X-Message-Number: 12032
From: "Philip Rhoades" <>
Subject: Re: Why Most Choose Death
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 21:49:37 +0100

>Message #12027
>From: "George Smith" <>
>References: <>
>Subject: Why Most Choose Death
>Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 14:11:23 -0700


. .

>(1) I would submit that most people are not happy with their lives.  When
>confronted with an option to extend that life they are rejecting the sense
>of unhappiness.


I find this too. I have had some bad times in my life and, although I still
love life, I am not as happy as when I was a child and nearly all was a big
happy party . .  but I have not lived through some _really_ bad times like
others in this world have and I wonder how I would be if I had had some of
these terrible experiences . .

When I have talked to others about cryonics (and these results are not
statistically significant) I quite frequently get the response "Why would
you want to extend this existence?" - and this from people in an affluent
situtation in a developed western country - just amazes me! Curiously, most
of the people who say this are female.

>(2) As most people age and lose loved ones to death, they feel it somehow
>wrong to selfishly choose to live when they buried or cremated others.
>Avoiding guilt is the name of this cause for death's popularity.
>
>And (returning to #1) death ends grieving, a form of unhappiness.  It is
not
>common for one to die within 6 months of the loss of a significant other.


I guess you meant "uncommon". I can understand this situation but I would
have thought that if there were _anyone_ around that you could relate to
then life would still be worth living . .

>(3) Additionally, as one ages and the body becomes less comfortable
(various
>physical aches and pains), death offers an end to the unhappiness caused by
>chronic discomfort.  ("Shoot him again, Gabby!  He's still not out of his
>misery!")


I agree with this as well.

>(4) Six billion lemmings can't be wrong.  The incredible peer pressure of
>every culture planning for and dealing with death as an "expected part of
>life" (!) makes death popular because it is "natural".
>
>Peer pressure runs this planet.  An excellent perspective on this is found
>in the book THE LUCIFER PRINCIPLE.  The urge to conform is not only
>popular - it is popularity itself!


I think this is probably right and I would imagine that most people who are
attracted to cryonics (like myself) have a substantial rebellious or
maverick streak and therefore can more easily go against convention.

>Additionally, what is not "natural" is easily seen as "unnatural".  This
>quickly causes many minds to equate cryonics with defiance of God.  While
>theologians don't have a problem with cryonics (it's just another medical
>alternative), the popular mind seldom thinks deeply about these issues.
>("You shoot him, too, Oprah!  Gabby's run out of ammo!")


This, unfortunately, is probably quite true.

Regards and long life,

Phil.

Philip Rhoades

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