Over the weekend a striking analogy hit me. I've been talking to some friends and relatives, and I've faced "deathist" sentiments a fair few times. Deathism is a convenient label for the idea that the involuntary death of human beings from old age is a good thing. Some deathists go so far as to say that death is what gives life "meaning", and that human beings who did not expire of old age in the "normal" timeframe would not be human.

Deathism is surprisingly common - especially as a default view amongst people who have not thought about the issue. It seems plausible to me that this is because, until very recently, the very idea that death by aging might be curable simply had no credibility. Faced with no choice but to accept death as inevitable, people played a common psychological trick on themselves: they rationalized that death was actually a good thing. Some people placated themselves with religious fairy-tales that claim that your soul actually survives death, whilst more enlightened humanists were forced to conclude that although death really is the end, its OK. I can't say I blame us, as a society, for doing this.

Old age is terrible. It is a steady and inexorable decline in one's mental and physical faculties. Death is worse: it is the end of you, the end of your hopes, your dreams, you aspirations and your self-reflective consciousness.

Given this situation, I have been looking for arguments which might convince people of the error of their ways. Logical arguments often fall upon the ears of people who think logic is some kind of weird fetish, so I started looking for some more emotive analogies. Browsing Wikipedia, I struck gold - Battered Person Syndrome. I quote:

In lay terms, [battered person syndrome] is a reference to any person who, because of constant and severe domestic violence usually involving physical abuse by a partner, becomes depressed and unable to take any independent action that would allow him or her to escape the abuse. The condition explains why abused people often do not seek assistance from others, fight their abuser, or leave the abusive situation.

"Why would I want someone to cure death for me? Death is natural!"

Sufferers have low self-esteem, and often believe that the abuse is their fault.

"Humans are sinful so we deserve to die. Really we're like a disease on planet earth"

Such persons usually refuse to press criminal charges against their abuser, and refuse all offers of help, often becoming aggressive or abusive to others who attempt to offer assistance.

"Transhumanists are a dangerous influence on us. By curing death they threaten to de-value life - we should outlaw any technologies that might enable this"

The conclusion is that most people on the planet are suffering from battered person syndrome. Their abuser is not a violent partner, but a violent existence, condemning them to die after threescore years and ten. Go out into the world and council your friends. Let them know the truth, but don't be surprised if they are initially hostile.