Rationalists will say that without sadness one wouldn't know happiness, therefore by abolishing sadness the only thing left is contentment, which some people would interpret as being happiness. This is exactly what Brave New World does. "abolish all bad things" (240) as The World controller says. But that's not entirely true, people who are depressed or in constant pain don't need episodes of happiness or numbing to know that they are suffering. It's natural. Despite Huxley's statements about the brave new worlder's being the happiest society since the creation of the earth, there is no way this could have been true. "No pains have been spared to make your lives emotionally easy - to preserve you, as far as that is possible, from having emotions at all" (44). Happiness is an emotion--and if these people had no emotions how could they be happy? Their Utopia was not really full of this said happiness, and it was dangerous to think of their situation as perfect because in doing so they were denying themselves of the human experience.
English: Managing emotions - Identifying feelings
Brave New World Start
1st UK editionIf real happiness was to be created with the technology the brave new worlders had, pills and genetic coding could easily be used to enhance today's society ideals rather than forming new ones. Via chemicals one could turn themselves into the person they most wanted to be. Instead of using plastic surgery to make everyone handsome, make a pill to increase self-image. Use genetic modifications to choose a personality fitting to what you idolize. People who were uncomfortable with their appearance could be programmed to take the attitude that they're beautiful. People who sleep in and are late to work or school could become morning people, and so on. Ultimately they would be happy with themselves. This way ensures continued enjoyment throughout life instead...