Say there were effective therapies that could lead to indefinite lifespans (not just healthy aging). Would everybody be willing, interested or able to use them? I don’t mean just a few dedicated people like here at Longecity/Imminst, or a few health enthusiasts. I am talking about every human on Earth.
It seems that the general answer to that is yes. It will catch on amongst those who are more readily equipped to understand it at first, and the rest of the sketpics, fence sitters, uninformed, and the pro aging trancists that are left after our information dissemination campaign is complete, will slowly succumb to the crowd mentality of it and it will join the crowd. This seems directly comparable to the "luddites" of a century ago. Most all of their grand children drive cars and use cell phones on their way to the factory and store now.
Beyond generally, there is another way that it seems we can speed up the arrival of acceptance, the willingness to apply indefinite life extension to oneself. I think that is through spreading teaching of the understanding of fallacy to grade schools around the world. Ive been talking to some people that work with fallacy, and some other related groups about this. Im working to arrange a committee to outline the way forward on that: who you have to talk to about curriculum, which fallacy teaching systems might exist that we can spread, etc... It seems to me the more it can become installed in curriculum more extensively around the world, the faster the answer to your question becomes yes.
From one point of view, even in the 21st century people are still dying from hunger, lack of water or lack of basic medical facilities. How can these people ever be in a position to use life-extension technologies?
All of the world is languishing under a list of conditions, some longer than others. If we compare it to a fleet of sinking ships, to make analogies to poverty, disease, oppression, aging and so forth, some people are lost in the dark in the center of the ship, some have flashlights, some can swim, some cant, some of them have broken legs, some are on fire etc... There are also many "lucky" people who dont face as many obstacles. They are nearer the edge of the ship, they can see the lifeboats, they just need to get to them, cut them loose and get to safety. Every generation is born on a fleet of sinking ships. It seems that the ones facing the shortest list of obstacles for getting to safety owe it to the rest of them to go there so they can put themselves in a better position to strengthen the new fleets and stop them all from sinking. There is not much use in swimming to the center of a sinking ship to help others when your more than likely going to cause you to both go down with it.
From the other point of view, who would have predicted that mobile phones and internet will be used so widely, including by villagers or farmers from very poor developing countries? Maybe, these life-extending technologies would be embraced by all, if and when available.
Right, so then as soon as we "get to shore" we can start working on sending more "lifeboats and tug boats" back out and we will be able to reach a lot of them right away. More importantly though we will have the time and the resources to help stop those future fleets from sinking. This is kind of like in the same way that because we industrialized and accelerated technology (took the industry and technology lifeboats to the factory and the DuPont lab) we have made it increasingly easier for those who would never have, to have increasingly greater opportunities to get them.
Why is it that people can easily lay their hands on technological devices (digital assistants, laser guided guns, satellite communication) and yet are unable to provide a malaria tablet, or a few clean dressings and syringes to those in need?
Like Lazarus says in part,
many deny themselves due to cultural perceptions and mistrust or are denied access by those that take advantage of poverty to manipulate events to their own ends. The medicines and technology to feed people exists but a variety of factors contribute to diminishing access, including the lack of will on the part of those without such need to sacrifice whatsoever to help meets the needs of those who do.
While the ship is going down, a lot of people get caught up and escape routes dont occur to them, or they dont think they can make it out etc... So they do what they can to take advantage of the people around them to live it up now (ie wealthy rulers that cant understand the importance of helping push the advancement of indefinite life extension, who take advantage of people in third world countries, and others) They might for example, let everybody continue to watch the TV, but they might also go and limit their access to extra air reserves so that when the water line reaches them they will have more air for themselves, etc... If some people have a headache from the chaos of the capsize they might hide the aspirin because its easier for them to live it up if the people around them arent as able to challenge them.