X-Message-Number: 5238
Date:  Wed, 22 Nov 95 13:16:39 
From: Steve Bridge <>
Subject: Women and fear of death

To CryoNet
>From Steve Bridge
November 22, 1995

In reply to:   Message #5230
               From:  (Thomas Donaldson)
               Subject: Re: CryoNet #5212 - #5225
               Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 11:59:11 -0800 (PST)


>Apparently, if we are to believe the poll, women are bothered by fear of
>death more than men. Yet more men than women become cryonicists.

>Assuming this poll is correct and relevant (perhaps both are large
>assumptions) it may tell us something very interesting: most cryonicists
>have not become cryonicists because they fear death.

     Two thoughts here:

     Fear of death may make someone extremely *unlikely* to consider
cryonics.  After all, do many people who are afraid of speaking in public
look for solutions to their fear, or do they reflexively avoid all mention of
the subject?  Do people who are phobically afraid of spiders aggressively
work to eliminate spiders from the face of the earth?  No, they somehow see
the spiders as more powerful than they are and they avoid them completely.

     Someone who is deeply afraid of death would not be likely to confront a
*solution* to it, because they would have to FACE DEATH and go to battle with
it.  If more women are afraid of death than men, this could be a major reason
why more women are not signed up.

     Secondly, at least three Alcor/Cryonics Magazine polls over the years
have shown the same thing: very few cryonicists (maybe 5%) are so because
they are afraid of death.  Most respondents claimed that their interest was
to see the future or because they liked being alive.  They were active
answers ("I have things to do") rather than passive ones ("I have something
to avoid").

     This also fits with Thomas's contention below:

>And given that most are men, there may be a good explanation for why they
>join: cryonics is a means to CONTROL death, as we have tried through
>history to control many other events and things.

     On average, men are more likely to attempt to control circumstances (or
other people); women are more likely to cooperate with them.

>Finally: if Mr. Skrecky has written a "funny piece" about cryonics, why
>isn't he brave enough to post it here?

     I guess Thomas missed that one.  Skrecky's post was Message #5143.

Steve Bridge


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