X-Message-Number: 32431 From: David Stodolsky <> Subject: Re: Do we want to be a Movement? Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:11:47 +0100 References: <> On 26 Feb 2010, at 11:00 AM, CryoNet wrote: >>> >>> The word "movement" suggests a cult to me. I think of cryonics as a >>> field of study with practical applications in the same way that I >>> think of physics. Wouldn't we project a better image if we called >>> ourselves the cryonics community, defined as a group of people >>> interested in the study and practice of cryonics? > > There's difference btw movement and community. Community doesnt need > to move anywhere. And the movement needs goals, plans, strategy, > coordinated actions. As a participant of CryoFreedom community i have > to agree - cryonics now are companies and communities, there's no > movement now and it's hard to realy start one. I'm personaly failed. There is a large number of unaffiliated persons who promote cryonics, or accept it as a feature of a comprehensive program of life-extension or of space exploration. It is not clear in exactly what form cryonics will win acceptance. However, if some new approach shows success, we can expect everyone to jump on the bandwagon. This is how movements normally succeed. It is only when the winning strategy becomes obvious, that coordinated action becomes dominant. (One of the best known books on social movements advocates organizing without organizations. It sees formal organizations as detrimental in many ways. The authors argue that organizations provide opportunities for co-optation of movements by elites, etc. See reference.) Remember the old saying- Every great new idea goes through three stages of societal reaction: It's impossible It's immoral I thought of it first. The cryonics movement is still at stage one. The acceptance of cryonics will totally transform society. It will be equivalent to the transition from rule according to the doctrine of Divine Right of Kings to democratic rule. Expect a long struggle and perhaps repeated failures before cryonics is accepted by the mainstream. dss Pro-cure social movement: http://richardjschueler.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=56966 One approach to understanding social movements: http://vcn.bc.ca/citizens-handbook/movements.pdf Reference: < http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Peoples-Movements-They-Succeed/dp/0394726979/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267215451&sr=8-2 > David Stodolsky Skype: davidstodolsky Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=32431