X-Message-Number: 28174
From: "David Pizer" <>
Subject: genetic or learned?
Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2006 10:55:50 -0700


Many of us on Cryonet read and join in discussions to try to figure out how to 
change the minds of non-cryoncists and convince them to join us.  The larger our
movement becomes, the better the chances that the technology of cryonics will 
help us survive.  One topic that interests me in this area of thought is how we 
existing cryonicists got this far in creating our opinions about cryonics, since
being a cryoncists is a very rare thing to be at this early stage.


There have been many discussions on Cryonet over the years, and recently, about 
whether we adult individuals are the product of some pre-design,  (does genetics
have more influence in causing us to be as we are); or is our upbringing the 
main influence in why we are the final product that we are.


I would like to add a 3rd possible influence in why we cryonicists become who we
are in our adult lives;  The ability of some to grasp an understanding and 
trust of logic.  There are some on this forum who have learned to use logic as 
their tool to make changes in their thinking and therefore create themselves 
mentally.  They use logic to override what their parents, (or other 
authorities), tried to teach them or what their genes may have tried to cause 
them to believe.


In other words, once they discover the usefulness of logic they use it to create
themselves.  


Now there might still be a lingering question of whether those who use logic in 
a beneficial way to create their new minds do so because they were taught to use
it or because they had a genetic predisposition for it.  When looking for clues
in this area we tend to look for people who are good in math.  But I have found
that some people I know who can do very technical math problems have less 
common sense in solving everyday problems.  Is math the same as logic?  It looks
similar in some ways but I suspect there are great differences.  


Because it was the logic of the cryonics gamble that got us this far we try to 
use logic to convince others to see the cryonics gamble in the favorable light 
that our logic causes us to see it.  Perhaps it is because so many other humans 
are the final mental product they are for reasons other than discovering and 
then a strict use of logic in their personal lives that our use of logic in 
discussing cryonics is not persuading them?

David P.

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