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Pablo Stafforini's avatar

You mention "network" effects when discussing other scale goods, but overlook a simple way in which cryonics, too, may have such effects. A large part of what makes life worth living derives from social interaction with others we know and love. If cryonics was widely adopted, subscribers could expect to be reunited with their family and friends in the far-future. So the more people sign up for cryonics, the more others will want to sign up as well, not just because the costs will fall (as you note), but because the value for each individual will rise.

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Overcoming Bias Commenter's avatar

The problem with that mindset is that most people don't respect people who are nice to them, most of them only respect people who are jerks and who treat them badly.

How many people don't respect Jimmy Carter, but do respect Nixon?

People at the bottom of the social hierarchy expect to be treated badly, and if you treat them nicely, they experience social and cognitive dissonance. They feel that if you are treating them nicely, you must be below them on the social hierarchy because only people below you treat you nicely.

Similarly if someone treats you badly, they must be above you in the social hierarchy.

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