# What will Anthony from the Twilight Zone "Good Life" episode be like as an adult? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 25, 2020, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282 "2020-03-25T22:40:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/21 "2020-03-27T02:52:47Z")
Yes, great story. But of course AM does not have a human brain, nor the human instinct to be part of a social group. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/22 "2020-03-27T07:39:14Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > So none of us sees any possibility of some level of moral development? Being a little less self-centered as he gets older? Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgment. Right. We learn from our failures, not our successes,which only reinforce our prejudices. Anthony can only succeed and thus can never learn, whether or not he’s human. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/23 "2020-03-27T12:10:19Z")
I see the events playing out as hinted by the ending of the old _Twilight Zone_ movie. The kid and the teacher drive off thru a field of flowers: She’s going to be a positive influence on him and things will be better. But not exactly Eden either. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/24 "2020-03-27T13:13:57Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgment. Right. We learn from our failures, not our successes,which only reinforce our prejudices. Anthony can only succeed and thus can never learn, whether or not he’s human. Hmm. I’d argue that moral consciousness derives from the child learning over time that other people are real and not just things to manipulate. Anthony can’t possibly learn that because, to him, people ARE just things to manipulate. Instead of learning his own humanity - and thus gaining empathy for fellow humans - he’s going to learn that he’s outside or above humanity. They’re all just toys for him and therefore unworthy of being cared for or about. “The any has no quarrel with the boot”, after all. Best case scenario is that Anthony learn a sort of attachment caring for one or a few humans similar to humans with their pets. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/25 "2020-03-27T23:34:28Z")
See, there’s a good analogy. We could be arbitrarily cruel to our pets (especially if we live alone and no one can see how we treat them), but I believe most people have too much compassion for that. And I still wonder if, over time, Anthony would come to sense that having people warily “yes-man” him about everything is not as satisfying as having a true social-emotional relationship with them. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/26 "2020-03-31T15:54:05Z")
I’m an optimist at heart, and would like to think Anthony will mature and become less of a tyrant, but I just don’t think that’s human nature, and see very little that would nudge him in that direction. Bullies tend to remain bullies into adulthood from what I’ve seen, and a near-omnipotent bully would likely remain one. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/27 "2020-03-31T16:13:23Z")
Reading about the personal lives of Chinese emperors, Ottoman sultans, European monarchs, and antebellum plantation owners does not inspire confidence. “Enlightened despots” cared about how History would judge them, compared to other monarchs. Anthony has no rivals to compete against, no peers whose opinions he needs to respect. There is nothing to give him any incentive to shape up. Perhaps, when he hits puberty, he will try to impress pretty girls. More likely he will become a serial abuser. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/28 "2020-03-31T16:24:23Z")
The only way I can see for him to mature is for, first, there to be some particular villager who amuses him more than others, second, for that amusing villager to at some point annoy him enough to get cornfielded, and third, for him to later miss the amusement that villager offered, and thus regret having cornfielded him or her. That _could_ start even a solipsist (which he must necessarily be) down a road of taking better care of his pets/toys. Though, even as is, he’s not _entirely_ without empathy. The reason that everyone always says everything is good is because if anyone ever says anything is bad, Anthony changes it, usually with disastrous consequences. Which means that, at least to some degree, he does care what the others think, and doesn’t want things to be what they consider bad. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/29 "2020-03-31T19:59:41Z")
Fair point. Maybe some insightful villager will eventually be able to make use of that in carefully, _carefully_ helping Anthony grow up. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Hamsandwich)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/30 "2020-03-31T21:48:52Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Why would he develop emotionally? Everyone tiptoes around him and fluffs his ego for (quite legitimate) fear of his wrath, and venting his infantile temper gets him everything he wants with zero consequence. Of course, he is eventually going to banish everyone ‘to the cornfield‘ and be left alone to entertain himself, and without anyone to torment or do his bidding, he’ll just become frustrated and angry but without reinforcement he’ll never come to see the fault in himself. He’s the perfect narcissist but without an unlimited audience of new strangers to manipulate. > > Stranger I disagree. Yes, he will keep conjuring new people to torment once everyone is banished. Rinse and repeat. I feel that over time he will become bored with this as there is no one to provide him with any emotional outlet. He will become incredibly miserable, and as a result will (VERY) slowly figure out that meaningful human contact is the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/31 "2020-03-31T22:07:57Z")
In the sequels to the TZ original, have other people in the village had kids, or will sooner or later everyone die off and leave Anthony by himself? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/32 "2020-04-01T01:13:25Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Perhaps, when he hits puberty, he will try to impress pretty girls. More likely he will become a serial abuser. With who? There’s like 20 people left…wherever they are. Where is he going to find pretty girls? Unless he makes them up. Then it doesn’t matter how he treats them, if they aren’t real. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/33 "2020-04-01T01:46:46Z")
The people who make \*Westworld \*might dispute your premise. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/34 "2020-04-01T01:48:24Z")
I gotta admit I’m beginning to think it would be pretty awesome to have Anthony’s powers. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/35 "2020-04-01T15:54:25Z")
> [@pool](#): > > I gotta admit I’m beginning to think it would be pretty awesome to have Anthony’s powers. That would be real good, real good!!! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/36 "2020-04-01T16:30:11Z")
Is conjuring up people known to be within his capabilities? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/37 "2020-04-01T18:47:47Z")
> [@pool](#): > > I gotta admit I’m beginning to think it would be pretty awesome to have Anthony’s powers. Power corrupts, and absolute power… is actually pretty awesome! ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/38 "2020-04-01T20:46:31Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is conjuring up people known to be within his capabilities? It does seem to be a bit of a stretch, although it’s not inconceivably beyond his ability to turn someone into a Jack-in-the-Box. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/39 "2020-04-01T21:29:14Z")
Eh, I could turn someone into a Jack-in-the-Box, given a sharp saw and some duct tape. But I sure wouldn’t be able to turn them back. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-anthony-from-the-twilight-zone-good-life-episode-be-like-as-an-adult/850282/40 "2020-04-01T21:48:45Z")
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