Drugs I'd like to see

The difference in motivational levels among people is innate.  Clearly, you spend more time doing what interests (motivates) you, and your interests differ from other people around you.  What you spend time doing (“time on task”) leads to greater ability (intelligence, analytical ability, leadership skills).  Greater ability leads to greater social rewards.  Therefore, social rewards (big paychecks, etc) are linked to our gene variants.

Because not everyone is motivated by things that lead to "success" in the modern information age, we see a fundamental genetic inequality in society.  However, even if it were possible to create drugs to remedy the problem, the FDA would never approve them, since its mandate is to focus on diseases, not human enhancement. Still, how many people take Viagra for a disease/condition (erectile dysfunction), and how many take it for enhancement?

So here is a list of drugs I’d love to see that would address some of the social inequity caused by innate differences among people, along with the "formal" disease or indication:

• Enhanced memory drugs – treats “mild cognitive impairment”
• Enhanced charisma drugs – treats “social anxiety disorder” or "diminished social affect"
• Enhanced intelligence drugs – also treats “mild cognitive impairment”
• Enhanced drive – treats “low self-esteem disorder” and “low affect”
• Anti-criminal-behavior drugs – treats “low anger threshold disorder”
• Anti-sociopathic drugs – treats “low social empathy disorder”
• Enhanced leadership ability drugs - treats “social anxiety disorder” and “low self-esteem disorder” and “low social empathy disorder”
• Enhanced spirituality drugs - treats "low affect" and depression

Comments

[porfineslunes]

Very interesting blog. I'll continue reading it!

[BlackSun]

I tend to agree with the idea of human genetic or drug-based enhancement. Why not?

But inequality doesn't worry me as much as a society of "all chiefs and no indians." That could make for some truly unprecedented conflict. I think we will always want a range of capabilities and personalities. There is no easy way to get rid of hierarchy, genetic or otherwise.