X-Message-Number: 21165
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 12:01:36 -0700
Subject: Elders (was Re: Old rules/ new rules)
From:  (Tim Freeman)

From: "Mark Plus" <>
>I have half a contribution:
>
>Old rule:
>     The elders are wise.
>
>New rule:
>     Well, I don't know if there is a new rule yet...

How about:

   The elders may not be wise because most of their learning happened
   in fundamentally different circumstances from the present. 

>Perhaps a society coming to grips with radical life extension will try to 
>set up conditions where maturing people learn "wisdom" whether they are 
>predisposed towards acquiring it or not, instead of leaving the process to 
>happenstance as is the case now. 

I don't think it takes decades to develop good judgment, so I don't
think life extension is relevant here.  Someone should figure out what
wisdom is and start teaching it in second grade.

>Who would want to live in the alternative outcome, a world of
>life-extended people who fail to acquire good judgment?

The problem is living in a world with high technology and a populace
with poor judgment.  We're arguably already there without radical life
extension, so IMO life extension isn't an important part of the issue.
--
Tim Freeman       

GPG public key fingerprint ECDF 46F8 3B80 BB9E 575D  7180 76DF FE00 34B1 5C78 

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