Line #57 Main/HappinessInMindControl


1	-> ''"If I felt pain, it is meaningless to me now. Once I knew only fear, but now I know only service. Whatever pain there was, I believe it an acceptable trade."''
2	-->-- '''A Tranquil''', ''Franchise/DragonAge: Literature/{{Asunder}}''
3
4	A character who is under MindManipulation, whether being directly controlled or {{Brainwash\|ed}}ing, does not want to be released or changed back for one reason or another.
5
6	This trope raises [[LossOfIdentity questions about identity]], the self and (of course) free will. It can be terrifying to suffer lack of agency over your own actions, thoughts or feelings, or even a full DeathOfPersonality, as most people would choose [[IDieFree Dying Free]] or DyingAsYourself than being changed into something they aren't. However, what if being [[CharmPerson charmed]] made them happy, or what if the personality that emerges over the old one ''is just as afraid of being erased?''
7
8	This trope has a distinct difference to MoreThanMindControl, because in that trope, a person is being manipulated in such a minute and subtle manner that the victim is in some way helping along their brainwashing. That trope is about how manipulators make it ''easier'' for themselves to control others by nudging the victim towards the end goal. It is also at risk of the victim turning against them once they discover the manipulation. Persons under this trope may or may not know that they were wronged, but simply ''don't care'' and still prefer things the way they are.
9
10	Can happen to someone who's caught in a LotusEaterMachine or false reality and [[IChooseToStay chooses to stay]].
11
12	SisterTrope to HappinessInSlavery. This is the goal of GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul, as the victim themselves now want to avoid having it undone.
13
14	See also PrefersTheIllusion, can also happen if someone creates an AlternateTimeline, and the work establishes that only ONE timeline can exist at a time.
15
16	----
17	!!Examples:
18
19	[[foldercontrol]]
20
21	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
22	* ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': A spirit [[HauntedHouse inhabiting an abandoned house]] traps Suzu and Matsuri inside, forcing them to reenact the lives of a HappilyMarried couple that once lived there. Despite being fully aware they're being controlled, the pair enjoy each other's private company too much to resist. They're released purely by an outside influence, though they're not upset about it afterward.
23	-->''This might be an ayakashi jutsu, but we can be together like this, and stay in our own world, forever. Maybe this isn't so bad.''
24	* ''Manga/GunsmithCats'': Played for horror with the brainwashed "pets" of Goldie Musou. They're happier to be brainwashed sex slaves because Goldie made them do something traumatic once they were hooked (often, killing everyone they loved) and [[CartesianKarma they can't deal with it otherwise]].
25	* After Migi is released from Go's control in ''Manga/{{Parasyte}}'' he explains that it was a peaceful existence essentially being a limb. He was in a kind of unconscious state, yet still had rivers of information flowing through his mind, with no awareness enough to feel the emotions, positive or negative, that he'd been developing.
26	[[/folder]]
27
28	[[folder:Comic Books]]
29	* ''ComicBook/{{Axis}}'': The Axis event "inverts" the morality of several characters, and most of the reverted personalities (Hulk, Iron Man, Sabertooth, Loki, Thor, etc.) all prefer whatever side of the coin they landed on. It's double-subverted for Doctor Doom and Loki, though; although they prefer [[HeelFaceTurn being good now]], they're aware that this is not the way thing should be and that the effects need to be undone. They mourn the fact that when this is done, they'll go back to being their evil selves.
30	* ''ComicBook/{{Spirou and Fantasio}}'': In one story, the villain is one of [[RetiredMonster Zorglub]]'s old mind-controlled mooks who misses the good old days of having a "purpose" and never having to think for himself, and desperately tries to get Zorglub to brainwash him all over again. HilarityEnsues because brainwashing gone awry has turned Zorglub himself into a mental toddler who has ''no idea'' who that weird person is and would rather look at the butterflies and drink from his bottle.
31	* In ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'', [[GreenThumb Poison Ivy's]] mind-control powers [[DependingOnTheWriter occasionally]] work this way. It's best seen in ''ComicBook/TheLongHalloween'', when Carmine Falcone hires Ivy to put Bruce Wayne under her spell and get him to agree to let Gotham Central Bank launder Falcone's money (Wayne's on the board of directors and the lone holdout in keeping the gangster at bay). While enchanted, Bruce is essentially a passenger in his own mind, but he feels oddly content and calm while connected to "the Green."
32	* In ''Comicbook/FinalCrisis'', it is revealed that this is what being trapped under the Anti-Life Equation feels like. No free will means no responsibility. At least one person freed from it remarks that living under Anti-Life was "easy".
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder: Fan Works]]
36	* The protagonist of ''Fanfic/WithThisRing'' can put an orange light brand on others and control their desires. When he does this to a would-be assassin raised in slavery, she takes to her captivity quite cheerfully, and he has to turn down the control to stop her from propositioning him. But when they encounter an alien species that would quite like to dissect and study her, she asks him to turn the control back up to make plain that she's off limits (and she's apparently not bothered by asking).
37	* In ''Fanfic/GinnyWeasleyDoubleLife'', after being hypnotised by talking serpent Milikan, Ginny happily refers to Milikan as her Mistress and affirms that she lives to serve her. However, Milikan's hypnosis primarily 'encourages' Ginny to see Milikan as her best friend rather than just her Mistress, and the snake also has no problem with Ginny retaining her existing relationships with Harry and her children; the only thing that truly changes is that Ginny has no problem spending time in the nude with a talking serpent.
38	** Features in the author's spin-off fic series ''Fanfic/TalesFromTheHypnoverse'', particularly in the one-shot “Ginny’s Wish Come True” where she encounters a real Kaa after becoming obsessed with the character in a variation of ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'' and explicitly asks him to hypnotise her (fortunately, this Kaa is a good character who prefers to love and treasure humans rather than eat them).
39	* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/27736435 Zero Context: Taking Out the Trash]]'', a powerful sorceress and entrepreneur willingly gets engaged to a MegaCorp head who has zero redeeming qualities whatsoever, setting off alarms in the minds of those who know her well. While retaining most of her free will and thoughts, she comes to think that the businessman can do no wrong, trusts him implicitly, believes him when he promises her a life greater than any she's lived, and lashes out against her friends and associates when they try to stop the wedding. [[spoiler:After everything is said and done, the sorceress admits that she knew in the depths of her heart that something was wrong, but lacked the strength to break free of the mind control herself, instead using what little willpower she had to suggest inviting those who stood the biggest chance of freeing her.]]
40	* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/16628876/chapters/38983475 Rejecting Freedom]]'', Yusaku, Specter and Takeru are under the effects of Ryoken's hypnosis and all of them feel absolute bliss from it due to all of the traumas they carry on them from the Lost Incident. Yusaku can finally get some sleep and can be with the person he loves most, Specter has a duty and the hole in his heart left after his mother's death is filled (not to mention that it stops him from feeling anguish over [[spoiler:the death of the Earth Ignis]]) and Takeru also has a sense of purpose [[HappinessInSlavery serving his new "family"]].
41	-->'''Takeru:''' ''(to Aqua who is frightened about him being slave)'' I am a slave! I love serving Ryoken-sama.
42	* ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrail'': [[spoiler:Alain]] has had nothing but guilt and torment for their actions that got them onto the Infinity Train and suffers from recurring nightmares. So they requested help from Henry and Walter who gave them hypnosis to help them sleep better and then gradually make them a puppet for a demented ritual and thus becomes the component of "Dreams". To ramp up the horror aspects, the reader also learns that [[spoiler:Alain]] is usually sleeping ''while crucified'' in an empty hospital room...
43	** The prequel, ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainKnightOfTheOrangeLily'' has [[spoiler:Tokio]] agreeing to a procedure to be brainwashed so they can become the White Rabbit as it makes them serviceable and to atone for the sin of [[spoiler:leading the Apex to kill the previous White Rabbit.]]
44	* In ''Fanfic/PartiallyKissedHero'', [[DesignatedHero Harry, Hermione and Luna]] use a potion to permanently make 100 witches, including the likes of [=McGonagall=] and Trelawney[[note]]OK, Trelawney was by accident, but she was the first and therefore inspired them to do it to the other 99[[/note]] completely loyal to Harry, not simply helping him but outright believing he is the only source of goodness and truth and that any action that increases his pleasure and power is objectively the most moral action no matter what harm it may cause others. The author must have received criticism for this, because in one chapter he has the already transformed [=McGonagall=] thank Harry for this, say she likes it this way, and that he would have had her consent from the beginning, despite not stating such at the time.
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
48	* ''Film/TotalRecall1990'': At the end of the film, Douglas Quaid discovers [[spoiler:that his original identity, Carl Hauser, was EvilAllAlong, and if the bad guys win, he'll be turned back. He thus fights his way free, forcing [[BigBad Cohaagen]] to decide to just kill him because he's never getting his friend back.]]
49	* ''Film/TheMatrix'': TheMole [[spoiler:Cypher]] was extracted from the Matrix by Morpheus, the same as the rest of the crew. When he sells out Morpheus to Agent Smith, the reward he asks for is to be re-inserted into the Matrix, to have all of his memories of the real world erased and be programmed to think that he's an actor. [[spoiler:He doesn't get his wish, as he's killed by the heroes]].
50	[[/folder]]
51
52	[[folder:Literature]]
53	* In ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'', Yeerks are {{Puppeteer Parasite}}s and most of their hosts were forcefully enslaved, screaming inside their heads. However, there are some ''voluntary'' hosts who welcome being controlled and will feel lonely without their Yeerk partner.
54	* ''Literature/CodexAlera'':
55	** [[WickedStepmother High Lady Antillus]] became involved in a conspiracy against the First Lord by working to undermine the legion that was in the way of an invasion of [[WolfMan Canim]]. When her treachery was discovered, she fled, but was captured by the Canim, fitted with a discipline collar, and commanded to do no harm; because the Cane who collared her was killed, the collar can never be removed. She spends her days afterwards as simply Dorotea the medic, finding it far more fulfulling than being a High Lady.
56	* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/TheFoundationTrilogy'':
57	** "Literature/TheMule": When Bayta assumes that the Mule wants her as a sexual consort, she reacts with revulsion, and he [[DiscussedTrope explains]] that his power means that he could make her feel joy no matter what.
58	--->"I sense your revulsion, but that's silly. If things were otherwise, I could make you happy very easily. It would be an artificial ecstasy, but there would be no difference between it and the genuine emotion."
59	** "Literature/SearchByTheMule": Han Pritcher was {{Brainwashed}} by the Mule in [[Literature/TheMule the previous story]]. Several times during this story, Pritcher thinks to himself about the way he wants to be loyal to the Mule, and trying to think about the way [[BecameTheirOwnAntithesis he used to hate the Mule]] bothers him. His biggest concern is the way the Mule has described those who have undergone the brainwashing are somehow less capable than before the brainwashing, and being less useful to the Mule than someone who hasn't been brainwashed bothers Pritcher.
60	-->The very contentment with the Conversion was a prime symptom of it, but Han Pritcher was no longer even curious about the matter.
61	* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', the Imperius mind control spell is described as this for the one being controlled.
62	-->It was the most wonderful feeling. Harry felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in his head was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. He stood there feeling immensely relaxed, only dimly aware of everyone watching him.
63	* In ''Literature/MankindUnderTheLeash'' (also sold under the much better British title "White Fang Goes Dingo") humanity has been conquered by aliens, who use a form of control called the Leash, which gives the one controlled great pleasure while under it.
64	* ''Literature/Overlord2012'': As a joke, protagonist Momonga rewrote the command code on the NPC Albedo so that she'd be madly in love with him. When they're transported to a new world in which [=NPCs=] like Albedo are now real people, he regrets the decision because it tarnished his friend's beloved NPC and took away her agency. When he apologizes to her, she cheerfully tells him that she's fine with it and wouldn't want to be any other way.
65	* ''Literature/TheSilverChair'' combines this with NoMatterHowMuchIBeg. The missing prince of [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Narnia]] has been bewitched into marrying his captor and forgetting his old identity, [[spoiler:but the curse temporarily lifts every night, so he has to be bound to the silver chair until the spell returns and he forgets the night's events. In his enchanted state, he instructs the heroes not to release him no matter what he says at night, believing that he'll turn into a monstrous bloodthirsty serpent if he's not tied down. But once his mind returns for the night, he successfully convinces them to untie him by invoking the name of the divine lion Aslan in his pleas, then destroys the chair to break the enchantment once and for all.]]
66	* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': ''Damane'' are mages that the Seanchan Empire enslave with RestrainingBolt collars and condition with years of {{Brainwash\|ed}}ing, {{Dehumanization}}, and EmotionControl to be utterly subservient to their handlers. Some become so convinced that they need to be controlled that they lash out in a blind panic when freed and are happy to be collared again.
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
70	* ''Series/AgentsOfShield'': Hive's mind control works like this. Most Inhumans express the feeling as perpetually having something "missing" in their lives (which may/may not have been explicitly engineered by the original Kree scientists who created them). Hive's "sway" acts like an addictive drug that explicitly fills this psychological void. After being controlled and then forcibly detoxed, Daisy immediately seeks Hive out and begs to be taken back under his control, but is denied because the detox process renders her immune. [[spoiler: Subverted in that Daisy wasn't actually seeking Hive's "sway", she just wanted to make herself a target to distract him, in order to protect her friends.]]
71	* ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'': Tony chose to become an Active and have his memories erased because his PTSD made it difficult for him to adjust to civilian life. When his contract is up, he enlists with another program that threatens to erase his personality completely, because he'd rather be a cog in a machine than be Tony again.
72	* ''Series/JessicaJones2015'': After an extended time under Kilgrave's control, Malcolm Ducasse discusses this trope with Jessica. There is an ironic freedom to being mindcontrolled because you are not responsible for your actions. You don't worry about plans or their consequences, you just fulfil the purpose of the controller.
73	* ''Series/SearchParty'': [[spoiler: Dory]] seems much happier and at peace with herself while under Chip's brainwashing, to the point that after being broken out of it, [[spoiler: she asks him to do it again.]]
74	[[/folder]]
75
76	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
77	* ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}'': The adventure ''Send in the Clones''. Teela O'Malley has the mutation Cloud Mens' Minds, which causes men to fall in love with her and obey her every whim. When the effect wears off, the victim may decide to continue being in love with her (and obeying her) on their own.
78	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': Anyone who falls victim to the "Helm of Opposite Alignment" MirrorMoralityMachine prefers their newly reversed CharacterAlignment, "views the prospect [of returning to their original alignment] with horror, and avoids it in any way possible".
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Theatre]]
82	* In ''Theatre/JasperInDeadland'', Gretchen describes the ''process'' of losing her memories as rather traumatic, but once all her memories were gone, it was actually an okay feeling, and resulted in her being carefree as she felt she had nothing to lose. Having her memories return actually ends up being much less pleasant once she starts to remember [[spoiler:her abusive father]].
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Video Games]]
86	* ''Franchise/DragonAge'': In general, a character that has been made "Tranquil" (had their connection with [[SpiritWorld The Fade]] severed in order to make them docile) doesn't particularly mind being Tranquil and some will even say that they prefer their lives this way compared to whatever it was before. Still, being made Tranquil is considered a FateWorseThanDeath for any person threatened with it, as it is an irreversible ([[spoiler:or so we're led to believe]]) LossOfIdentity, and in addition, it's common for Tranquil to be exploited as cheap labor or even {{Sex Slave}}s because they tend to lack any strong feelings. [[spoiler:In the rare event that a Tranquil ''is'' cured, they swing sharply in the opposite direction and become ''very'' emotional -- on one occasion, the victim screamed that he'd rather die than go back to being Tranquil.]]
87	* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'': If you run light-side, this is arguably the case for [[spoiler: your PlayerCharacter!]] The way it's phrased in-game (and in [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords the sequel]]) is ambiguous as to the degree of the brainwashing involved, with characters giving their unsolicited opinion as it being everything from a full-on HeelFaceBrainwashing, LossOfIdentity, and FateWorseThanDeath to a ResetButton to a brain dead husk with only a few memories left that was all but resurrected with the new personality.
88	* [[spoiler:"Reliable" Matthew]] in ''VideoGame/ShadowrunReturns: Hong Kong'' is actually a deeply neurotic and insecure man who regularly uses a [[SplitPersonality PersonaSoft that overrides his default personality with an artificially created one]] as a way of coping with life. If you speak with the 'real' person he reacts with horror if you suggest he stop, preferring the Persona when interacting with others. Speaking with the Persona later reveals he sees himself as benevolent by allowing the 'real person' underneath to not have to deal directly with the unpleasantness of everyday life.
89	* ''VideoGame/SpaceChannel5'': This is the end goal for {{Gadgeteer Genius}} Purge from ''Part 2'', aiming to make the entire galaxy blissfully happy by forcing them to dance forever. It's unknown just how much of his methods are [[MoreThanMindControl mind control]] or [[PeoplePuppets body control]], as some victims still call out for Ulala to save them, but either way, it still plays into the villain's delusional fantasies.
90	* Nilin of ''VideoGame/RememberMe'' has the ability to remix other people's memories at a few points, changing how they remember an event and therefore the emotional weight attached to it. At least two of her victims seem to recognize the operation but also see the effect on their current selves as positive, so they accept it.
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:Web Comics]]
94	* ''WebComic/SquidOps'': Tessu, who is brainwashed to serve Mistress and seems perfectly content about it, not even being worried about not being able to remember her life before the brainwashing. Ms. Leafyshine also has shades of this while in her "maid trance".
95	[[/folder]]
96
97	[[folder:Western Animation]]
98	* Bender in the the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' movie 'Bender's Big Score' is not as unhappy about being enslaved and reprogrammed by the scammer aliens as other characters expect.
99	* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'': In "Bad Boy", an Attitudinator accident swaps Ron's and Drakken's [[MirrorMoralityMachine moral alignments]], making Ron evil and Drakken good. Good!Drakken doesn't want to become evil, but is persuaded to go along with it when Kim tells him that it's better that way (diplomatically avoiding the fact that Evil!Ron is a much more effective villain than Drakken).
100	[[/folder]]

Context Main / HappinessInMindControl