Blog Archive

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

06. The Twist

Dear Jon,

Since you're contacting me, can I take comfort in the fact that I cannot and will not die for the foreseeable future?

-JPS

6 comments:

  1. Hello, again.

    Yes, I suppose you have acquired a temporary state of immortality, given what you and I know. Should a car strike you in the Jonsson Tower parking lot, or a gas grill explode in your face, or a gunman storm into your room and unload a clip into your eye, you would - ultimately - survive.

    And no, you won’t commit suicide. You’re not depressed. Not yet, at least.

    That said, knowing you’ll live to see the transhuman revolution tells you little important information. Firstly, there are more important matters than your survival, and the fact that you have a future says nothing of the life you lead. It is illusory to assume that knowing that things will turn out well in the end could benefit you in any meaningful capacity. In fact, convincing yourself that failure is impossible is a great way to will it into existence.

    Maybe the issue lies in perspective and retrospective. To paraphrase The Matrix: there’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path. In other words, what matters is the journey, and not necessarily the destination. So you live to see another day. Most can attest to the same accomplishment. It’s the path that one takes that counts.

    -JPS

    ReplyDelete