One big barrier I hit in talking to some of those close to me about this is that I can’t seem to explain the distinction between wanting the feeling of hope that I might live a very long time, and actually wanting to live a long time. Lots of people just say “if you want to believe in life after death, why not just go to church? It’s cheaper”.
Lots of people just say “if you want to believe in life after death, why not just go to church? It’s cheaper”.
I could see people saying that if they don’t believe that cryonics has any chance at all of working. It might be hard to tell. If I told people “there’s a good chance that cryonics will enable me to live for hundreds of years”, I’m sure many would respond by nodding, the same way they’d nod if I told them that “there’s a good chance that I’ll go to Valhalla after I die”. Sometimes respect looks like credulity, you know? Do you think that’s what’s happening here?
Apply the same transformation to my words that is causing me problems to that reply, and you get “I only want to believe in things that I believe are true”.
Lots of people just say “if you want to believe in life after death, why not just go to church? It’s cheaper”.
I could see people saying that if they don’t believe that cryonics has any chance at all of working. It might be hard to tell. If I told people “there’s a good chance that cryonics will enable me to live for hundreds of years”, I’m sure many would respond by nodding, the same way they’d nod if I told them that “there’s a good chance that I’ll go to Valhalla after I die”. Sometimes respect looks like credulity, you know? Do you think that’s what’s happening here?
One big barrier I hit in talking to some of those close to me about this is that I can’t seem to explain the distinction between wanting the feeling of hope that I might live a very long time, and actually wanting to live a long time. Lots of people just say “if you want to believe in life after death, why not just go to church? It’s cheaper”.
I could see people saying that if they don’t believe that cryonics has any chance at all of working. It might be hard to tell. If I told people “there’s a good chance that cryonics will enable me to live for hundreds of years”, I’m sure many would respond by nodding, the same way they’d nod if I told them that “there’s a good chance that I’ll go to Valhalla after I die”. Sometimes respect looks like credulity, you know? Do you think that’s what’s happening here?
Yes. I’m happy that people respect my choices, but when they “respect my beliefs” it strikes me as incredibly disrespectful.
And if you reply “I only want to believe in things that are true?”
Apply the same transformation to my words that is causing me problems to that reply, and you get “I only want to believe in things that I believe are true”.
I could see people saying that if they don’t believe that cryonics has any chance at all of working. It might be hard to tell. If I told people “there’s a good chance that cryonics will enable me to live for hundreds of years”, I’m sure many would respond by nodding, the same way they’d nod if I told them that “there’s a good chance that I’ll go to Valhalla after I die”. Sometimes respect looks like credulity, you know? Do you think that’s what’s happening here?
That’s a bit scary.