X-Message-Number: 6302
Subject: Tim Leary
Date: Sun, 02 Jun 1996 10:41:36 -0400
From: "Perry E. Metzger" <>

I'm sorry to disabuse people, but from what I can tell it is extremely
difficult to convince a committed cryonicist to abandon the idea of
being suspended, especially once signed up with all arrangements in
place.

The fact is that Dr. Leary, who was not a particularly poor man (all
assets considered) had to have his suspension for all practical
purposes donated to him. The fact is that he treated the idea of a
public suicide cavalierly even though he fully knew that this would
likely prevent a decent suspension.

External evidence is that the man was not particularly interested
in cryonics except as yet another way to shock and tweak
his nose at the establishment. He was happy with the idea so long as
it was practically free to him and caused him no inconvenience
whatsoever. A slight amount of inconvenience and he seems to have
dropped the idea without much hesitation. I'd say that means that he
really didn't care much about it.

Who among the long time cryonicists out there could be convinced to
drop their arrangements without considerable external pressure
(blackmail or some such)? Do you think that someone annoying you would
convince you that an extended lifespan wasn't worthwhile?

I find it hard to see why everyone out there seems to care so much. It
certainly seems bizarre for people to spend vast amounts of effort to
get someone to agree to be suspended and then for the community to be
outraged when that same person turns down a free shot at extended life
over some sort of minor dispute. Don't people have anything better to
do with their time and money? If Dr. Leary decided to forgo any hope
of revival, and possibly centuries or millenia of extended lifespan,
over trivia, well, that is evolution in action. Perhaps some folks at
Cryocare were less amiable about the zoo at Chez Leary than some
people might like, but this can hardly be thought of as something that
would have convinced a committed cryonicist to drop his coverage. 

In short, this is a case of Dr. Timothy Leary deciding to let his
brain rot in spite of being handed an alternative on a silver
platter. The person paying the price for this decision and who had the
most to lose was Dr. Timothy Leary. Dr. Timothy Leary now no longer
exists as a result of his own stupidity -- no one else ultimately is
to blame.

This is what he apparently wanted. Leave his memory in peace.

Perry


Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=6302