X-Message-Number: 10258
From: 
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1998 11:51:29 EDT
Subject: promotion

Chris Fideli (#10255) writes:

>anyone
who looks closely enough will barely find a collective pulse running through
a movement that claims to love life so much they want to make it last
forever (that and a level of self-humor that scores in the range of Albanian
communists).

>But this isn't what bothers me.  If, as many have argued, this sluggish pace
is actually the best option available for cryonicists to ensure they get
safe passage, then it is the one we want.  What bothers me is a serious lack
of interest in debating this issue.  It seems as if anyone who questions the
inherent wisdom in current cryonic political strategy is beneath
consideration.

>Perhaps the message in this is that we're barking up the wrong tree - no
one's going to change their minds, so we should stop trying to stimulate
intelligent discourse on this point.  This would be a dissapointing
conclusion, but it sems to be where we're at.
------------
Mr. (?) Fideli seems to be saying that Cryonics organizations are not trying
to do any marketing, for fear of arousing adverse reactions. Where does he get
this impression, and what does he suggest we do that we are not doing?

As far as I know, almost all of the organizations are doing everything they
know how to do, and can afford to do, to promote cryonics and life extension
and to recruit new members. Certainly that is true of us at CI. 

If he is suggesting that we are too tentative and tactful in our promotional
material, too sparing of the feelings of the unenlightened, again,
specifically what changes or improvements does he recommend?

George Smith recently said that we have not adequately recognized or exploited
the possibilities in emotional approaches and personal salesmanship, that in
effect we rely too much on cold logic. There is some truth in that--although
anyone who has read Rudy Matic's article, about the suspension of his mother,
in the last issue of THE IMMORTALIST will surely agree that emotional chords
have been sounded. But our problem as usual is the practical implementation;
we are working on it, but it isn't easy. Advice is welcome, and HELP (work or
money) even more welcome.

P.S. Those who say philosophy doesn't belong on Cryonet have forgotten the
immortal words of Rene de Skunk: "I stink, therefore I am."

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

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