does LONG life equal wisdom? was Re: Stewart Brand's The Clock of the Long Now

From: John M Grigg (starman125@lycos.com)
Date: Tue Jan 16 2001 - 15:06:49 MST


Stewart Brand asked:
>> What might be the difference between a 22 year old 22-year-old and a
>> 220 year old 22-year-old?

Natasha wrote:
>A couple of hundred years of life >experience.

J.R. Molloy shared:
>The 220-year-old 22-year-old would hopefully be wiser, more mature and
>more responsible.
>Hence, "Life extension is not youth extension, except maybe biologically,"
>because biological rather than emotional youth is being extended via
>technology.

The 220-year-old would HOPEFULLY be wiser and more mature then the 22-year-old!! It would be sad to see a world of near-immortals where many live shallow lives and do not grow as people. We have already discussed on the list whether adversity and pain is necessary to learn and gain wisdom in life.

Even among many old ones with "depth" you could find many stuck in the mire of their psychological and life problems. The helping professions may become even more popular in such a world...

I read a science fiction novel where people could indicate their age by having a small roman numeral tattooed onto their head to show the passage of centuries.

Many people did not even need to look for such an outward sign because they could tell from the eyes and the way the person would carry themself.

best wishes,

John

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