on the other hand , by ensuring that i would die a natural death ( hopefully by decay rather than , for example , being murdered , also a natural enough death on this planet ) and that , by extrapolation , my offspringshould i choose to join the maniacal and rabbit-like stampede to replicatewould at least get a reasonable term , he had proven to me yet again that he was basically a pleasant and agreeable person , irrespective of his mental illness .