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Considering that I cannot feel my future self, why should I care for it more than I care about other people? In other words, from my present perspective, what differs future "me" from a different person?

user2705335
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  • If you chop your hand today, your future self will be crippled and a different person will have two hands. People care about their future self because they will experience in the future whatever that guy experiences. That doesn't happen with other people. – Trylks Aug 22 '13 at 19:38
  • What you say is what each of us thinks instinctively, but I cannot see the link between me and my future self. Soul (which I assume to not exist) is exactly what people invented to fill in that gap. – user2705335 Aug 22 '13 at 19:47
  • I can see many links, same DNA, same history (plus some increment), space-time continuum and most specially (for caring about that guy) whatever he experiences I'll experience that and I'll remember that. – Trylks Aug 22 '13 at 19:55
  • I agree he is very similar to present you, but is that relevant? The only thing relevant is whether you FEEL what he feels. Here is an example: What if there was another person which was exactly future you (atom by atom). Why would you prefer future you over that guy? – user2705335 Aug 22 '13 at 20:01
  • I don't want my clone nor that anonymous guy to be crippled but there are only a few people I can worry about (due to cognitive capabilities) and there are only a few people I'm responsible for (in a fairly straightforward way), starting by myself. – Trylks Aug 22 '13 at 20:06
  • I can't honestly say I completely understood what you said. Do you mean that you worry about yourself more than your clone only due to your congnitive capabilities? What would you do, in that case, if you had to decide between either chopping both your clone's hands or one of future-you's hands? – user2705335 Aug 22 '13 at 20:19
  • Chopping one single hand is absolutely preferable in that case, but it depends on how people define identity. For me, that clone is me as much as future-me, he has the same memories, past, etc. – Trylks Aug 23 '13 at 10:31
  • This is exactly my point! Ask your self why is that clone so much different from another human? What would you do if you had to decide between either chopping both random guy's hands or one of future-you's hands? In other words, why should you care more about future you than other people? – user2705335 Aug 23 '13 at 10:56
  • I know that guy better than anyone else. 2) That guy is my responsibility.
    • – Trylks Aug 23 '13 at 12:23
  • Thanks =) I really like your answer. Though in my eyes this still does not explain why you would prefer to save him over 2 others, for instance. – user2705335 Aug 23 '13 at 12:34
  • I know that guy is going to do his best doing the rest of his life. But the other two people may be serial murders. – Trylks Aug 23 '13 at 12:35
  • Hmm. And how about future-you or the best guy (in your eyes) on this planet? There is always atleast one better guy. – user2705335 Aug 23 '13 at 12:38
  • In my eyes I can only see myself from the inside. I try to be that "best guy" on the planet, even if I fail I can be certain that I will try. Actually, that is what I explicitly decided to be my identity about 14 years ago, other things can come and go, but if that goes then it will not be "me" who lives in this body any more. I don't trust other people so much, e.g. I don't vote in elections. I may not be a normal person and I may actually be insane, you may have better luck asking other people. Sorry for that. – Trylks Aug 23 '13 at 12:44
  • In any case, in short, it's an epistemological problem, you cannot know other people as you know yourself. – Trylks Aug 23 '13 at 12:46