What fraction of your lifetime (0-80 years old) egoist budget would you (want to) spend on a pill that made you live for as long as you wanted (perfect invincibility), as healthily as you wanted if you knew it would become available to you once you're 80 years old (and that you would otherwise irreversibly die)?
post by Mati_Roy (MathieuRoy) · 2020-05-08T08:50:40.815Z · LW · GW · 2 commentsThis is a question post.
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Answers 2 ike 1 seed None 2 comments
Question type: poll
If you're a pure altruist, this question doesn't apply to you.
Number higher than 100% are possible if you'd borrow money, although it can become weird in scenarios where you stop being economically valuable and/or money becomes obsolete.
This question assumes you have an "egoist budget" separate from an "altruist budget" which might not be the case. If it's not the case, you can answer a similar question that works for you, such as "the fraction of your total budget".
Answers
100%, assuming I have enough to eat and other basic needs at all times. I was originally going to say 95% and hold some back for internet/devices/etc but then realized I could use libraries. If libraries cease to exist in a useable form over this timeframe then modify this down to the minimum required to get a basic level of connection.
I'd save enough money to lead a healthy life and pay for medical emergencies so I could hopefully live to 80, and spend the rest on the pill. Hard to tell what fraction of my budget would that be, until I know how much I'm going to earn in my lifetime.
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comment by Viliam · 2020-05-08T13:45:28.060Z · LW(p) · GW(p)
After moving enough resources into the pill-saving account, my probability of actually living until 80 would decrease, so I wouldn't go too far. 50% maybe?
Do I have to precommit for a given fraction? Like, maybe today I don't need 50% of my income, but tomorrow it may be the difference between living and starving to death, so I'd rather keep it flexible.