Can I cancel my consciousness?

Andy Warhol said, “They say time changes things, but you have to actually change them yourself”. With this is mind, it might be fair to assume that awareness is a requirement for changing habit patterns. Ok, but why is it necessary for release? To be concise, and correct me if I’m wrong, Buddha suggests one should change themselves according to the 8fold path for complete release.. Buddha might say, "change yourself keeping mindful of the dharma." But why is behavior modification necessary at all? Why is rightness a requisite? In theory, the human is capable of performing its function, i.e., task completion, with or without consciousness, a natural robot for lack of better term. If the human is destined to destroy the planet, why should knowing its status be mandatory? Should I be penalized for not wanting to change my nature? I suggest consciousness be optional. For those that want to experience the world from the human position, they may elect so, but for those uninterested, the dual experience can be returned.