Re: Economy, Ego and Extropians
Dan Hook (guldann@ix.netcom.com)
Tue, 20 May 1997 19:01:43 -0400
I think about how I could best help others. The way I will help others is
through my work (I'm looking into robotics). Of course, helping others is
secondary. I am most interested in the benefits to myself through the
paycheck, the enjoyment of the work, and the advancement of my personal
posthumanity, which happens to coincide with everybody else's.
I could help people by forcing others to give money but that has too many
problems. First there is the cost of force, then there is the loss of
initiative (from the forced and the beneficiary). In all, it does not
cause the evolution of humanity.
The best way to help people is to help yourself. If your goals are high
enough, their will be spillover of benefits to the rest of the population.
For instance, if I invest in life extension I can receive the benefits of
wealth and the benefits of increased life span. Others benefit from the
increased life span as well (provided they want it enough to pay for it).
I could be a humanitarian and work in a third world country helping people
but, besides the fact that I do not want to, I do not think it is the best
way to help people.
As for ego, in posthumanity the self will be those who are in constant
communication. If I know all your thoughts and you know all my thoughts
then we are the same being. Individuality will be somewhat different then
it is now.
Dan Hook
guldann@ix.netcom.com