Scott Alexander

Several people said that since my opinion of Adams was mixed at best, it was unkind to write it just after his death.

For example, Saint Paramaribo writes, quote,

Scott writes, I appreciate this perspective and debated it with myself before publishing.

The considerations were, I think it is bad to insult someone just after they die, but I also think it is good to remember and memorialise people just after they die.

and a vapid post that just said, Adam Shaw did write some funny cartoons, without really digging into who he was, would have been less good as a memorial, both in the sense of truly engaging with him, and in the grubby, prosaic sense of having anyone read it.

And I'm not a good enough writer to write something equally powerful that was limited entirely to his good qualities.

The compromise I worked out with myself was to let myself publish as long as it ended on an overall positive note and emphasised his good qualities.

Here's a comic strip.

Dilbert asks, Do you have any long-term goals?

A colleague replies, Just death.

Death isn't a goal.

It's the best kind.

This way, I can go out as a winner.

With my last breath, I plan to do a fist pump and yell, I did it!

What's your long-term plan?

Dilbert replies, I plan to use brain imaging technology to map my mind.

Then I'll create a digital copy of myself to live forever in a software simulation.

Unless I already did.

Colleague replies, give yourself a fist pump, just in case.

Scott writes, this is my second time having this argument.