X-Message-Number: 19086
From: 
Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 12:53:22 EDT
Subject: basket weavers

This motivation rumination is a waste of time, but what the hell.

Asimov played a role in publication of my first book. Doubleday sent it to 
him to vet it for scientific correctness, and he stamped it kosher.

His public reasons for rejecting cryonics included: (1) Life extension is bad 
because old codgers would be in power forever and progress would stop. (2) 
Individual life doesn't matter, or even the life of the species--only the 
progress of life and intelligence in the abstract is important. These 
ostensible reasons are so stupefyingly stupid that they cannot have been his 
real reasons.

Asimov was very successful in his chosen field, and reveled in being an 
eminence gris and in writing and selling a great many books and in hobnobbing 
with celebrities. Once, when asked what he would do if told he had only a 
short time to live, he replied, "Type faster."

I had a bit of contact with Clarke a couple of years ago. He is just about my 
age, and up to his keester in new projects. He also revels in his success, 
and loves being called "Sir Arthur" and rubbing elbows with the rich and 
famous. To some it will seem strange that a person like that, likely to kick 
the bucket any time, still finds it important to sell another book or get 
another screen-play produced. Of course, one could opine that all life is 
just basket-weaving anyway, entertaining yourself while waiting to die.

I met Pohl (also almost my age) a couple of times, and he wrote a cryonics 
novel (The Age of the Pussyfoot), and in his autobiographical book (The Way 
the Future Was) he gave a fair amount of favorable space to me and cryonics. 
My impression is that his rejection of cryonics has two main bases. (1) I 
don't think he ever had much money, and he couldn't see cryonics for himself 
unless he could buy tickets for his whole family. (2) He is also successful 
in his field, and has a strong sense of place and milieu, and wouldn't like 
being a displaced person.  
 
I don't have hard data, but my impression is that many in cryonics are 
already "strangers in a strange land" and are not satisfied with their 
achievements or with the world--or perhaps I should say more dissatisfied 
than most. One might even say we tend to be misfits. Sam, you made the pants 
too short.

Finally, a sobering thought (for those previously inebriated). Most of us 
older people are orphans. No Mama, no Papa (no animate parent, anyway); we're 
on our own. News flash--everybody has always been on his own. 

Robert Ettinger

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