X-Message-Number: 12215
From: 
Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 12:53:59 EDT
Subject: Coetzee, Pizer etc

Jan Coetzee (#12213) writes:
 
> I think all pleasures are relative. E.g. a miner that that returns to
 >the surface can enjoy fresh air. If he quits mining he will soon forget
 >how to enjoy fresh air.
 
 And they say "Hunger is the best sauce"  etc. Certainly changes and 
contrasts can make a difference--but that is only part of the story, and 
(perhaps) only applies to us as we are now, not as we might become. 

The rodents with the wires in their sexual pleasure centers apparently wanted 
to keep it up to the point of exhaustion. Naturally, we don't want to become 
the slaves of any addiction, nor creatures of mindless indulgence, and there 
MIGHT be physical/biological reasons why particular modes of pleasure must be 
limited in duration. But it is much too soon to be sure about that, and in 
any case there is no apparent reason why we couldn't switch activities in a 
useful manner but still retain the highs.

Dave Pizer (#12214) writes:

> What you [a correspondent from India] are pointing out is what I have 
(kinda) worried about for a long time.  As time goes on, the planet is 
getting more crowded.  >The more crowded a place is the cheaper human life is 
(in many cases).  So that
 >means we cryonicists are in a bad situation.
 
Maybe life is considered cheap in India--but surely not as cheap as formerly. 
Large areas of the world are still backward--but they are mostly becoming 
less backward. As women become more informed--radio and TV and Internet 
everywhere--they will be less and less willing to be baby machines, more and 
more insistent on a decent quality of life and personal autonomy.

 >There seems to be a backlash to some of this, the latest bumper sticker I
 >have notices several of say:
 
 >"SAVE THE PLANET  -  KILL YOURSELF"
 
Exactly. Human stupidity is formidable, but not invincible.

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
http://www.cryonics.org

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