The Algedonic Meter
This is in response to this video:
Screenshot from 14:41 in the video
Etymology of "Algedonic"
The word "algedonic" is a blend derived from ancient Greek:
Ἄλγος (algos) — meaning “pain”
ἡδονή (hēdonē) — meaning “pleasure”
Combined with the English suffix ‑ic, the term literally refers to something relating to pain and pleasure.
Really liked the main part of the video, but I think the conclusion was a bit weak.
Right now, the issue is that people don't know what they need to be happy. If you look at 14:41 again (the "algedonic meter", see above), that's exactly it: People need to be able to evaluate by themselves whether they feel happy or not. The thing is: Most people are very disconnected from their own emotions and when you ask them "how are you?", many genuinely don't know what else to respond than "fine". After all, having been indoctrinated by advertisements all our lives, all kinds of products promise to make us "happy" or promise us "love" etc. I believe that these words being misused by ad agencies is one of the root issues of today's society, because it makes people incredibly confused, as they cannot distinguish between true, embodied happiness and the "quick fix" of happiness that a project pretends to give them.
I don't believe that profit and well-being of humans are fundamentally contradictory. The system of supply and demand can work into the right direction, and, judging from the decrease in child mortality, increase in life expectancy etc. in developed nations, it can improve physical health, because overall, humans are naturally good at noticing what makes them feel healthy and what doesn't (i.e. the basic physiological level).
But the untapped potential is in the emotions, the psychological level. When people learn that they can actually make purchase decisions through which also their mental health gets better (i.e. not buying more, but buying differently), then that's the next evolution of societal systems overall.
The situation we're in is not at all hopeless. I think if we really take the "algedonic meter" as the guide, we're on the right track, and it can be pretty genius. We just need to shake up the habits of people, embrace emotions in all forms of education and simply build better platforms, so that everyone can start realizing that making purchasing decisions that increase the happiness of other people will eventually also increase their own happiness, because it's all an interconnected cybernetic system.
Simple prototype I built: http://algedonic.hermesloom.org/