Imagine starting your day by dialing up an emotion from a catalog. Do you need "a creative and fresh attitude toward your job"? Dial 481. How about "the desire to watch TV, no matter what's on"? That's 888. Or perhaps the "six-hour self-accusatory depression"? A quick spin to C. This is the reality in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, where most people's emotional lives are regulated by a device called the "Penfield Mood Organ".
Feelings vs. Values: The Chilling Exchange
The mood organ is one of Philip K. Dick's most brilliant and disturbing creations. It presents a world where emotions are no longer authentic responses to our experiences, but programmable settings we choose like a thermostat. It raises a chilling question: if your feelings are just a setting, what is truly guiding your choices?
The conflict between authentic emotion and artificial stimulation is perfectly captured in an early morning argument between the protagonist, Rick Deckard, and his wife, Iran: "My schedule for today lists a six-hour self-accusatory depression," Iran tells him. Deckard begs her not to dial it, not because he is concerned for her well-being, but because her programmed depression will make his day more difficult.
This seemingly absurd exchange reveals a profound truth about the difference between fleeting feelings and core values. Iran wants to dial depression because she feels a genuine, existential despair about the state of the world. It’s a painful, but authentic, emotional response. Deckard sees this authentic feeling as an inconvenience. He wants to bypass the messiness of real emotion and dial up a more productive and pleasant setting for both of them.
The Mood Organ in Modern Life
In our own lives, we are surrounded by mood organs. Social media feeds are designed to give us quick hits of outrage or inspiration. 24-hour news cycles keep us hooked on anxiety. Consumer culture promises that the next purchase will deliver a dose of happiness. We are constantly tempted to "dial a mood" rather than do the harder work of listening to our own internal guidance system.
Values are the principles that you hold to be most important, the foundation upon which you build a meaningful life. They are not feelings. Feelings are fickle and transient; they are the weather. Values are the bedrock; they are the landscape.
Feelings say: "I feel unmotivated today, so I'll skip the gym."
Values say: "I value my health, so I will go to the gym even if I don't feel like it."
Feelings say: "I'm afraid of public speaking, so I'll turn down the presentation."
Values say: "I value my professional growth, so I will do the presentation even though I am afraid."
Choosing Conviction Over Comfort
The mood organ represents a life guided by feelings. It offers a life without friction, but also a life without meaning. A life guided by values is often more difficult. It requires us to act in spite of our feelings. It requires us to tolerate discomfort, anxiety, and even pain in the service of what we believe to be right. Iran's desire to feel her despair is a reflection of her values. She believes the world is a tragic place, and the only authentic response is to feel that tragedy. It's a painful choice, but it is a choice rooted in her deepest convictions.
Are you living a life of convenience, dialing moods that help you get through the day? Or are you living a life of conviction, guided by your core values, even when it's uncomfortable? The first step is to distinguish between the two. Your feelings are real, but they are not always true north. Your values are your compass. Learning to read that compass, especially when the emotional weather is stormy, is the key to navigating a life of purpose and integrity.
Living by our values can be isolating if we don’t have others to share the journey. Next, we will explore the concept of "fusion" in Mercerism and what it suggests about the fundamental human need for connection.
