X-Message-Number: 4594 Date: 02 Jul 95 11:40:27 EDT From: Michael Riskin <> Subject: Fear Mr. Ettinger said that he observes cryonicist to be less fearful than I do....and then goes on to mention several by name whose actions would seem to support his view. First of course, the few he mentions are statistically too small to prove much, but more importantly, the fact that some ride motorcycles or sky dive or fight the FDA or take entrepreneurial risk is not an indication that they lack fear. In fact the opposite may be true, and, many people "enjoy" being frightened. It creates a rush that pushes a whole body and mind to aliveness, unless one responds to fear by shutting down. Besides, I do not use "fear' in a negative sense, one that is useful to our detractors as Mr.Ettinger suggests, but rather that it is an evolutionary and rational emotional experience as a fuller and fuller grasp of certain aspects of reality is accepted. Among the least fearful people I know, I often see a phenomenon called "denial" which serves to eliminate if not eradicate fear. This is the look I see on the most devoted theists...Its' a one dimensional look of peacefulness. The abiiity to face a machine gun nest doesnt deny the experience of fear..it describes the manner in which one processes and responds to here and now fact (or future possibility). FEAR IS NOT A FOUR LETTER WORD. When you take a risk you face both reward and failure. Failure feels bad, period. Not immobilizing necessarily but bad. The risk one takes is not only the obvious one (I may make or lose my money as an example) but also the risk of the emotional consequence. "I will feel good , bad or indifferent as a result of this action or thought...is it worth it?". If anyone thought I was insulting cryonicists in that manner the opposite is true...it was a compliment. It is the response to ones' fear that is the great divider. I have ridden motorcycles in excess of 130mph on the interstate...but not any more. Why not? Because the fear of the consequence of a minor problem in the road beyond my control or decreased ability to respond to it safely scares me enough to foresake the pleasure I get from it. I wish I was more scared in general translated as I wish I had a fuller grasp of the available reality around me. Fear is an emotional warning sign just as physical pain is a warning sign. They are both usually good things. People who dont experience physical pain are at a great disadvantage. I also believe that people who dont experience fear are also at a disadvantage. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=4594