Blueberry comments on Is cryonics necessary?: Writing yourself into the future - Less Wrong
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
Comments (137)
I put a lot less importance on memory than you do. For instance, if I suffered amnesia and was not conscious of any of my previous experiences, I would still be me. In fact, given the choice between (A) someone who had a completely different past but had my memories transplanted, and (B) me with permanent amnesia, so I'm not consciously aware of any of my past experiences, I care much more about preserving B than A. It's not clear to my why I should care about my memories put into a 'blank body', if that's even meaningful to talk about without all the lost resonances and connections.
Besides your memory, you have all sorts of unconscious connections that your brain has made over your lifetime, and all sorts of skills, thoughts, and beliefs for which you no longer have the memories. I've forgotten a lot more than I know right now, but all those things that I've forgotten have distilled down into who I am in a way that's not necessarily reflected in my memories.