From: Samantha Atkins (sjatkins@gmail.com)
Date: Fri Dec 03 2004 - 14:59:17 MST
On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 00:36:28 +1300, Joel Pitt <extropy@paradise.net.nz> wrote:
> Also would describe me, except throw some drugs in there for a brief
> period of time before I realised they were pre-emptively destroying
> everything worthwhile in my life.
>
> Currently, I'm don't feel afraid, scared or anything else about death.
> I am completely accepting about it. My grandmother slowly died of cancer
> over a year while living with us, by the time she passed on it was a
> blessing. I would like the singularity to allow us to fix all our human
> flaws and actually make me *want* to live.
I am afraid that only you can decide that you actually want to live.
It is probably one of the most fundamental instances of free will we
have. Current sucky circumstances can look a bit different when
viewed from a longer perspective. Also it is important to realize
that what you think of yourself and your possibilities in the current
world is all the low end of potential currently in demonstration. It
says very little about what is ultimately possible or about you
running in much improved circumstances with better instantiation at
higher capability.
> I'm ambivalent to whether
> I die, I don't delude myself into thinking I'm particularly special
> (I'm smart enough to know I'm not smart enough) so I don't feel it would
> be a loss to our species. I also think that once I'm dead, that my
> existance is over so I won't have any regrets about dieing.
>
Seeming not smart enough now is not very important compared to how
smart you can become. It is a huge loss to our species that most of
us can't think beyond what is in front of us and our programming to
date to see what is possible and commit to making it real.
Once you are dead then one set of possibilities is ended. Game Over
for you and all potential that started with you now. No more chances
to play and thus no chance to win or to find/create a compelling
"reason to be".
> Perhaps if the things going on in the world didn't seem so bleak and the
> general populace so uncaring and ignorant then I'd feel more kinship for
> other people and that there was a point to everything.
>
I feel kinship with them simply because I find what is "out there" to
be "in here" also. The point to everything is what we make the point
be. It is not something handed to us from outside.
> Anyhow, despite my blase attitude to nonexistance, I'm still doing what
> I can to forward the singularity so that maybe my attitude will change.
>
I think you will have to deal with your attitude on your own.
-s
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