# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 1)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 28, 2022, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380 "2022-09-28T11:33:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/507 "2022-11-25T21:56:50Z")

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> [@Polls only: No discussion](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polls-only-no-discussion/953642/2406):
>
> You can take a pill that has an 90% likelihood of giving you an enormous mental benefit - much improved intelligence, wisdom, happiness, clarity, love, release from stress - but there’s a 10% chance that it will instead give you schizophrenia/bipolar/mania/psychosis for life. Yay or nay?

So I never voted for this one, because I needed clarity. First, do I get to choose which of the positive effects prior to taking the pill? Because some of them have a much higher value to me than others, and if it’s a random ‘positive’ mental effect, the overall value drops. Especially because depending on which one, it could be considered a detriment. For example, greatly improved happiness could lead to a very lotus-eater like experience, which might be great for me, but not so much for those who depend on me.

Secondly, if you get the secondary effect, do you get the benefit AND the detrimental side effect, or just the negative side effect.

Lastly, if you get the negative result (in either of the two scenarios above) is it treatable, if no more so than the same IRL psychoses are?

Because I’d vote yes for if it’s the positive result of your choice with some hesitation, but the answers to the second and third question would vastly change the degree of hesitation. And if it isn’t the power of choice, I’d probably vote no, although again, the answer to the other two could make a difference.

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