scotherns comments on Costs to (potentially) eternal life - Less Wrong

8 Post author: bgrah449 21 January 2010 09:46PM

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Comment author: scotherns 22 January 2010 03:01:45PM 3 points [-]

I haven't significantly changed my willingness to take risks, but then again I have always been very risk averse.

I would never ride a motorbike or go mountaineering etc. I eat well, don't smoke, try to avoid stress and exercise regularly.

I did all these things even before I took cryonics seriously . This is because it was obvious that being alive is better than being dead, and these things seemed like obvious ways in which to preserve my life as long as possible.

If I found out tomorrow that cryonics was proven to NOT work, I'd still continue crossing the road very carefully.

Comment author: Morendil 22 January 2010 03:26:44PM 1 point [-]

That matches my intuition, which I'd express as: it's a particular disposition toward life risks that makes someone interested in cryonics, rather than signing up for cryonics which makes someone more prudent. (Just a hunch, I'm not saying I've thought this through.)

There are some activities I like which seem riskier than they are, such as treetop courses; the equipment makes them perfectly safe but I enjoy the adrenalin rush. When I travel by plane I enjoy takeoff and landing for similar reasons, and flying in general whenever there is a clear view of land. (Not everything abouf flying is enjoyable.)