From: john grigg (starman125@hotmail.com)
Date: Sun Oct 31 1999 - 15:07:14 MST
Hello everyone,
Eliezer wrote:
>Furthermore, given the current probability spectrum for the future, >the
>consequences of going slow (in those futures for which we should >have gone
>fast) are much worse than going fast (in those futures for >which we should
>have gone slow).
Even in our present social environment we can all easily see how making the
wrong choices in life can have severe consequences. An example of this
would be someone who chooses not to attend and graduate from college or at
least learn a technical trade. Even majoring in the wrong subject(if it
does not maximize your talents) can be a severe mistake.
And these failures have a cascading effect that affects finding a quality
mate, where you live, health care, social circle, and the general level that
the powers that be listen to your concerns.
And I have left out a key matter which is how well you can care for your
children's health, education and life opportunities based on your own
educational level and financial status. And it can be very hard to regain
lost ground when one already has the responsibilities of a family.
And so I can see how in the future things could be far more intense.
Education and access to state of the art learning hardware, software,
nootropics and just plain good teachers will be even more important. And
with genetic engineering we will see the rich not only getting richer, but
steadily healthier, longer lived and intelligent. And their offspring too
will reap these benefits of course.
I have suffered from my own bad decision to not attend college when I first
had the chance in my early twenties. I would be so much further along in my
life had I started when I should have. I would already have the degrees,
family and job that want. This in turn would give me more power over my
ability to travel, eat healthy and live how I want.
I can see how in the mid to late 21st century things will be even more
challenging. And yet I would like to think that with mature nanotechnology
and artificial intelligence there will be more opportunity for all. But as
with our present world, not everyone will try for the highest peaks due to
the effort and self-discipline involved in getting there. Certainly for the
"winners" of life there will be greater opportunities to enjoy the good
things of life in the form of travel, material goods and social
opportunities. The rich and powerful of today like to "smell the roses"
occasionally and I don't expect that to change at all; just get much more
interesting as technology transforms things.
To what extent humanity will break off into higher and lower transhumanist
"tribes" and types I am not sure. I just hope there will be a more level
playing field in the future. To what level we as extropians can attain is
also unsure to me due to the fact we may spend a long time in cryonic
suspension while key things are happening and new superior lifeforms are
taking their place among society.
But I am sure we will as individuals and as a group still enjoy life and
stop to just have fun at times. We have already discussed on this list many
times the fun activities we would each like to do. So we just have to "pop
out at the other end" and make our dreams come true.
Sincerely,
John Grigg
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