Re: How do you calm down the hot-heads?

From: Aubrey de Grey (ag24@gen.cam.ac.uk)
Date: Fri Aug 22 2003 - 14:30:44 MDT

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    Alex's original statements seem to be getting scant attention:

    > I'm not trying to convert the non life-extensionists... our
    > relationship with them here is a low-key, productive detente.
    >
    > I'm trying to keep the life-extensionist guys from blowing the
    > roof off and exposing us all to unwanted scrutiny prematurely.

    and that surprises me, because it's a remarkable thing to be saying.
    First, what sort of scrutiny should we regard as presently unwanted?
    Second, I disagree that "detente" is productive -- or at least, that
    it is as productive as more aggressive (but well-informed) aproaches.

    Surely I am not the only person here who finds it quite easy to take
    more or less any intelligent person who claims on any non-religious
    basis that aging is a good thing and demonstrate to them that their
    view is inconsistent. (<http://www.gen.cam.ac.uk/sens/why.htm>
    summarises my usual approach.) The problem we face is not one of logic:
    the logic is trivially on our side. The problem we have is one of
    psychology: of people's terror of coming to terms with the idea of
    non-inevitability of short lives. There is, in my view, only one way
    to change that sort of mindset (whether in relation to life extension
    or anything else): trench warfare, i.e. refusal to let people change
    the subject. For that purpose, the more hot-heads the better, I say,
    if (with our help) they marshal their facts and arguments well.

    Aubrey de Grey



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