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mwengler comments on One possible issue with radically increased lifespan - Less Wrong Discussion

10 Post author: Spectral_Dragon 30 May 2012 10:24PM

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Comment author: damage 31 May 2012 08:32:45AM 0 points [-]

To me, the real turning point is if and when we learn how to precisely control our personalities - in short, reengineering human nature itself. Of course there's the nature vs nurture matter in this, not to mention all the potential factors than even go into a personality, let alone alter it. But I'm 100% against uncontrolled transhumanism, or even mere unregulated genetic modification or augmentation.

Though, let's suppose there was a way to correct obviously harmful behaviorial defects with at least a partial genetic basis, particularly behavior every society would see as egregiously harmful, and especially criminal (supposedly anti-social personality disorder- such as psychopathy - is one of these). Would the prospect of even reducing that behavior be worth it?

Comment author: mwengler 31 May 2012 12:38:10PM 1 point [-]

The dissonance is between the modifications you would like to see and the modifications which will dominate. Even if 99.999% wants to see a kinder, gentler, less psychopathic human, if there is one a-hole in the bunch who turns up psychopathic agression and reproduction drive in such a way that the resulting creature does pretty well, his result will dominate.

I would bet that personalities that will not kill off the other creatures who are genetically dangerous to them will never, over time, be on the winning side.

Comment author: billswift 31 May 2012 04:24:53PM *  1 point [-]

Not dominate, but force a mixed strategy; as I pointed out in another comment last week:

In game theory, whether social or evolutionary, a stable outcome usually (I'm tempted to say almost always) includes some level of cheaters/defectors.

Which requires the majority to have some means of dealing with them when they are encountered.