X-Message-Number: 24824 Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 23:04:00 -0700 From: Mike Perry <> Subject: Immortality versus long but finite life Bruce Klein (#24820) comments on an article by Ben Best that raises some difficulties with the idea of living forever and wanting to do so. Bruce suggests that, despite any difficulties, we need to strive for true immortality because "when people die, there's nothing." Perhaps he means simply that there is no afterlife, but I would just say that *if* permanent oblivion ever comes, then there's nothing (tautologous, yes, but true) so my hopes rest on this *not* occurring. To me it seems meaningful and exciting to be hoping for immortality and acting accordingly, rather than accepting a substitute goal such as a very long life followed by eventual but unending unconsciousness. I think this attitude inspires my efforts in cryonics in a way that could not happen otherwise--I do better work. In the forthcoming issue of *Physical Immortality* I have an article on "deconstructing deathism" where I address some of the issues others have raised in attempts to show that immortality either would be physically impossible or undesirable. Mike Perry Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=24824