X-Message-Number: 10140 Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 10:15:25 -0400 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: CryoNet #10135 - #10139 Hi everyone! To Brook Norton: The problem with your criterion comes down to just what creates happiness, and why. Why would it be wrong to take a (hypothetical) drug which makes you permanently happy at the cost of removing your ability to think? Suppose that you could even do this in a situation (say a bit in the future, with robots to care for you) in which you would not be a burden on anyone? It often happens, as you probably know yourself, that we quite rightly WANT to be unhappy. It comes from knowledge and thinking. After all, think of all the animals that are unaware of aging and death. I have a cat lying on my lap this moment; she is still young, but will never know all the turmoil of being a cryonicist. I (and I'd bet you too) would like to be more intelligent, and with that intelligence may easily come both more frustration and more sadness. So should we want knowledge or happiness? Best and long long life to all, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=10140