thinking maybe (at least partly) i like pot for very similar reasons as those for why i like sci-fi: the cool ideas. also, entertaining these ideas takes my mind off... off what? the daunting problems of life? how much of it is escapism? is there a certain level of escapism that's healthy? it'd probably vary from individual to individual.
even those times when i dont have cool ideas come into my head while high, there's often at least that time of feeling... relief? all of a sudden problems are at an arm's length, affording some breathing room.
what would have to change in my life for me to be happy without the distractions of pot/alcohol/sci-fi (or other cool stories/ideas)? what would a life like that be like? to just be happily engaged with the world, not seeking escape from it? to be active in the world, and derive enough satisfaction from these action as to keep us coming back for more?
perhaps these "escapes" could alternatively be looked at as attempts at bringing that kind of world about for ourselves - a world of enjoyment from whatever happens to tickle our fancies: drugs, partying, sex, certain kind of movies/books/stories/ideas, in short: gratifying experiences of one sort or another.
so maybe people who have successful businesses get a kick out of what they do, which means they happily devote more of their time to their businesses.
maybe we end up doing what we like enough, and we like things more the better we are at these things. maybe humanity is a lot more unconsciously self-organized than we'd like to think: maybe we DO end up performing functions that we are best suited for in the circumstances we find ourselves. you can only be yourself, and for one person that means being a mechanic and a softball coach, while for another it could be being an accountant, then as they mature and develop - a business owner. some might be suited and have the opportunity to be able to change their circumstance, while others not.
a society could be engineered, by finding out, or at least estimating, the full potential of its members, and then putting them in circumstances which would allow (or push) these individuals to achieve that full potential. i guess there would have to be some overriding aims of such a society, which would decide what best use to make of every individual available in the society. for example, if 50% of a society was found to be best and happiest at being movie critics, such a society would not last very long, unless they were able to export these movie critics in exchange for some good farmers for example.
i think society design will be done best by artificial intelligence. and it will be done at our own behest. probably not all of us, but some humans'.