X-Message-Number: 1594
Date: 12 Jan 93 16:24:19 EST
From: Charles Platt <>
Subject: CRYONICS Immortality

To: Cryonet

In reply to Thomas Donaldson:

The difference between "I want to live as long as possible" 
and "I want to be immortal" should be extremely obvious, at 
least in terms of human psychology. The first statement can 
already be made by most people in the world today, and 
therefore sounds reassuringly normal. The second statement is 
tantamount to saying, "I want to be godlike." This sounds 
abnormal, and very few people can identify with it. (I am 
assuming, of course, we are talking about immortality here in 
the known universe rather than in "heaven.") 

In fact I find it hard to believe that Thomas is really as 
insensitive to this difference as he claims to be. In my less 
charitable moments, I even wonder if Thomas argues for the 
pleasure of arguing. Or quibbling. 

Cryonics is a challenging concept to the 499,999 people out 
of 500,000 who are not already signed up. Why make it even 
more challenging by insisting on using a loaded word, instead 
of a phrase that people can easily accept? 

Thomas's argument seems to be that people have to accept the 
truth about cryonics (including neurosuspension), so we may 
as well hit them with the hardest concepts first, because 
they're going to have to deal with them sooner or later 
anyway. But whether you are selling life insurance, breakfast 
cereal, cars, or cryonics, there are some principles which 
have been so widely tried and tested, they hardly need to be 
examined. I think one of those principles is that you DON'T 
begin by slapping the customer in the face with the most 
disconcerting feature of your product. On the contrary: the 
first step should be to establish that the salesperson and 
the customer have something in common; are of the same ilk. 

By contrast, according to the Thomas Donaldson school of 
selling, the right way to present cryonics would be to say, 
"We want to charge you thousands of dollars for cutting your 
head off after you are stiff and cold, in the vague hope that 
a scientist of the future can make you immortal." 

I don't think this is a very good idea. 

--Charles Platt

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