"Healthy Aging" is not enough
“The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.”
http://www.longecity.org/forum/page/index.html/_/articles/action/brokenportal2010
Achieving indefinite life extension is the most important, urgent, and time-sensitive cause ever undertaken in the history of humanity,Regardless of whether we ultimately find that we can achieve indefinite life extension or not, we need to go all the way and see. Our lives- this amazing shot at this incredible mysterious existence- depend on it. We can not afford to sell ourselves short on this.
sentiments expressed by proponents of the compression of morbidity, though very noble and well meaning, are misleading and harmful to this cause.
Mental Unity of Crowds
Under certain given circumstances, and only under those circumstances, an agglomeration of men presents new characteristics very different from those of the individuals composing it. The sentiments and ideas of all the persons in the gathering take one and the same direction, and their conscious personality vanishes. A collective mind is formed, doubtless transitory, but presenting very clearly defined characteristics. The gathering has thus become what, in the absence of a better expression,...
notesPeople behave differently as individuals than when they are working in a group.
The Temperament of the Mathematician
It may be observed of mathematicians that they only meddle with such things as are certain, passing by those that are doubtful and unknown. They profess not to know all things, neither do they affect to speak of all things. What they know to be true, and can make good by invincible arguments, that they publish and insert among their theorems. Of other things they are silent and pass no judgment at all, chusing [choosing] rather to acknowledge their ignorance, than affirm anything rashly. They... notesAlways to acknowledge their ignorance and only indulge in those pursuits in which total certainty may be achieved.
Time makes more converts than reason
Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not YET sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favour; a long habit of not thinking a thing WRONG, gives it a superficial appearance of being RIGHT, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason. notesThomas Paine on the habit we have of assuming something is correct because it has gone so long without being demonstrated as false.
