sheesh this is either going to result in a double post or no post at all, makes me realise the importance of computers... Anyways I know the best idiotic way to become immortal...do a Britney Spears!!! lol, jokes aside.....I think everyone knowingly or not does something or the other at least once in their life that is significant for someone and leaves an imprint there, hence becoming unforgettable and thus immortal. Well of course you can immortal by getting your statue made and put outside a public toilet in India.....guaranteed to make you immortal.....lol
I choose immortality **** dying. Then again, I'd be awfully lonely.. I don't know.. can I have a trial run of immortality? Or is that what mortality is? The questions are limitless!
There can be only one.... In so far as the question at hand, my first reaction would be to pick immortality - I'm quite sure that having forever to get over any regrets about that decision would work out rather nicely. I guess the only question remaining would be that after millenia of the same people living on the planet, would everything eventually become stagnant - intellectually, socially etc - and to what extremes would people go for new experiences? But of course, after having lived for thousands of years, would the concept of 'extreme lengths' even exist any more?
I think we'd all lose motivation for life if we lived forever. The only reason we're so depserate to do well in education, get married, have kids, see the world, make something of ourselves, is because one day our time will be up, and we wont have that chance ever again. If we lived forever, all those things would lose importance. There would be no competition, there'd be no way of standing out, or valuing anything. There's no value in something that's endless - it's only in things that we can have in our grasp for a short time. Such is life - We dont truly know what we have 'til it's gone. Also, what use is intelligence, or knowledge, if only you know it? The whole point of an evolving world is that we develope through the generations after us. If we became one, stand-alone master race, then we'd only be living for ourselves. It'd be wasted. Sure, I hope I live a long and happy life, with no pain and suffering - but how could I be happy if I ran out of things to live for? I intend to make the most of my life while I have it, and leave a nice memory for my children - not stick around turning the world sour. I choose mortality.
I am utterly and hopelessly confused. Why are so many people choosing immortality? I want death, and a nice gravestone too. Bring daffodils please.
Oh, come on! This is such an easy one! [size=+4]MORTALITY.[/size] All human endevour, all of it, is somehow meant to progress our own lives. Once we've found a way to live forever, what then? This planet is filling up, quickly, and unless we find another suitable planet to live on, who are we to say that our descendants should be forced to grow up on a dense, overpopulated world? Death is the universal constant. It is the only thing GUARANTEED to happen to EVERYONE. Anyone who takes that away is either selfish, cowardly, or stupid. Plus, without death, how can we have a legacy?
I'd like immortality with the option of suicide. So, if I get too lonely, or if the planet/sun/galaxy/time implodes, I have a way out. Lol. Wow Eoz, you really thought that through hey.
Ew, I don't think i'd ever have the guts for suicide, even if it's crossed my mind one or two foolish times. We'd all fear death so much more if it wasn't natural. If we found a way for everyone to be immortal, then that'd be the 'norm' for us, and death would be unnatural. That's a scary sounding world...The worst thing is death, and we dont have it. It'd be like a world panic if somebody died.
I'm going to second what Ashleigh's saying. Look, if you're talking about a few hundred years, that's fine. If you're talking about being alive until or beyond the heat death of the universe - real immortality - then no. I simply don't believe the human pysche can handle being alive for 1000 000 000 000 000 000 years. The first thousand might be fine, but the first million would probably drive you totally insane. If not, the next million, or the next million, or - you get the picture. The fact that we're going to die gives our lives urgency and purpose. You get 80 years, give or take, to go out there and do stuff. If you want to learn French or go snowboarding or see the Taj Mahal or fall in love, you better get on it right away, because by thunder, you really can't put it off for too long. Being immortal - well, there goes all that urgency and novelty. Pretty soon you'll have seen everything, talked to almost everyone, and heard every joke. This is all assuming that, say, you can't get cancer or trigeminal neuralgia and you don't become addicted to heroin or get post traumatic stress disorder or end up irretrievably buried in a landslide or an avalanche or earthquake. All of which happen, statistically speaking, often enough that on a timeline of a mere thousand years you'd have a pretty good chance of suffering such a fate. Over a million years, the chance of finding yourself trapped in the hull of a crashed airplane under the sea somewhere begins to look pretty good. And damn, that would be boring.
Agreed ^^ Also, we have to consider the fact that before death comes disease, sickness, and considerable amounts of pain and suffering. It's one thing to be able to cheat death, but at what cost? Is it really wise to assume that we'd live healthy lives for the rest of eternity? What about cancer and diseases? It'd mean that despite all the pain and suffering endured, by yourself and loved ones, we'd have no choice but to stand and watch. There'd be no peaceful ending. And as the post above says, we're neglecting the high risk of accidents, and world disasters. There are hundreds upon hundreds of awful things that affect the world on a daily basis, and if i'm honest, part of me is thankful that I wont be around to see what other horrors await us.
Lol Eoz Yeahhhh I'll just get a friendly monster to inject me with venom and suffer days of agonising soul-destroying pain...but then I'll be pwetty and I'll be around forever right? Yay I pick mortality, I'd say after a few centuries everything would look the same, and you'd just get tired of watching people balls stuff up all the time. If you had all the time in the world, what would be the point...I would literally never stop procrastinating
I'd want to live forever. Granted, as long as the normal rules of human beings apply (having children, needing substance to live, etc.) because I don't know how I'd feel if I could live forever but not have kids. But this way there would be no time limit on me; I could do everything in life and not worry about 'oh, I only have XXX time left, I better hurry'.
I think (and many an author I have read has agreed) that living forever would be a rather bland experience after a century or two. I guess it would also depend on the kind of immortality being offered. 1) Cannot die, no matter what: No thank you. 2) Won't die from old age, but watch out for that bus! That might be a bit more palatable. And if the immortality was the cannot die kind, then consequences would be right out the window. If consequences go out the window, they will be followed shortly by personal values. Chaos ensues 'cause what does it matter? We'll all wake up tomorrow and start all over again. Reset.
This is exactly what Dr Aubrey de Grey is trying to accomplish. Of course you're going to die if you contract a deadly disease or are involved in a fatal accident. No one can stop that; but if you had the power to know you were going to get hit by a bus and die, wouldnt you avoid it? When we can eliminate old age as a cause of death, why shouldnt we? Some people consider aging a disease anyway. Why is extending human life by eliminating old age as a cause of death any different than eliminating polio or smallpox as a cause of death? I really dont understand why anyone would be opposed to living a little longer if they could. I suppose I'm a bit more radical and would like to live a lot longer --until my curiousity and enjoyment of life dwindles, and then I'd choose suicide by basically refusing the treatment which adds years to your life. I wish I could show you all the transcript from the interview I had with Dr de Grey on this very subject. I think I could convince some of you pro-mortality voters otherwise. This is a happening thing, guys. People in laboratories are working on the 'cure' for aging right now! *excited*
Die. I want to die anyway, there's not a moment goes by when I WOULDNT choose death. Now. Only last night, for about an hour, did i remotely feel glad to be alive. For the first time in my whole life. But after, back to normal. Besides, i wouldnt want to see certain people die. Loads of reasons.
Aww no sweetheart! That's not a nice place to be. We seriously need a hug smilie here! *hugs* Are you sure it was the first time in your life you felt that way though?
I am actually more afraid of immortality than death. We see death all the time. We understand it. You live. You die. It is the natural order. Theology comes along and introduces the idea of afterlife eternal. I think even heaven would get boring after a while. But, that is just me. The idea of actual life everlasting...not afterlife...is terrifying. How sad to watch everyone I ever know die...watch the world I know change...finally end. What then? What when the sun blows up in billions of years. What then? Eternity of alone...hell.
I agree with Henry the Purple; there is a major difference between wanting to die 'some day' because it's a natural process and almost soothing comfort and wanting to die 'right now' because you are depresssed. If this is as constant and serious as you say it is, of course there is very little we here can do to help (although all of us will certainly open our ears to hear you), I urge you to seek counseling and / or antidepressants. Many people see that as a shameful or weak thing to do, but over 90% of adults go through a period of depression at one point in their lives, all to varying degrees of brief and mild periods to major depressive disorders that last, months, years, or longer if left untreated. It's very common, unfortunately, but it can be treated quite easily. As someone who's been where you are, I can say it led me to devastating mind frames and very real situations, and three years later I have just now climbed back out. Please help yourself before it's too late, alright? I'm sure all of us will be here if you need someone to talk to. -Merc
