Immortality

[Wizzy]

Quatl
******* man, that was good...
This is something along the line of my thinking too, only that you express it better then me...

But you can't deny the fact that if the world would come to an end, you probably would be lonly but odds are that there's a few more MILLION years to that acctually happening, so in the meanwhile, I would just like to live, do those longterm plans and see the world crumble while I stand uneffected..

[Vasska]

Originally Posted by Quatl

How is this different really from the way things are anyway. I have outlived loved ones already, I have loved those who did not love me already, I have been lonely already, and still am lonely now.

I'm sure I f I were to ask if suicide were a good idea you would object. How is that different from turning down a chance at eternal life if such were offered.

I reject your logic.

I love those I love, and when they are no more I carry them with me, It is the memory of joy that carries me through the pain of loss. Indeed life is painful often, but that is no reason to run from it. Pain is an inevitable price we must pay in order to buy future happiness.

If we allow the memory of pain grow into such fear that we are unable to risk, then we will never know happiness again. It is irrelevant if we will live merely another few years, or for the rest of time.

I would embrace immortality, even though my heart is often heavy. I would relish in the knowledge that so many more years were to come in which I could pursue true happiness, and joy. And in the great long depths of eternity, so many years of happiness would be the reward for the many in which I inevitably would suffer.

You say "if you couldn't die, then you would have no purpose in life to do anything aside from fulfilling your own personal selfish desires?" I say, "NO!" In an eternal life there is truly, finally, a logical reason to embrace all forms of long term thinking. It becomes in your clear and undeniable interest to do all one can to foster a better world. For in an eternal life you will be there, to selfishly enjoy the fruits of such a better world.

Fear not life my friend!

You are now working under the assumption that you will be useful even in a thousand years when society has undoubtedly changed for better or for worse.

I think that with eternal life you'll have to adapt new language and ethics to stay within the society, to understand how society works. I personally would grow tired of it.

For the part of loved one's. Everyone will lose loved one's and undoubtedly will be lonely for some time, whether this are weeks, months or even years. People who start thinking about most things (like most here) will be the first to fall in that hole and need to relax and take things easy to come out of it. People who think to much will eventually go insane (like many examples from the past, from which i now recall to mind Nietszche who went insane)

Losing loved one's is eventually bearable because you deep inside know that everyone eventually will die. If you got immortal life that is taken from you, and you the only certainty you will have is that you will live forever and everyone else around you will die forever. That is something i don't want to live with. Maybe it's because i don't value live as you do, maybe it's because we can't figure out what anyone will do with immortality.

[dancinginchains]

It seems to me that if one truly values life one would also value the natural course of life, which ends in death. With the end of one life follows the beginning of another. So yes I will one day die, but the moment my life ends another one begins. It is this relationship between life and death that makes life so beautiful, so prescious, so valuable, and so delicate.

I do not fear life. However instead of petitioning not to fear life, maybe it'd be wiser petitioning not to fear death, for the latter (death) seems to give way to the former (life) by default.

[Vasska]

Originally Posted by dancinginchains

It seems to me that if one truly values life one would also value the natural course of life, which ends in death. With the end of one life follows the beginning of another. So yes I will one day die, but the moment my life ends another one begins. It is this relationship between life and death that makes life so beautiful, so prescious, so valuable, and so delicate.

I do not fear life. However instead of petitioning not to fear life, maybe it'd be wiser petitioning not to fear death, for the latter (death) seems to give way to the former (life) by default.

I totally agree with it. I never understood why dieing is something that is bad within almost any culture. I personally find the symbol of death something that i really really like and value more than life. Of course for many people this would be rather too morbid for their believes.

[Teena]

I'm not really sure right off hand, but I would definitely consider it.

I do definitely agree with those who've said that you might very well end up forever lonely. You're unlikely to ever feel close to anyone since it would be nearly impossible for anyone to be able to relate to you. You will never be able to share their life & grow with them, you will always know that you will soon be forced to abandon them & eventually find them dead. There simply wont be another person like you or that understands you.

Not being like anyone else though definitely has its positive side. I'm sure something like that has to appeal at least a little bit to all of our egos. I'm also pretty sure it'd be hard for me to fight that desire/curiosity if I had been offered eternal life. You will know the world like nobody else.

I do not at all agree that eternal life necessarily means selfish or meaningless life. You can find meaning for yourself, and you will eventually have to...if you want to avoid insanity. You can go both ways, you can indulge into an endless (and eventually tiring & boring) flow of selfish pleasure or you can focus your energy on trying to benefit the world. You would certainly have a better hand at it than anybody else ever had or ever will have considering that you're not limited in time.

So in short, yes you might damn yourself a 1000 times for choosing this 2000 years from now...but it wouldn't be a quick "no" for me.

[Wizzy]

Great answer Teena, really... Can't even find anything to complain about, and that's unusual for beeing me...

[Quatl]

I don't fear death, it's the only option, it will come when it comes and I will be no more, or eternal, or transformed or something else. But If given the choice I'd remain here. The world does suck, but it's got it's up sides.

I am a little concerned how many of your responses indicate a profound lack of faith in regard to love, life and the power of the human spirit. I hope you guys are ok.

[the thinker]

I don't think I could stand to be immortal. It would just suck. I wouldn't have any friends or family that stuck around, and well, that would just...suck. There'd be nothing to stop me from become insane or evil, and no one could stop me from doing whatever evil stuff I pleased.

However, if there were a few other people who were also immortal, and I could actually get along with those people, if they were my friends, I might take the chance. With a few friends with you for all eternity...that might actually be awesome. Those friends would probably become closer than any mortal family could. Those friends would probably also keep me sane.

I have a friend who says simply about immortality: "Those who are immortal have never lived."

[Fairbanks]

Originally Posted by Wizzy

"Isn't immortality really everybody's secret little dream?"
/Wizzy

Suppose you were immortal. How would you know you were immortal?

[nameless]

Originally Posted by Wizzy

My answer is simply: yes, ofcourse. Imagien to be the only immortal person on earth, no super strength or anything but you just can't die. You would be a one man army, nobody could stop you and you would be really free to do what ever you want to!

...and the court sentences you to spend the rest of your life in prison with no possibility of parole!