X-Message-Number: 32995 Subject: Re: CryoNet #32983 - #32985 [Gerald Monroe] From: David Stodolsky <> Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 21:53:31 +0200 References: <> On 27 Oct 2010, at 11:00 AM, CryoNet wrote: > Any rational billionaire would be on this in a heartbeat. Nothing else > makes any sense from a rational view. What irrational reasons are > preventing this from happening? First, the idea that this is a predominantly rational process should be dismissed. Except for atheists, the balancing of costs vs. benefits will never occur. The person will have an emotional response to any thought related to their own death and that will suppress any further consideration. My reanalysis of the Badger data posted here earlier explains this in detail. The conclusion was that current marketing targets atheist millionaires. We also know that existential concerns are resolved in middle age. Since wealth tends to increase with age, it is likely that many billionaires have already made up their minds on the issue. Second, the individual-oriented marketing strategy fails to take into account what guides most people's decisionmaking process in this area. The approach fails to deal with the relational objections - loss of friends and family, etc.- and doesn't consider the role of sub(culture) in influencing decisions of this type. Finally, many believe in overpopulation, global warming, energy and resource shortages, etc. and feel that it would be immoral not to 'make room' for the new generation. So, there are several factors that can account for the seeming irrationality of the rich. dss David Stodolsky Skype: davidstodolsky Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=32995