You know, this is interesting to me, because I have no children of my own, and absolutely no desire or intention of having any. Furthermore, I am playing no part in the upbringing of other people’s children, or doing anything to directly benefit the future of humanity. I’m basically a massive egoist.
And, yet, if you told me that humanity would disappear after the current generation, or even after two or three more generations, my life would feel a lot more empty and meaningless.
Somehow, I seem to believe that my actions in this life will improve the world, long term (even if my legacy is only the divine wisdom of my SDMB posts ). I mean, I’m probably simply dead wrong about that, let’s be realistic. I don’t really believe it in any immediate sense. But somewhere in the depths of my twisted mind, that motivation seems to lurk. Because (and I can say this and feel honest about it, even as I carry on indulging my own base instincts to no benefit to anyone else whatsoever), what’s the point of anything?
And this is coming from a misanthrope who is usually the first to get on the “humans are evil” bandwagon.
Poverty and disease are bad, but they are not inevitable.
Extinction is permanent.
Seeking luxury for oneself, at the expense of the future of humanity, is the epitome of selfishness.
And if, in 3000 years, we become galactic imperialists, so what?
The British were imperialists. They got over it.
The French were imperialists. They got over it.
The Dutch were imperialists. They got over it.
To exterminate humanity, because some humans don’t live up to your standards of moral purity, is the epitome of narcissism. And far more imperialist than the British ever were.
I don’t believe the OP is possible. Everyone can’t have an average lifetime of 150 years and be happy for the duration. During the last few years the last survivors are gong to be unhappy I believe.
In any case, I’m not taking the option even if you tell me somehow they make us all happy for the 150 years.
It’s funny how our preconceptions affect what we read. My son has been doing so much traveling lately, with me watching his itineraries and tracking his flights online, that I initially read the title of the OP as “Airlines offer you a chance for lifetime luxury for every human in exchange for …” and I’m going yeah, fine, whatever, if he gets to fly first class, I’m fine with it!
Only if you assume (as people seem to do on this board) that when someone asks a question, they already have a strong view about their own answer to that question.
I would tell the Ecksians:
‘We Earthmen has a saying: ‘God create Earth to train the faithful.’ One cannot go against the word of God.’
Then I’d stab him with a poisoned needle and preach interstellar Jihad…
“Anything you want, you can have!”
“I want my gonads back, you son of a bitch.”
Wanting children is, for hundreds of millions of people, one of the main motivators in their lives. If the aliens are taking that away, they’re taking away the most important thing for those people.
And that’s the calculus that’s important to me: is making these people miserable by sterilizing them against their will worse than making other people miserable by letting them get cancer or ebola or strokes against their will?
I’m not concerned about the future of our species. I’m not particularly loyal to groups, not even the biggest group of people ever. But if the proposal causes more actual misery than it solves, that’s a problem–and I’m not convinced either way about whether it does.
When in doubt, I pass the buck, so in this case I pass it and don’t go along with the plan.
Depends on the question. I tend to be of the opinion that there are some questions which require a certain requisite level of misanthropy to even contemplate.
Presumably, these high tech aliens could give you simulated companions, since the OP specified they can do whatever is needed to make you happy.
That could also address the issue of children as a source of enjoyment. If you have a robot/simulated child that’s real in every other way, it would probably fill that need.
Stargate had an episode like this, except the aliens didn’t tell anybody that their life-extending serum caused sterility. It was basically a scam to get habitable planets without the aliens having to openly kill the inhabitants.
I’d vote no. Dooming humanity just for my own pleasure would be the ultimate act of selfishness.
). I mean, I’m probably simply dead wrong about that, let’s be realistic. I don’t really believe it in any immediate sense. But somewhere in the depths of my twisted mind, that motivation seems to lurk. Because (and I can say this and feel honest about it, even as I carry on indulging my own base instincts to no benefit to anyone else whatsoever), what’s the point of anything?