X-Message-Number: 25271 Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004 07:22:26 -0800 Subject: Self-Modification, to Robert From: <> Dear Robert: In part, you wrote: "The ultimate in this area, perhaps, is work by a young Brit, David Pearce. (See hedweb.com) He has written THE HEDONISTIC IMPERATIVE, the boldest step yet in this area. He proposes nothing less than the complete elimination of pain or suffering, for all of humanity and even all of life on earth, plus enhancement of pleasures. He might even be right about the possibility." I think some form of suffering is a necessary aspect of existence. The only way I can be perfectly happy, is if I want of nothing; and if I want of nothing, I will exist in the state I find myself, and will not attempt to change my state to a different one. Therefore, I will be changeless until I die---which probably will occur very soon. A man hooked into a morphine drip is probably perfectly happy. However, he will soon die of starvation. Without hunger, we would not eat. Without pain, we would not avoid damage to ourselves. Without curiosity (which is a word used to describe our lack of contentment with what we presently know), I would not seek out new knowledge which would prove beneficial to me. Without fear of impending death, I would not seek to prolong my life. In light of such things, I think my 'lifetime happiness' can be increased with some measure of suffering in the present. Even many of the hobbies I enjoy, I enjoy because I have improved myself, which means going from a state I don't desire, or even feel ashamed of, to a state that I do desire. But certainly, there are a few things I would change about myself if I could do so safely. For example, I would never want to become so depressed that I would kill myself, or so angry that I would kill another; and of course I would not want to have any pain from sickness or disease (because I would not want to have sickness or disease), though pain to prevent injury is a good thing (much of our pain is in spite of the fact that we cannot prevent the damage-- -e.g. cancer or feeling miserable from the effects of a cold). Best Regards, Richard B. R. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=25271