It’s easier to get people to agree that we need to be thinking ahead and actively planning for transformative technologies, than it is to get them to agree that immortality is possible or desirable. But once they’ve agreed it is important to take these ideas seriously, then they will listen to much crazier sounding ideas, since they’ve starting thinking of themselves as people who Take Crazy-Sounding Ideas Seriously.
That’s my point.
It’s easier to get people to agree that we need to be thinking ahead and actively planning for transformative technologies, than it is to get them to agree that immortality is possible or desirable. But once they’ve agreed it is important to take these ideas seriously, then they will listen to much crazier sounding ideas, since they’ve starting thinking of themselves as people who Take Crazy-Sounding Ideas Seriously.