Why are so few people in favor of life extension, and what can we do to change that?
Nicola Bagalà
Life Extension Advocacy Foundation
Therapies to comprehensively address, rather than merely cope with, age-related ailments are no different in scope than any other medical treatment; they aim to minimize suffering and save lives. It should thus be completely obvious that promoting research on, and advocating for, these therapies should be a top priority on humanity's agenda; yet, while therapies for individual conditions enjoy virtually unanimous approval, the idea of rejuvenation therapies to potentially address aging as a whole is often met with indifference or even open hostility. Several misconceptions and concerns appear to be the root causes of such negative reactions, most of which can be traced back to people's fear that the vastly extended lifespans that might result from employing rejuvenation therapies would disrupt the natural and established order of things; other negative, potential side effects, such as overpopulation or social inequality, are often perceived as inevitable and possibly even irremediable, and they constitute another reason for the scarce support that life extension has received thus far. If life extension advocates are to change this situation, they need to be aware of these concerns and misconceptions and work to address them as thoroughly as possible, not only through abstract advocacy but also through concrete actions that can show the public the interest and intent of the life extension community in enabling everyone to reap the benefits of rejuvenation therapies while minimizing the repercussions of any possible unintended consequences.
Disclosure of interests: The author declares no financial interests related to the presented work.
Life Extension Advocacy Foundation
Therapies to comprehensively address, rather than merely cope with, age-related ailments are no different in scope than any other medical treatment; they aim to minimize suffering and save lives. It should thus be completely obvious that promoting research on, and advocating for, these therapies should be a top priority on humanity's agenda; yet, while therapies for individual conditions enjoy virtually unanimous approval, the idea of rejuvenation therapies to potentially address aging as a whole is often met with indifference or even open hostility. Several misconceptions and concerns appear to be the root causes of such negative reactions, most of which can be traced back to people's fear that the vastly extended lifespans that might result from employing rejuvenation therapies would disrupt the natural and established order of things; other negative, potential side effects, such as overpopulation or social inequality, are often perceived as inevitable and possibly even irremediable, and they constitute another reason for the scarce support that life extension has received thus far. If life extension advocates are to change this situation, they need to be aware of these concerns and misconceptions and work to address them as thoroughly as possible, not only through abstract advocacy but also through concrete actions that can show the public the interest and intent of the life extension community in enabling everyone to reap the benefits of rejuvenation therapies while minimizing the repercussions of any possible unintended consequences.
Disclosure of interests: The author declares no financial interests related to the presented work.
