X-Message-Number: 23563
From: 
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2004 16:02:14 EST
Subject: more on motivation

Steve Bridge kindly reminded us that 40 years ago we used the revival of 

drowning victims to dramatize the relativity of death. In my earlier post today 
I 
didn't mention this because I don't think the recruitment problem has much to 
do with failure to realize that "dead" people might have a chance to live 
again. 

The recruitment problem usually isn't about logic, or money either, not 

primarily anyway. We know this because there are many thousands, probably 
millions, 
of well informed people who could easily afford it, and as a matter of logic 
ought to buy even at long odds. It is fairly clear that what holds them back 
is the cost in other coin.

They wouldn't mind "spending" the money (allocating it from their estates), 
but they do mind the time and effort involved, and the likelihood of unwelcome 
criticism, and the possibility of hurting their businesses  through 

unfavorable publicity. They object to associating themselves with their 
perceived 
inferiors. In many cases there are other psychological roadblocks, such as the 

perception of betrayal of ideals or institutions to which they have given their
loyalty. (The notion that you are potentially permanent but your country or 
church is not--that's an unsettling and unwelcome idea to most.) 

There is also the notion of implied betrayal of those who have already died, 
or those living who will go to oblivion. I think Fred Pohl refused a free 

Alcor membership because he couldn't afford cryonics for everyone in his family.

There is also the problem, a bit subtle but I believe real, that embracing 
cryonics implies belittling all your past achievements. A big frog in a little 
pond may not want to awaken as an ordinary frog, no matter how big and 
beautiful the new pond may be.

All this has been said before, over and over. What do we do about it, beyond 
what we are already doing? I can only think of two things. One is for each of 
us to spend more effort on his own friends and relatives, planned and plotted 
it as a long term effort. The second is to make yourself personally, and the 
organizations collectively, more likable. Politicians don't generally win 

elections, and salesmen don't make sales, by being logical but by being likable.

Robert Ettinger 


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