From: john grigg (starman125@hotmail.com)
Date: Wed Oct 06 1999 - 14:03:32 MDT
Hello everyone,
Charles Platt on the cryonet wrote the following in response to a post by
Robert Ettinger. I found the post very interesting and thought those here
who do not get cryonet would get a kick out of it too. My thoughts on his
words and especially how cryonics and transhumanistic organizations can
appeal so much more to the public are after Charles Platt's comments.
Charles Platt wrote:
From: Charles Platt <cp@sedona.net>
Subject: Normal Cryonicists
I'm glad I returned to sample CryoNet just for the entertainment value of
this statement by Robert Ettinger:
>There are really far fewer unbalanced people in cryonics than you might
>expect in a movement as revolutionary as ours. If you attend meetings of
>any of the organizations--highly recommended--you will find, with
>inevitable exceptions, that most are very solid citizens with a very
>conventional range of views on most topics.
As the saying goes: ROTFL. As a journalist I have visited many
subcultures, from Mensa to hardcore militia movements; and I have found
more socially dysfunctional, pig-headed, and sometimes downright
sociopathic misfits in cryonics than anywhere else. Of course, this is
part of their charm, and provides endless material for good anecdotes. But
there is a serious side effect. Several years ago I discovered that it was
pointless to hold meetings to recruit new members of the Alcor chapter of
New York, because some of the long-term existing members were so _odd,_
they scared off more-normal newcomers. The meetings actually served as an
anti-promotional tool and insured that in this chapter, at least, cryonics
would retain its stigma.
Quite possibly, CI is different. I haven't been to any of their meetings.
CI members could be as "normal" as a meeting of the local chapter of the
Lions or the Elks, for all I know. But based on my experience of every
other subset of cryonicists during the past ten years, I'm skeptical.
(End of post reproduction)
I was quite surprised by what Charles Platt said on the cryonet about the
cryonicists he has known! So some cryonics groups are actually worse then
hardcore militia groups! And even Mensa!! lol :)
I am concerned that the enlightened and socially well-adjusted people of the
future will decide that those in cryonic suspension are just not worth
bringing back because they make for such bad company!! Because I would
think the inhabitants of the future would be fair about things they may
brain scan every suspended person to see if they would be worth bringing
back! That may be reason enough for us to try to develop social graces and
also become well-rounded human beings.
I admit I am one those guys who loves to hang out in comic book/game stores
and spend hours looking at the wares. I played role-playing games in
highschool! I recently saw an episode of the MTV animated series "Downtown"
(about genXer's) where a guy is shown loving his visits to the local comics
shop and a big Con but at the same time wants to "grow up" and not be seen
as nerdy. He meets a girl who he wants to impress and grow up for. It was
a good episode.
There is the saying by Groucho Marx that goes "I would never want to belong
to a club that would have me!" Perhaps if cryonics and transhumanistic
organizations took this attitude and also projected an image of
sophisticated elitism the public might clamor to join! But of course not
everyone would be allowed in... I have images in my mind of a victorian era
men's club or a modern-day country club. We could all sit around drinking
scotch and smoking cigars or in my case drinking sprite and using a bubble
pipe! Now you guys would let me in the club?? Wouldn't you? Guys??
Sincerely,
John Grigg
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