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NihilCredo comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 3 - Less Wrong
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According to canon, once you gain an horcrux you turn into an easily recognisable monster. Depending on the exact effects (which aren't detailed) it may be that you have no way to re-enter society and thus no third option between living as a total hermit or as a lord of terror.
So, if your three options are: (A) achieve immortality, spend eternity hiding from the world; (B) achieve immortality, try to take over the world; (C) live in comfort and respect for less than 200 years;
you could argue that A is better than B, but C is pretty clearly worse than A and B. Although it may be pointed out that there's little reason not to wait until you're, say, 150 or so before trying that Horcrux thing.
Of course, there's (D) get hold of a Philosopher's Stone and pull a Flamel by achieving society-approved immortality, but that might just be the single greatest plot hole in canon HP. Speaking of which, the Stone was mentioned in passing during one of the early chapters of MoR, albeit only for its alchemical powers, so I'm curious to see if/how Eliezer handles its existence as a life-prolonger.
It isn't clear from canon if a single horcrux turns one into an easily recognizable monster. We know that Voldemort looked like a monster after he had 1) made multiple horcruxes 2) was killed and then came back using dark magic.
In fact, we know that when he was Tom Riddle he had already made a horcrux when at Hogwarts and he still looked like a normal human until at least the end of his time at Hogwarts.
Ok, then scratch everything, he's an idiot.
Even if it resulted in severe disfiguration, very few people know anything about horcruxes, so you can make up some believable cover story.
If the plot hole to which you're referring is that canon!Voldemort could have used his extreme skill to get the Philosopher's Stone, instead of going for Horcruxes, the idea that I always got was that the Philosopher's Stone extended life, by preventing aging, but Horcruxes prevented death, by tethering the user's soul after their body died. If someone had killed Nicolas Flamel while he was regularly using the Elixir of Life, I don't believe it would have helped him. Canon never says how Horcruxes deal with death by old age, but if it worked the way Voldemort's death worked, then a person who died of old age would get a ghost-form that could then in principle be reincarnated as Voldemort was. (Which is another highly evil piece of magic. What is it about life-extension that people think is evil?) It's never mentioned whether Voldemort's new body would ever die of old age.
Strong in the force he is, but not that strong?
Extreme Lifeism is an unusual belief, most people don't think tiny chance at immortality is worth big risk of throwing your life away.
I doubt anyone thinks so even here, regardless of what people say. If they did, they'd be donating at least half their income to SENS.