From: Ben Goertzel (ben@goertzel.org)
Date: Thu Jan 31 2002 - 08:08:55 MST
> I don't think we share the same feelings at all. My sadness on seeing a
> voluntary death stems from a viewpoint that is closer to a "feeling of
> oneness" than "individualism". I think the story of the universe gets a
> little sadder whenever a mind ends, even voluntarily.
Didn't you see the Lion King, Eli?
It's all part of the Circle of Life ;)
Anyway, my own attitude doesn't differ from yours much in the grand
spectrum. I want to upload badly, I have all my life, and I'd be most
comfortable if everyone else wanted to upload as well. But I have come to
see some value and integrity in the more nature-bound perspective, so that I
feel less saddened about it that you do. There is real beauty in that point
of view too. A related point is that death in modern Western society is a
sad and ugly thing, but this has not been the case in all cultures. Not all
novels should go on forever, some reach a natural end; maybe the same is
true of some lives -- and I don't mean this in a sarcastic or bitter way at
all.
-- Ben G
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Jul 17 2013 - 04:00:37 MDT