3 ms·

I am frequently reminded of George Carlin's bit about "soft language" and how it obscures facts of life that we're uncomfortable about: https://www.youtube.com

I am frequently reminded of George Carlin's bit about "soft language" and how it obscures facts of life that we're uncomfortable about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h67k9eEw9AY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h67k9eEw9AY His criticism of soft language about aging and death starts around the 5 minute mark

ed_mercer 3y ago
Dying is a fact now, but will it still be 50/100/1000 years from now on with current exponential technological advancements? Sooner or later it will be solved. Dying sucks on all accounts and there’s nothing positive to say about it, so it makes sense to lighten up that language. I definitely don’t want to be reminded all the time of my mortality, which is especially frustrating as it’s a problem that will be solved one day.
- smeej 3y ago
  Verging away from the topic, but while it might be possible to imitate someone's consciousness after they've died, perhaps extremely convincingly, something tells me we'll each still find out the hard way, individually, that we've always been mortal.
- fasterik 3y ago
  Physically, immortality is impossible due to the second law of thermodynamics. Everything dies, including solar systems, galaxies, and black holes. A biological body can potentially live orders of magnitude longer than we do now, but even then people will die of accidents and natural disasters. I don't see any reason not to speak plainly about it.
- PH95VuimJjqBqy 3y ago
  The day we solve death is the day we doom ourselves.
- demondemidi 3y ago
  Deathphobia is a real thing that pervades many cultures during the last century, largely driven by disposable income and technology, individualism, rejection of respect for ancestors, and marketing. It leads to a “wretched anxiety” that can for some people become an inescapable pathology. One could argue it is not death itself but the path to death and how we as a society acknowlege it that is problematic. If it is causing depression perhaps consider getting help.

ed_mercer 3y ago

Dying is a fact now, but will it still be 50/100/1000 years from now on with current exponential technological advancements? Sooner or later it will be solved. Dying sucks on all accounts and there’s nothing positive to say about it, so it makes sense to lighten up that language. I definitely don’t want to be reminded all the time of my mortality, which is especially frustrating as it’s a problem that will be solved one day.

smeej 3y ago
Verging away from the topic, but while it might be possible to imitate someone's consciousness after they've died, perhaps extremely convincingly, something tells me we'll each still find out the hard way, individually, that we've always been mortal.
fasterik 3y ago
Physically, immortality is impossible due to the second law of thermodynamics. Everything dies, including solar systems, galaxies, and black holes. A biological body can potentially live orders of magnitude longer than we do now, but even then people will die of accidents and natural disasters. I don't see any reason not to speak plainly about it.
PH95VuimJjqBqy 3y ago
The day we solve death is the day we doom ourselves.
demondemidi 3y ago
Deathphobia is a real thing that pervades many cultures during the last century, largely driven by disposable income and technology, individualism, rejection of respect for ancestors, and marketing. It leads to a “wretched anxiety” that can for some people become an inescapable pathology. One could argue it is not death itself but the path to death and how we as a society acknowlege it that is problematic. If it is causing depression perhaps consider getting help.