X-Message-Number: 10089
From: 
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 22:46:07 EDT
Subject: Delay, Emotions

Cryonics Institute, like all the organizations, has considerable experience
with prospective members who waited a wee bit too long. Following up on
yesterday's comments:

Procrastination is not limited to the young, who think (not always correctly)
that they have plenty of time and better uses for their money. The one that
stands out in my mind at the moment is Sidney Sament, M.D., a California
neurologist. Nice, bright fellow, good sense of humor. He had attended CI
meetings and declared his firm intention to join and make his arrangements. A
few months later--still without membership or arrangements--he dropped dead.
He won't be laughing any more.

Were we at fault for not hounding him to get on with it? Maybe, but that isn't
our style. We don't hound people; we give them all the information and help
possible, but no hard sell and no nagging. It's up to YOU.

As for Mr. Smith's recommendation that we harness the emotions by pegging our
salesmanship to the wonders and glories of the future--that has merit, but it
isn't easy to do it right. That was, in fact, the idea behind my second book,
MAN INTO SUPERMAN (first six chapters now posted to our web site). It didn't
work very well, probably in part because selling the future requires making it
sound very different, yet not so different as to be scary or repulsive. Maybe,
as Mr. Smith suggested, Jim Halperin can do it in fiction.

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
http://www.cryonics.org

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