Reply #21: You're glossing over everything we have 'solved' [View All]

[jeff47]

While I understand the desire to feel pessimistic at the moment, humanity has overcome a lot of problems. The problem with your examples is we don't feel the effects personally. On a species level we do, but each individual doesn't experience the problem. Indeed, the problems can not be solved on an individual level - they can only be tackled with collective action. And there's always going to be someone who doesn't want to go along.

Not so with a sudden increase in our longevity. That's explicitly personal. Since we individually would be experiencing the effects, we are far more likely to change because we would see that change as in our own interest. As one example, raising kids is a huge pain in the ass. I don't think nearly so many people would go through the personal hassle and sacrifices required to do that if they themselves were virtually immortal.