Subject: Re: [FFML] [fanfic][R1/2] Years Away

On Tue, 5 Aug 1997, Eric Adams wrote:

Chan Wei Lik wrote:

How would someone born in 1980s deal with the 22nd century?

The same way an immortal born 400 years ago would deal with the 

20th century.

If you lived through all those years, you'd be familliar with the 

world of that

time. Not like someone from the 20th century who's been abruptly 

dropped into

the future.

I disagree, we live in a century where change occurs nearly everyday, 

it

is something we are familiar with because its what we grow up with.  

In

fact we would be more apt to deal with future events better than 

someone

from the past being dropped into our present.  We live with change, 

we

grew up with change they age was more stable they grew up accepting
certain ideas as truths.  Most of who we are is embedded into 

ourselves

early in our lives, its who we are and changing it is almost 

impossible.

Its like Interview with a Vampire, most of the older vampires in the
story couldn't deal with new world but vampires like Lestat and Louis
were more able to accept changes because of when they were born.

  I think a lot of it depends on what your view of the future itself is.  
If you believe that society will continue to accelerate in the rate that 
it advances (taking less and less time to make further and further 
leaps), then it won't make a whole lot of difference what the start/stop 
dates are--After 400 years, the world will still be changing infinitely 
faster than it was during your formative years.

  On the other hand, if there is some kind of leveling off of the rate 
of change (seems likely, but it hasn't happened yet...), then someone 
born ing the modern era would be far more able to cope with a long 
lifespan.

  Of course, there could, conceivably, come a point where there are NO 
advances being made (a kind of scientific ``Been there, done that'').  
The risk here is boredom and ennui.  Can you imagine getting stuck in 
the 1980s for 400 years?

  Don't forget about the possibility of a setback.  A war in, say 2075 
might make heavy use of EMP-generating bombs.  Knock out enough power 
sources, and the Earth is returned to the Dark Ages.

  Freemage, a first-time poster.  Thanks tzi!

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