person who's destroyed them. And should it go awry, you can always collapse what you've done. As you said. Break the toy, find a new one."

Re: Discuss!

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

"Is it wrong to want to protect someone?" Anemone looked puzzled, clearly Not Getting It. "Regardless of where the desire originates from, wanting the safety of those around you isn't bad."

Re: Discuss!

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

Naminé closed her eyes for a long moment. "And what if you were risking your life to protect someone, your dearest friend, only to discover that they'd never known you at all, and only been meddling in your mind in order to use you to their own purposes? That wouldn't upset you?"

Re: Discuss!

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

"Confused, maybe? It's still real to me, even if it isn't to them. Who's to say which one is the better reality?" Anemone shrugged. "Am I happy? It's still my life, even if it's not the original one."

Re: Discuss!

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"That doesn't make it right," she said, folding her arms around herself. "You can't absolve them because you feel it now. It isn't real. None of it. You deserve to have the life you would have had without interference."

Re: Discuss!

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

"I deserve a life I enjoy," she snapped back. "I'm not concerned with real. I'm not a philosopher, heck, I'm not even that bright, I know that, and that's okay. If I'm fine with what I am, or how my memories are ordered, why should anyone else care?"

Anemone reached up to rub at her temple absently. She hated this class, it always gave her a headache.

Re: Discuss!

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"And what if someone offered you the choice?" Naminé asked harshly. "Here, they'll restore your memories to what they should have been, and you'll know who you really are. What would you say?"

Re: Discuss!

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

"I'm me, why would I want to know about some random stranger?" Anemone stomped, hard, on the snarling creature beginning to stir in the back of her brain. "I'm not going to give up who I am for a 'might-be', I worked too damn hard for this life."