From: ABlainey@aol.com
Date: Tue Dec 18 2001 - 19:04:00 MST
In a message dated 18/12/01 22:30:46 GMT Standard Time,
oregan.emlyn@healthsolve.com.au writes:
> Might I venture that life is already this way? And yet, we go on.
>
> Emlyn
>
>
>
I agree,
I am far from the person I was 10 years ago, even 5 years ago. The thought
processes and subsiquent actions of my former self are different to mine now.
Even in the physical sense, I am a different person, with cell
death/replacement and recalcification of bones there is probably very little
if any of that physical person left. But I am still me, a me that evolves
through the intergration of new expierience and knowledge.
My basic drives are the same, as are my interests. I would imagine that a
large part of that is due to genetics and would not change a great deal
throughout my life even if that spans to 1000 years. My 'fasination factor'
in any given thing may become lower through time due to greater understanding
of the thing. This has been the case so far. For example a computer was a
thing of wonder when I first saw one. Now a computer is just an everyday
beige box that I understand the in's and out's of, but this does not detract
from my interest in such things.
I cant see my basic drives and interests changing greatly unless the
physical wetware is changed or manipulated. This would change my thought
process and would undoubtably change "who I am" and the way I think.
If I could bring my past self to the present and delete my own memory back to
that point. If the two models of me were given a test would they score the
same ?
The past model would probably have More memory because it still
remembered things the present model had forgotten.
The present model would theoretically have slightly better wetware
than the past model due to the additional years of honing the thought process.
If the two models were set opon the world with all there memory up to
that point intact, but only with a 30 minutes of short term memory. which
would fare better in the world ?. I would say the older present model. If
that was the case then the older model has gained something through his years
despite his lack of memory and his life was still worthy of existance.
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