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Would you really expect that a large majority of people who are interested in immortality, are interested in it because they don't like being alive? Also, psyc

Would you really expect that a large majority of people who are interested in immortality, are interested in it because they don't like being alive? Also, psychoanalysis-at-a-distance of broad groups of people is generally awful, even when the broad groups of people are unusual. Please don't. Also, unbounded lifespan isn't the same as irreversible immortality. Irreversible immortality, assuming you can implement it somehow, seems like a sort of bad idea.

danenania 11y ago
It's a valid point. If you aren't satisfied with 70 years of life, will having 700 really make you any happier? You'll still die eventually, and assuming there's no afterlife, you'll still spend almost infinitely more time dead than alive. Regardless of whatever finite amount of time you have, can the best way to spend it be pining for more?
placebo 11y ago
What I'm suggesting is that perhaps many people who are interested in immortality, are interested in it more because they are afraid of dying than because they enjoy living. As for generalisations of broad groups of people - any attempted generalisation on observed phenomena will automatically be false, but saying that you can't make generalisations on phenomena because they are not absolutely true is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. What I said was not a value judgement, and not an attempt at "psychoanalysis-at-a-distance" but my current assessment based on what I've learned so far about people and life. It could very well be false. Also, I'm no exception. Had I access to a magic pill that would be able to prolong a healthy life for my loved ones and myself as much as we want, I'd not hesitate to take it (as I think most people probably would), but I have a feeling there is a higher level of happiness one can seek than extending one's life indefinitely.

danenania 11y ago

It's a valid point. If you aren't satisfied with 70 years of life, will having 700 really make you any happier? You'll still die eventually, and assuming there's no afterlife, you'll still spend almost infinitely more time dead than alive. Regardless of whatever finite amount of time you have, can the best way to spend it be pining for more?

placebo 11y ago

What I'm suggesting is that perhaps many people who are interested in immortality, are interested in it more because they are afraid of dying than because they enjoy living. As for generalisations of broad groups of people - any attempted generalisation on observed phenomena will automatically be false, but saying that you can't make generalisations on phenomena because they are not absolutely true is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. What I said was not a value judgement, and not an attempt at "psychoanalysis-at-a-distance" but my current assessment based on what I've learned so far about people and life. It could very well be false. Also, I'm no exception. Had I access to a magic pill that would be able to prolong a healthy life for my loved ones and myself as much as we want, I'd not hesitate to take it (as I think most people probably would), but I have a feeling there is a higher level of happiness one can seek than extending one's life indefinitely.