[ExI] David Ewing Duncan's new book, When I'm 164

[BillK]

On Sat, Sep 22, 2012 at 11:52 PM, Max More  wrote:
> People are saying they don't want to live 150+ years because they don't want
> to be old and infirm for longer. Would David have gotten a markedly
> different result if he had specified that healthy years would be extended
> but the period of infirmity would not? I suspect not, because I doubt the
> reason given for not wanting more life is the real reason.
>

He doesn't mention the age range spread in the voting.
I can imagine younger people thinking that 80 years seems an eternity
away. Whereas 50 years olds might think that 120 or even 150 might be
nice. And 75 year olds don't really want their present condition to
continue much longer.

Good health is an essential for extended lifespan. Without that it is
extended years of discomfort, pain and problems.


> Hyperbolic discounting should mean that people would happily take the extra
> (nearer) years of good health and not worry much about the (later) years of
> infirmity. The reasons given seem to me to be rationalizations, and I think
> James is right that the posited extra years are rejected because most people
> don't believe they are likely to see those extra years. If they aren't going
> to have those years, it a good thing that they don't! ("Aging isn't going to
> be controlled in time for me. Good thing too -- I'd hate to live longer.
> Why... I'd be bored, or would have to change jobs, or or or... something.")
>

That logic applies to many things in life. When faced with
circumstances that you cannot change, it is easier to change your mind
rather than continue in a state of envy, fear or suffering. There must
be a Buddhist saying about this.


> Even those who do want to live much longer don't get around to making
> arrangements for cryopreservation, also (often) due to rationalizations.
> Breaking through rationalization is extremely difficult. I wish I had a
> ready solution.
>


One man's logical decision is another man's rationalisation.



BillK