Re: >Boredom of Immortality (was Re: imaging the world)

From: Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Wed Mar 08 2000 - 02:38:32 MST


"Zero Powers" <zero_powers@hotmail.com> writes:

> Well, as with any prediction of the future, I can only extrapolate from
> present conditions. I have only been alive 37 years and, due in large part
> to my voracious curiosity, I have rarely if ever suffered from any prolonged
> period of boredom (so long as I have had access to materials with which to
> attempt to satisfy my curiosity--namely an interesting book or access to the
> internet). Now, I know its a bit presumptuous to try to predict the next
> 37,000 years based upon only the past 37, but given my present significant
> cognitive and experiential limitations its the best I can do.

I have the same impression. I have discovered that the more I learn,
the more exciting just standing at a bus stop becomes - what was once
just empty time is suddenly an opportunity to play with ideas, build
stories and study the surroundings.

I have also noted that the more I learn, the more I want to learn and
experience. This causes a problem: I still only have 24 hours in a day
and there are much more stuff I could do that I can do. Hence I
constantly have to make choices about it, but for every exciting think
I postpone I know I can nearly always return to it and do it
someday. If I live to 37,000 I will likely have the time for most of
the stuff I currently have postponed, but will now have an even
greater number of future excitement to long for.

-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anders Sandberg                                      Towards Ascension!
asa@nada.kth.se                            http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/
GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y



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