Re: The Pause that Refreshes

From: GBurch1@aol.com
Date: Sat Jun 17 2000 - 11:56:39 MDT


In a message dated 6/11/00 9:41:50 AM Central Daylight Time,
altamira@ecpi.com writes:

> I've loved being a whole series of slightly different people, united by this
> basic philosophy. I sometimes wonder what it would be like if I could have
> all these different "selves"--the little child self, the teenaged self, the
> young-adult self, etc. in a room with each other at the same time. I think
> they'd like each other.

Again it might be seen as deeply narcissistic by folks who haven't thought
about the possibilities as long as some of us here have, but I think looking
forward to something like this is one of the more exciting prospects of a
truly post-human future. Assuming the ability to make copies of one's self,
I can see the allure of literally having conversations among various versions
of myself. Of course, putting a copy "on ice" just to be able to resurrect
him 1000 years hence to chat for a while raises some fairly serious ethical
problems. Presumably such a thing would be acceptable, if it were consensual
on the part of the "iced" copy.

> I wonder if anyone has some "selves" that wouldn't
> get along well with their other "selves."

In line with the seed of this thread, I think the main trouble I'd have with
many of my earlier selves would be the lack of patience in my many of my
former selves. They'd probably find me slow and plodding . . .

       Greg Burch <GBurch1@aol.com>----<gburch@lockeliddell.com>
      Attorney ::: Vice President, Extropy Institute ::: Wilderness Guide
      http://users.aol.com/gburch1 -or- http://members.aol.com/gburch1
                                           ICQ # 61112550
        "We never stop investigating. We are never satisfied that we know
        enough to get by. Every question we answer leads on to another
       question. This has become the greatest survival trick of our species."
                                          -- Desmond Morris



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jul 27 2000 - 14:13:28 MDT