I don't know if any of you've read Ancestral Night by Elizabeth Bear. I just finished the book, and through-out the second half I was waiting for a twist that never came.
To explain; The story is set in a utopian future where humanity has joined a wast empire known as the Synarch where all the various alien races gets along and works together for the betterment of all. How they achieved this is through a process the book refers to as "Rightminding". This is where all individuals have a computer, called a fox, installed in their head and use it to "bump", or adjust their hormones, emotions, reactions and moods in order to be "self-aware" and "self-actualised". Rightminding can also be done by other's that you have given access to, such as friends, family, or AI's. If you have done something criminal, or behaved "sophiopatically" (sociopathic), it can also be done to you by the state. Though, the MC is clear to specify, it can't be done to you without your consent, but if you don't consent you will be locked up until you do "for the betterment of society".
The main antagonist in the book is a "pirate". The pirates refer to themselves as "Freeporters", and they don't subscribe to Rightminding. At some point the MC and the antagonist has to work together and the MC's fox gets damaged, turning off her rightminding. Up until this point, the MC has talked alot about how violent humans used to be, she refers to un-rightminded people as "child-like" and not self-aware. Everything related to a "natural" human experience is labelled as "Atavistic" (and you better get used to that word because it is used sooo much).
I assumed that the hypocrisy of the MC was done on purpose. She preaches acceptance of all and working together despite out differences and then turns around and condemns people who don't accept, what i would call, brain-washing. Throughout the book there are hints that the MC has had her mind and memories altered by the Synarch, and we do learn the details about this.
I thought there would come a point where she met herself in the door and discovered that she didn't turn into a murderous sociopath the second her rightminding was turned off. That she would realise that maybe forcing people to accept an alteration of their own mind and thoughts is not a good thing acutally, and maybe the Synarch is a bad organisation.
But no, it never happens. She gets her fox fixed and goes right back to adjusting her emotions so she doesn't feel angry when someone treathens to kill her, like a well adjusted person /s. The Synarch is the best possible way to do things, and the pirates are actually very evil and they do all like to murder and torture, so the MC was right all along. Humans are naturally barbaric and cruel and we all must adjust our very nature if we want to be able to work together.
Post script:
There is also a plot tread about an alien race that the synarch never managed to absorb. They had a war and the Synarch nearly wiped them out. Well, the other race was murderers anyway and has joined with the pirates...
Also, completely unrelated: the MC is very concerned about gangrene. Every single time she gets injured it's "I hope i don't get gangrene", "if i lose a finger to gangrene I would have to get a new one surgically installed", "I gave her a shot of broad-spectrum antibiotics, but I could do nothing bout the risk of gangrene" (all paraphrased). Why is this the author's go to? Where does she live that gangrene is the main concern?
Tl;dr:
In the book the "federation" only allows you to participate in society if you accept a device in you brain to control your emotions so you can prevent all the "negative" ones. According to the story this will help you become "self-aware". If you don't accept this "rightminding" you will be locked up until you do, because consent is important. This society is not the secret bad guy of the story.