X-Message-Number: 3214
From: 
Date: Thu, 06 Oct 94 12:39:03 EDT
Subject: SCI. CRYONICS motivation

A member of the Cryonics Institute has asked the perennial question: Why are
most people apathetic toward cryonics (and for that matter toward life
extension in general)? Let me first try briefly to justify using SCI.
CRYONICS distribution for my answer.

This is fundamentally a question about SCIENCE in the most profound
sense--although this is rarely recognized. Most people, including most
scientists, think "science" has a limited domain and that other universes of
discourse (religion, politics, art, love....) are necessarily and forever
outside the purview of science. This view is not only wrong, but potentially
FATALLY wrong.

Of the many attempted definitions of "science" by prominent scientists, the
best is that of Paul Bridgeman, who said that science is just "..doing your
utmost with your mind, no holds barred." I like to say that the scientific
attitude is characterized primarily by HONESTY and RESOURCEFULNESS. No topic
is taboo or incapable of investigation, and our reliance is on EVIDENCE and
REASON. 

(It is also important to add that, while we always prefer quantitative
measures and clear ideas, we will use rough numbers and relatively vague
ideas when necessary--whatever is at hand or appropriate to the occasion.  It
is entirely possible to have a useful idea, or  the germ of an idea,  without
yet being able to express it clearly or having quantitative data; and rough
numbers that are RELEVANT are much more useful than precise numbers that are
not.)

It follows that the scientific attitude--and ONLY that--is appropriate to ALL
areas of life and thought.  (This does NOT mean that, for example, if you
feel like playing, you must first analyze the situation and make
calculations--unless you have reason to doubt the rationality or
appropriateness of this particular choice at this time.) 

It also follows that the most important priority for anyone is to define your
priorities, from the top down. What do you want? What SHOULD you want (if you
use the scientific approach)? Then, what is your best strategy for achieving
it? Hardly anyone has ever done this in anything approaching a systematic
way.

It will take at least a book-length effort (which I have undertaken) to make
this thesis clear, persuasive, and useful. For the moment, I assume that the
main goal of any rational person is to maximize personal satisfaction over
future time. This will almost always place self preservation or life
extension as top priority. (This does NOT mean that we are hedonists or
short-sighted or even "selfish" in the usual sense; the complete discussion
is long and full of subtleties.)

This introduction has been longer than the following specific comments on the
original question--why the apathy toward life extension? There are several
overlapping answers:

1. Inertia--personal and that of history or tradition.

2. Unless a danger is clear and present, the so-called instinct of
self-preservation seldom comes into play. (Consider how long it took to
reduce smoking by any significant amount, or how few people save their money
in prudent fashion.) A benefit--no matter how huge in potential--which is not
guaranteed, and lies in an uncertain future, may not provide much incentive
for most people. 

3. Young and healthy people usually feel no urgency, while old and sick
people usually lack the strength or drive and only want surcease. They not
only do not want to live, but do not want to want to live. They do not
understand that the difference between apathy and hope, or despair and zest,
may be just a few hormones. 

4.  Defeat, surrender, and obedience to authority have their compensations,
as opposed to struggle and responsibility. Dostoevsky said, "Men prefer
peace, even death, to freedom of choice in the knowledge of good and evil." 

5. Most people accept the "prevailing opinion" of so-called experts. This is
often a reasonable strategy--but not  when the "experts" are wrong and life
is at stake. The Cryonics Institute and the other cryonics organizations have
evidence available that should be persuasive to anyone--scientist or
layman--with an open mind. (Confucius say, man with hole in head have open
mind.)

6. Rich and influential people often provide leadership in new enterprises,
but they are even less likely than others to go beyond prevailing "expert
opinion." (However, a few big-rich people have now begun to join the cryonics
groups.)

....There is more, but I'll stop here for now.

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society

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