From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@ricochet.net)
Date: Sat Jun 02 2001 - 08:58:56 MDT
Anne Marie Tobias wrote
> I would certainly hope that if I lived a thousand years that I would
> be vital, strive to grow, sharpen my wit, increase my grasp, expand
> my understanding, and continue developing as a human being, if not
> then I'm a waste of metabolism... a space heater without anybody
> to keep warm.
and Samantha agreed, saying
>I agree with most of that except that I hope that long before a
>thousand years I have developed into a lot more interesting
>possibilities than those constrained by "human being". Being a
>human being is a fine beginning but it is ruinous as a
>destination or condition on never goes beyond.
Both these goals are very laudable. But "waste of metabolism"?
"ruinous as a condition"?
Would either of you roll over and die if we found out
for certain that life in this sector of the galaxy
could not continue for more than an additional century?
Of course not!
Please acknowledge that even under primitive technology
lives of wonder and joy are possible now. (I sincerely
hope that you both have great joy and wonder in your
present lives.)
Where does this incredible intolerance for anything but
the very best come from? It's a little pathological IMO.
Consider the case of cryonicist Mike Perry, who has told
me that were he to know for sure that he could only live
for some trillions of years but that there would be no
immortality, he would be overcome by despair.
Now that's over-reacting, but I think that you are too.
I'm sure that you would agree that we cannot OVERSTATE
how unbelievable exhilarating and wonderful life shall
be later on---but that should NOT come at the cost
of denigrating life now.
Lee
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