X-Message-Number: 10374
From: 
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 12:53:51 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Fun has a purpose.


Peter Merel (Message #10354) made some very remarkable observations regarding 
problem solving.  

He shocked me as this is how I learned and have taught aikido for years!  Thank 
you, Peter 
Merel!


I will admit to wanting to help move cryonics out of the "tomb and gloom" frame 
of mind and that 

this is a part of a very small effort to do so.  Fear of death will attract 
fewer new members 

than love of life, and I see the greatest probability for success in cryonics 
generated by 
attracting more members = more money = more research.  


Those who wish to maintain a "war" mentality and find it empowering and 
motivating are welcome 

to do so.  War has a long history of human success in (quite literally) rallying
the troops!  

And I also agree that fun is a game worth playing and war can be viewed as a 
game (if you are 

not suffering in a real battle or its aftermath yourself, usually).  I will also
admit that war 
is not my personal cup of tea.


For the rest of the human race and for the warriors on a coffee break, I feel we
could benefit 

from forging more "Tips On Enjoying Immortality Now" not only because it is 
directly rewarding 

but because it will attract others to a POSITIVE view of a future they can join 
us to 
experience.  


After thinking it over, I think that immortals (remember you are immortal unless
proven 

otherwise!) have more to gain from sharing tips on the enjoyment of life than 
short-lifers 

(those who view life as a veil of tears).  In a thousand years those who chose 
to be miserable 

for a short lifespan of 75 years will be in all likelihood forgotten.  Those who
linger will be 

those who chose to do so.  Make your lingering enjoyable and you will probably 
WANT to linger 
LONGER.

Therefore I offer three fun tips for immortals driving in traffic:  


When finding I am in crushed bumper-to-bumper traffic and feel I am trapped 
behind thousands of 

cars, I pretend I am in the front of a line which wraps around the earth .  They
are now all 
waiting behind me.  I look into the rearview mirror and smile.  


My wife prefers to do "zen driving" and remembers the words of Buckaroo Bonzai 
("No matter where 

you go, there you are") and lets go of the NEED to arrive somewhere else at a 
certain time.  
(Marcus Aurelius would approve).


If I need to merge into a slowed line of cars and am having trouble getting in, 
I roll down the 

window, seek eye contact with a driver I want to influence, and point to where I
want to go.  

More often than not, the human contact breaks the problem up and I am let in.  
Otherwise I am 
just another faceless car competing to get in front of him.  


Forever is a very long time.  Getting there should be at least half the fun.  
Cryonics is one 
way to help get there.

-George Smith 

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=10374