2/36 — Would you like to be famous? In what way?
“Yes!” Pakul shouted, overexcited by the idea. “I would like to be famous for three reasons:
First, that’s the way my genetics are. I’m the outstandingly fine-tuned and yummy fruit of millions of years of evolution. I don’t know if I have the ‘famous gene’ but, for sure, I have the ‘I want to be famous and have a tremendous social status gene.”
Pakul has been reading too much about evolutionary psychology lately; he’s now a die-hard fan of Robert Wright and his Moral Animal book. And as all 101 psychology students are giving psychotherapy for free to all of their friends, Pakul now sees the results of evolution in all his social interactions, especially with his Tinder dates, even more so when they’re making comments he doesn’t like.
“Second! I’m a sucker for Dopamine, if (when), I’m famous, the notifications, the likes, the buzzing, and the vibrations will keep on coming, more and more of them, sending me to a Dopamine inducted never-ending heavenly orgasm.”
Pakul hasn’t been reading all of the materials provided, though. Pakul forgets about hedonic adaptation and what philosophers have been saying for as long as they’ve been around. To quote only one, the wise Seneca: “ The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not. “
“Third! I want the shiny golden SUVs and the timeless platinum watches. I want the bling and people to zing at me. I want the RIP access to wherever and whenever.”
Pakul doesn’t know about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs yet. In all likelihood, he won’t be interested anyway.
It was question number 2 in the “36 questions that lead to love” series. An alternate question is: “ Would you like your mother to be famous? For what?”
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