Re: What is to be done?

Kathryn Aegis (aegis@igc.apc.org)
Fri, 21 Mar 1997 20:50:10 +0000


You have my utmost sympathy for the problems you have encountered in
attempting to discuss your own closely-held ideas with your friends,
and I suspect that all transhumanists have encountered a similar
situation in their own lives.

My master's degree went into a crash-and-burn a few months ago when
one of my degree committee members decided that a transhumanist
emphasis was not something that he could support. And my time at
Antioch, supposedly a bastion of progressive thinking, was
characterized by hostility from my classmates towards transhumanist
ideas. For even mentioning that someday we might move beyond race, I
was called a racist. For stating that I don't worship anything, I
was reviled as heartless and cold. For wishing that people could
learn to relate beyond gender roles, I was considered anti-woman.

My friends repeatedly urged to me to get out of this bad situation and
get back to writing, and I finally took that advise. Most of them don't
relate to the concept of transhumanism, but they at least support me in
trying to pursue it, and they will listen to me when I talk about it.
Realistically, only another transhumanist is going to be able to
relate on that level, and I hope that the Internet lists and the
efforts of the Extropy institute will aid in everyone finding ways to
connect with each other.

Sin,

Kathryn Aegis