X-Message-Number: 21146
From: "Mark Plus" <>
Subject: Re: Old rules/ new rules
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2003 10:00:30 -0800

In Message #21130, Tim Freeman writes:

>The rules we live by are changing.

Then he lists some examples that I generally agree with.

I have half a contribution:

Old rule:
     The elders are wise.

New rule:
     Well, I don't know if there is a new rule yet. My experiences with the 
elders in my family don't give me the impression that age necessarily brings 
wisdom.  Three of my grandparents were basically decent (the fourth one had 
a more colorful history, but he died before I could get to know him well), 
but not particularly competent. It never occurred to me while growing up 
that I could go to one of them for advice, because even as a child I could 
tell that they didn't know much that would qualify as "wisdom."

Perhaps a society coming to grips with radical life extension will try to 
set up conditions where maturing people learn "wisdom" whether they are 
predisposed towards acquiring it or not, instead of leaving the process to 
happenstance as is the case now. Who would want to live in the alternative 
outcome, a world of life-extended people who fail to acquire good judgment?

Mark Plus
It's not "religious" or "science fictional" if you can do it.

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