Who Wants To Live Forever?

[Boo]

As much as you all would love to see this being an article relating to eternal life, this is, in fact, a question relating to eternal life. Well, two questions so it's a tad more clear.

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?

b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?


I could not answer this myself after some thought on the subject. If I were more emotionally attached, then I would likely answer 'no'. If I were a robot, then I would likely answer 'yes'. Instead, I'm a cyborg; Forever in the twilight.

I would prefer it if you all answered honestly, but go ahead and answer however you wish.

[Anuan]

If I could give other people the option also, yeah. I wouldn't want to outlive everyone I care about.

[Innis Cabal]

1. Immortality
2. Yes, there is nothing but time for me to make new friends, new connections. The deaths of those close to me though sad would be forgotten

[Tempest Fennac]

I'd say no; while nver ageing would be brilliant (I hate the idea of becoming old due to the sort of things which ageing can result in), I don't like being a human, so I'd hate being stuck as one forever, and if I was another creature, losing loved ones who weren't immortal would be incredibly depressing.

[SDF]

b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?

Thermodynamics. The universe moves toward entropy leaving you behind. After enough time if you hadn't been driven insane yet you would be floating in a sea of nothingness. Alone in a dark void.

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?

Mortality. Life is beautiful because I am doomed.

[banjo1985]

Immortality, and yes, I think I could stand it. Watching so many things change and loved ones come and go would eventually completely wreck you emotionally, and I think in the end you'd just stop feeling. Existing rather than living. Hmmm, maybe I need to rethink my first answer...

[Dallas-Dakota]

That depends. Could I also give it to others?

Either No, because I'd get bored, or yes and I'd become The Historian, writing down history as it happens from a third party view. Instead of the usual winner view.

[Boo]

What is the point of existing if you are not living? :smalltongue:

@^: No, just you, yourself and... well, just you.

@V: It is the greatest adventure of them all, is it not, Peter Pan?

[Starscream]

1) Mortality

2) No. To die will be a great adventure.

[Evil DM Mark3]

Due to my religious convictions I am not afraid of death. Dieing, perhaps, pain is painful after all, but death itself, nah.

Immortality however, I think I could live with that too. In my two decades of life humanity had done enough to fill enough books of fiction to take a lifetime to read. Boredom would not be a problem. Emotional trauma might however, but again, my beliefs help this.

[Zeful]

Due to my religious convictions I am not afraid of death. Dieing, perhaps, pain is painful after all, but death itself, nah.
Due to a "supernatural" incident at 8 months of age, I have yet to fear death. This has created the problem of a morbid curiosity of death on par with a WFROSE fanfic.

Despite my lack of social graces, I couldn't live forever. It would get boring quickly as days faded into weeks. Weeks faded into years. Years faded into Epochs. Epochs faded into new universes, and the cycle begins anew.

[InaVegt]

Immortality. I'd be willing to forsake the right to be called alive just to be able to keep walking the earth forever. If I knew a way that could do this, I'd be jumping at that chance. Even now, I'm researching possibilities, just in the off chance that I could get something close.

Yes, I could. Think of the research I could do, the problems I could solve, I need this in my quest to learn everything known to mankind, now and in the future.

[Tempest Fennac]

Zeful, if you don't mind me asking, what happened? I've never had any supernatural experiences invloving death, but I don't honestly fear death either.

[Graymayre]

A) Immortality

B) I have a problem with this view of immortality. A person who is everlasting is pretty much guaranteed, at some point, to completely lose their mind. This question talks about immortality of the body, but not the person. If the mind itself was immortal to loss, then it would be a double yes from me. If not, then that's basically like dieing anyway, only without the whole physical part (which would be kinda neat-o).

If I were to be immortal, I would try to find a way to hop between universes as soon as possible. That would probably be the most effective way to stave off insanity.

[Jølly]

I'd definitely choose immortality.

I think I could live forever and be cool with it. Just think of all the stuff I would experience. Sure...death would always be a mystery to me but immortality would be a mystery to everyone else. If I went insane...how many people that have ever lived can say they've experienced the insanity caused by living forever?!?

The end of humanity, our galaxy, our universe? If it happens I'd get to see it. I'd be a witness to it even if there is no one to tell. Just the idea of being the only thing in existence seems interesting to me. I want to experience that.

Perhaps it would all just be a huge mistake that I'd end up regretting. I'd still choose it now.

[bosssmiley]

Thermodynamics. The universe moves toward entropy leaving you behind. After enough time if you hadn't been driven insane yet you would be floating in a sea of nothingness. Alone in a dark void.

Yeah, true. But then I'd just think "Hmmm, it's a bit murky in here. Fiat lux! (http://www.multivax.com/last_question.html)" (hat tip: Isaac Asimov) :smallwink:

[Izzyundus]

Hmmm interesting...
For the moment the only thing I have to fear from death is the sorrow of those few that care for me. So I'd probably be able to justify immortality to myself as a way of shouldering the burden of those I care about.

After they're all gone? I don't think I'd be able to rinse and repeat, I'd get more and more reclusive, apearing now and then to make some strangers life a little bit happier, then leave as soon I started caring. Eventually I'd end up a hermit somewhere.

And when it all ends? I'll be long gone by then, when it gets to much I'll tie stones to my feet and just walk to the bottom of the a sea or jump into a lava flow or something, there's a differance between imortal and indestructable.

[CurlyKitGirl]

Theres no time for us
Theres no place for us
What is this thing that builds our dreams yet slips away
From us

Who wants to live forever
Who wants to live forever....?

Theres no chance for us
Its all decided for us
This world has only one sweet moment set aside for us

Who wants to live forever
Who wants to live forever?

Who dares to love forever?
When love must die

But touch my tears with your lips
Touch my world with your fingertips
And we can have forever
And we can love forever
Forever is our today
Who wants to live forever
Who wants to live forever?
Forever is our today

Who waits forever anyway?

That needed to be done and you know it. You know it.

I think I'd rather not have immortality, but perhaps an extended life. Say two hundred years.

[SDF]

Yeah, true. But then I'd just think "Hmmm, it's a bit murky in here. Fiat lux! (http://www.multivax.com/last_question.html)" (hat tip: Isaac Asimov) :smallwink:

I really enjoyed reading that. I've read Asimov on chemistry, but not his fiction. I've daydreamed about this very thing endlessly. I'm also amazed at how many of his premises hold up today. While some don't, the inferences he made are close or dead on for what we know to be correct(I have a hard time using the word, "true") Though, at the end in an attempt to reverse the second law of thermodynamics the first if violated. But, thank you for posting that. It made my morning.

[Dhavaer]

I'd go for immortality if it weren't for the whole 'heat death of the universe' thing. If I knew for sure the Xeelee were building their Great Attractor or something, and I had a shot at getting into a new universe, then sure, but floating in the void forever doesn't appeal.

[Evil DM Mark3]

Hey humanity has a few TRILLION years to solve that problem! Besides, by then there will be so much fiction and other entertainment media that you could spend a million years just watching through it the once, forgetting it all by the next time round, for long enough that the quantum probability required for a big bang will eventually roll by...

[Eldan]

Do I want to die? Heck no.

There are so many beautiful things to see on this planet alone, and I have seen so few of them in twenty years. New things are created and destroyed by humanity faster than I can get to know them. And I want to see them all.

[OverdrivePrime]

But touch my tears with your lips
Touch my world with your fingertips
And we can have forever
And we can love forever
Forever is our today

That part of the song always gets me.
a. Immortality. Without hesitation. The thought that someday my mind and body will deteriorate and fail me is deeply insulting to me - a genetic betrayal.
b. It would be hard. I think the first two centuries would be the most difficult. But I could do it.

...And I want it. I want to see what happens to humanity over the coming centuries. I want time to understand the universe, and maybe even the mind. I don't want to miss anything. And I want to make sure that the people I love get remembered through the ages.

... but it'd be better if I could bring them with me.

[Ashen Lilies]

Do I want to be immortal? Yes.

The reason? Curiosity. I want to know what comes next. I want to go places, be places, see things all that sort of stuff.

Will I be able to stand people passing by me? As I am now, probably. I'm not a very emotional person, and the only people I would seriously mourn if they died would be my parents, who, barring freak accident, I will outlive anyway. Of course, this comes from a teenager, who has not experienced the phenomenon known as 'true love' yet, so immortality would probably come back and bite me in the ass. But till then, I am the Watcher of everything. Except of you in the shower. Because seriously man, who wants to see that? :smalleek:

[Assassin89]

The desire to die is often nonexistence due to a belief that something remains unfulfilled. If one has immortality, there is no reason to live any longer due to not finding anything more to accomplish.



I think I'd rather not have immortality, but perhaps an extended life. Say two hundred years.

I agree with Curly on this.

[Calmness]

Mortality. Life is beautiful because I am doomed.

I think he is right.

[Icewalker]

I like this question. Because, for me, not only is the answer yes, but I intend to. If all goes well, the upload may well be developed within our lifetime, allowing us to map our brains into computers, at which point you don't exactly age. It won't cut us off from senses, because we will and to some extent already do have the ability to interpret senses going into and messages coming out of the brain, so we'll be able to perceive and to function. I don't believe I would have any problems with being unable to die, and, if I came to a final conclusion that I did, I would do so.

If you are offering a choice where there is no possibility of ever escaping life in immortality, that's more questionable, but I think I'd take it anyways.

[SDF]

Going digital introduces problems with continuity of consciousness, though. A concept that is a bit disturbing to me. This also leads to my fictional fear of star trek transporters.

[DarkLightDragon]

I'm honestly not sure. Its human nature to fear death. But life isn't all sweet. There are rather nasty things that go on, and I don't want to have to be depressed literally forever. But at the same time, even though life isn't fair, I have something to live for, so I'm not ready to die just yet.

I'm leaning towards mortality, though.

[Icewalker]

Going digital introduces problems with continuity of consciousness, though. A concept that is a bit disturbing to me. This also leads to my fictional fear of star trek transporters.

Well, yeah. That depends on whether it is developed as a transfer or a copy. Unfortunately, seems more likely that it'll be the second one, so, from a personal perspective, it could be seen as not immortality. But, you know, from an external perspective they'd seem identical. I'll still do it.

[Trizap]

eh, I could live with it, I don't really care about my family, and I always wanted to see the future, plus if my theory correct, the universe will somehow crunch back up into into a little ball, leaving me untouched, then bang again, again leaving me untouched because I'm immortal, and I would just float around, watching the cool stuff happen like planets forming and the formation of stars,
then when I find a planet where life exists, I would go and watch evolution unfold, then the dawn of some alien civilization, where I can then teach them everything how about science and technology when their beliefs are malleable,
speed up the advancement of civilization so that the selected alien village eventually conquers the world, with ME as Planetary Overlord and eventually, I would advance their technology to the point where they would travel in space, then become High Overlord of the Universe, where I would then invest heavily into nanorobotic technology and use to make me a god!

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!!!

[The Rose Dragon]

Well, considering I want to base my career on the mechanics of aging and the prevention of pathways responsible for aging, I'd say immortality.

What's the alternative? Nothing. There is no alternative because if you're not going to live forever, you're going to die. And all your experiences will become meaningless.

[DarkLightDragon]

And all your experiences will become meaningless. Not neccessarily. There are many people who, throughout history, have left a lasting impression upon the world. I wouldn't call that meaningless. I won't go into detail, though, since most of said history people were involved with politics.

[Cheesegear]

[FONT="Courier New"]If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?

Immortality, with the given that I - and only I - can end my life if and when I so choose within a given time period. Maybe something like a 'Two-Month Waiting' in case I choose to die at some point...And choose...Poorly.


Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?

Do I have to change my identity every few years? Or will people accept me for what I am?

Do I get trapped in a coffin underground?

What happens if my arms and legs get chopped off by a chainsaw? Do I still live?

Ever seen Death Becomes Her - Or Owen from Torchwood? 'Unable to Age' as your path to Immortality sucks. Living forever sucks. Unless you have some sort of regeneration or way to stay in perfect health.

[Copacetic]

I'm rather undecided on this point. On one hand, I will go insane. On the other hand, I will see everything that can be seen, know everything that can be known. The creation of the universe, watching stars unfold. Watching everything around me whither and die. Tough choice.

But I'm leaning towards immortality. Life is pointless when you can do anything, but life is also pointless when everything you do amounts to nothing.

[The Rose Dragon]

Not neccessarily. There are many people who, throughout history, have left a lasting impression upon the world. I wouldn't call that meaningless. I won't go into detail, though, since most of said history people were involved with politics.

Yes, but no one remembers their experiences. They are gone. Once you die, all your memories die with you. I will have gone through all of them for nothing.

[onasuma]

Im non-religious. I dont think there is anything after death. I still wouldnt choose immortality. Recently, cracked did an article that covered my opinion, so Ill quote it below:

Immortality



Hey Guys, Check This Out!

Mortal coil? What the **** is that? Most people have existential dread to worry about, because they've only got a few short decades to live before they take that final dirt nap. But you're immortal, just like Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen. No pain, no sickness, no aging can harm you. You have all of eternity to do whatever the **** you want to do, so take your time.

Oh ****...

Okay, after the first, say, few hundred years, everything's still fine and well. You've seen a few generations of people live and die, and had this happen to your family. Oh well, they were likely douches you could live without anyway at some points. Companionship is companionship, or so you think.

Not so fast: You know how when you were younger (by human terms, a child), an hour seemed like forever to you? As people grow, their brain starts to perceive time differently. An hour feels like less time. Now extend that logic to a year, or a decade, or a century. This means that eventually, you will be completely unable to form relationships with human beings because their lives and deaths will flash past you like a tape on fast-forward.



Let's keep going into the future, since you're a sociopathic recluse and think you're still okay with this whole immortality thing. There are so many things that could go wrong with the planet, an asteroid strike, nuclear war, the LHC, but let's assume the planet somehow makes it through all that without being reduced to dust.

Five billion years from now or so, the Sun expands into a red giant. You survive the first roasting, but nothing else does. The Sun eventually rips planet Earth into rubble with gravity. So now there you are floating in outer space, drifting along, or getting a bitching tan at the heart of the Sun so you can pick up some killer alien chicks in the Andromeda galaxy if you ever get there (you won't).



Either way, a few trillion years later, the universe starts to really show its entropy. Every where is the same. No stars, no planets, no black holes, just an empty, cold mass of subatomic particles that can never come together again. And you, floating along in the void. Forever.

Doesnt look like a good deal to me.

[SDF]

Not neccessarily. There are many people who, throughout history, have left a lasting impression upon the world. I wouldn't call that meaningless. I won't go into detail, though, since most of said history people were involved with politics.

I agree. We have legacy, and I think that can be just as important. Meaning is what we make of it, and I think by that virtue having already experienced something significant has given it lasting meaning.

[Wishpig]

Immortality now

Regret for eternity.

Only way it would work is if using my immortality, trick mankind into thinking I'm the new messiah, unite them, and figure out a way to make the rest of mankind immortal.

Of course, we would prob all go insane eventually...

In the past 23 years of realising how f*ed up the world and people are, I've become fairly cynical... can't imagine after a few thousand years.

[Canadian]

Sure dude.

[Izzyundus]

What's the alternative? Nothing. There is no alternative because if you're not going to live forever, you're going to die. And all your experiences will become meaningless.

Taking in the big picture everything's meaningless. Expanding your argumant a mortal's actions are meaningless because even if they do shape the future of humanity beacuse eventually humanity will die out and would have even without that mortal's actions.

Why should that be differant for an immortal? Whatever you do will have no lasting impact, the only differance is that you would witness that impact and outlive it. That doesn't make it more meaningful than if you were dead. Your experiences and your actions are still meaningless in the longrun, its that you're there to know it.

Trying to think of a trick to make the immortality temporary, so then it would simply be a tool to outlive my lovedones, save them a bit of grief. The best I can come up with is drinking liquid nitrogen or injecting it into my bloodstream, then sending myself to the bottom of some ocean. I wouldn't die but it would be too cold to function and the pressure should be enough to keep me that way, so I wouldn't kill myself merely suspend my conciousnous for as long as possible. The hope is when I finaly find my way into space I simply freeze to the same effect. The thing with immortality is there would be so many things you could do to suspend your bodily functions or cease your existence altogether. What happens when an immortal body gets sucked into a black hole? Or if you simply burned to cinders?

[AmberVael]

I'd go for immortality.

Because the idea of dying terrifies me and always has.

[evisiron]

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?

b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?



Yes and yes, with the assumption that I could turn others immortal, vampire style.
If not, I would enjoy being immortal but with the option of suicide.

If completely unable to die, I would turn it down.

[DarkLightDragon]

Yes, but no one remembers their experiences. They are gone. Once you die, all your memories die with you. I will have gone through all of them for nothing. We may not know personally what they've gone through, but the people themselves used their experiences to write parts of history. So they're not completely gone.

And as for your second point, it depends on one's spiritual beliefs. I won't go into too much detail about that, either.


I agree. We have legacy, and I think that can be just as important. Meaning is what we make of it, and I think by that virtue having already experienced something significant has given it lasting meaning. Yup.

[dagaarn]

I'd go for immortality.

Because the idea of dying terrifies me and always has.

Same with me, it's just so hard to get your head around the thought that things keep going once you're gone.

In answer to Boo's questions;
I wouldn't want perfect immortality because of the reasons mentioned above about the universe ending and you still sitting there, in the middle of space, twiddling your thumbs. However, I wouldn't mind living for longer than the average life expectancy if I was able to keep my "youthful vigour". I hate the thought of growing older, body functions ceasing to...function. I don't really want to go through that. But as Boo's question is rather closed "mortality or immortality" i would have to choose the first of the two.
I think I could stand not ageing, but not dying? No way.

[13_CBS]

Immortality, eh?

1) On one hand, I'd like to live forever if only to see where humanity goes, what technology develops, what new things happen, and how humanity dies, if at all.

2) On the other hand, boredom and loneliness aside (the latter I'm used to, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem), it'd be rather inconvenient to have to get around legal things, and getting away from people trying to capture me and study me.

[Szilard]

I'd either want to age slower and live longer, or just observe how the future goes with no consequences to the space-time continuum.

[Calmness]

I don't know. Is the human mind even capable of lasting say, 200 years? I think that thanks to mother nature we are incapable of functioning as anything but a creature whose time is limited, and that a human being who defies that nature will never be able to function properly, or live a fulfilling life.

Whatever, i wouldn't mind if people find immortality, but i'll never do it. I stopped fearing death a long time ago.

[Phaedra]

Immortality? Hmmm. Think I'd have to say no. As others have said, it's the knowledge that I'll die that makes life worth living - with all the time in the world, why would I do things now? Or at all? It's our mortality that has driven mankind to advance.

Plus, it's the people I know that are the best thing in life - I wouldn't want to watch them all die and I imagine that if I were immortal forming new relationships would be harder - it'd give me a totally different perspective on life. I don't think I'd want to be alone forever.

'Sides, I want to see what happens next. I suspect it's nothing but, hey, you never know.

Incidentally, even if it is nothing, I don't think that makes my life meaningless. I'd like to think I've influenced people in my life and will continue to do so. Even if I never make the history books, I'd like to think something of me will remain in the people I touch, and in the people they touch in turn.

EDIT: If I could have a normal life span but not age, I'd take that. Say, living as I am til I was 80-90 and then just... stopping. It's the thought of my body falling apart around me that scares me, not death.

[Graymayre]

Well, yeah. That depends on whether it is developed as a transfer or a copy. Unfortunately, seems more likely that it'll be the second one, so, from a personal perspective, it could be seen as not immortality. But, you know, from an external perspective they'd seem identical. I'll still do it.

There's also the near-future possibilities of nanotech rejuvenation. With such technology, there is literally no reason that you couldn't live in a constantly young body for as long as you would like. Add a few bionic replacements and bam! You can run on sunlight and be capable of going into space.

Then, who knows? Maybe once the universe tears itself apart it will start to collapse inward into a new singularity. There is no way anything but a truly immortal body could survive that, but being alive in such a place would probably be amazing.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

"Death is a mug's game. I've got so much to live for." -Hob Gadling.

[RabbitHoleLost]

Mortality. Life is beautiful because I am doomed.
That is perhaps the most beautiful thing I've heard in a while.

Death doesn't really scare me, to be honest. I think it would be a fantastic change of pace, and I assume I'll be more than ready to welcome the Reaper into my home.
...
Well, Death doesn't scare me if he comes later. At the moment, I'm far too young. But, like, in thirty years or so? Perfect. I'd rather not get old.
Not that I'm able to decide my date of death anyways, but...

[MeatShield#236]

1. Mortality

2. The very second I after I choose to live forever, I will go insane. Why? Because then life would have no meaning for me. If you can live forever, why do any work? You will exist forever so there is no need to let your actions be remembered by other people.

I would just start walking in a random direction and just... keep walking until the world ends and after that.

[zeratul]

For the various reasons other people have stated, no I would not want immortality on this planet. Question though, are you referring to immortality as in you can't die naturally or as in other people can't kill you either?

[Weezer]

I would want immortality in the no aging sense, not the cant die even if you get shot into a sun sense. I think that this would be better because it would force me to at least keep enough interest in the world to keep myself alive and comforatable and prevent me from becoming a total recluse. If anyones read time enough for love Lazarus is what I'd model myself on, an eternal wanderer flitting from place to place and learning, forever learning.

[Ichneumon]

I'd take immortality, in a non-aging and non-killable way, as it would allow me to focus on the things that really matter to me more and allow me to really have an impact.

[Stormthorn]

I am afraid of death. Afraid beyond words of the vast uncertainty and probable destruction of everyhting that is Me. So afraid that i will kill myself if i ever run the risk of dying in my sleep. In the event that their is nothing beyond death, i want to be able to experiance my last moments of life.

So i would choose immortality in a heartbeat.

But eventualy it would drive me mad.

[Sneak]

1. Mortality. Even if I could give others immortality as well, I would still choose mortality.

2. In a word, no.

[Fredthefighter]

Okay, I'd probably go for mortality. As others have said, I wouldn't be able to take watching the world die around me as I live on as a lonely being. Unable to foster a relationship with anyone because I know I'll have to watch them grow old and die.
Right now, I'm not ready to die.
And the most I'd want my life to be extended by is probably about 150 years.

So to put it simply:
A) Mortality.
B) No.

[Blue Ghost]

As I believe in the afterlife, I will not want to live forever in this world for anything. By the time I come to the end of my life, I will definitely already have had enough of this world and be dying to move on to the next.

[Hell Puppi]

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?

Immortality


b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?
I think it would take a very very very long time for me to get bored.
I mean I could read every book ever, walk every continent, watch the world change and grow, explore everything, sit by a fountain for days and see if people notice, become the 'mystic on the mountain', insult every person personally on the face of the planet, get a PhD in everything ever, ride every amusement ride ever, try every food and drink there is....
Though if I lived 'forever' forever, like a Q, it might get boring, but it'd take a while. I mean, there's stuff to DO.

[UnChosenOne]

1. Mortality. You know whole idea of life is that than you can die.

2. Nope.

[Ceska]

1. Mortality - the one thing I am really certain is that I will die, it is the one thing that makes me move forward. If I died now, did I enjoy my life while it lasted? The answer is yes, and that is the only thing I really want to be sure of.

2. No. I want to die, one day. I wouldn't be unhappy if it was tomorrow, either, just slightly startled.

[golentan]

1) Mortality. Though lengthy extension would be nice.

2) No. What happens when you get stuck in a painful circumstance? If you've been gutted like a fish and encased in lava, I think it's horribly cruel. And sooner or later you will piss off someone to the extent that that's what they do to get rid of you.

[Shadowbane]

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?

-I would choose immortality. If I could stay sane for so many years, can you imagine the knowledge I could amass? I could help the world so much! There would be one contingency, however: My soul-mate must live as long as I do, if she can take it. If not, then I would allow her to die. I wouldn't keep her alive for forever against her will.

b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?

-Yes. I'm a dangerously serene person, and for some reason seem to be able to deal with grief better than my family. Eventually it's possible I'd go insane, but it would take a while.

[KnightDisciple]

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?
Mortality, insofar as this set of questions is concerned.

b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?

Not really, at least, again, so far as this question set is concerned. I wouldn't mind aging being easier, mind.

Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?

[Fostire]

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?
Immortality.

b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?
Not really. I could stand it for a long time while civilization still exists, but once the universe collapses and I'm stuck in a void for ages waiting for the birth of the new universe I would probably go insane from boredom.
But in the end the choice is between living for a few decades or living sane for several millenia. And who knows, maybe eventually I would recover my sanity in the new universe, and I can watch the birth of a new civilization, and the cycle begins again.
Eventually there will be nothing to amuse me anymore and I will suffer eternal boredom, but the way I see it mortality is just the same except you get to that point faster.

Being unable to age wouldn't bother me. At all.


Edit: I seem to notice that a lot of people aren't considering their immortality beyond a certain time, and it doesn't surprise me, infinity is a hard concept to grasp.
To all those people I ask, what are you going to do once you've done everything you want to do?
You will probably say "I would then find something else to do". But eventually you would have literally done and seen everything. There will be nothing that will surprise you, nothing that will amuse you, the whole universe will become as predictable as 1+1. What then will you do?

[thubby]

i would not want to live forever. I could deal with outliving people, but the idea of getting buried alive and never dying is horrifying, and with all of eternity, something like that is bound to happen.


Edit: I seem to notice that a lot of people aren't considering their immortality beyond a certain time, and it doesn't surprise me, infinity is a hard concept to grasp.
To all those people I ask, what are you going to do once you've done everything you want to do?
You will probably say "I would then find something else to do". But eventually you would have literally done and seen everything. There will be nothing that will surprise you, nothing that will amuse you, the whole universe will become as predictable as 1+1. What then will you do?

that of course assumes our mental capacity is infinite and more importantly our perception follows.

[AmberVael]

What then will you do?

I dunno. But it sounds better to me than not existing at all.

[UncleWolf]

1) Sure, toss me Immortality.

2) For the first few hundred years or millennium, I think I would be fine, but then I think my sanity would start to fray. And after a few centuries have gone by, I think my sanity would come back. Its a cycle.

And eventually when it is only me, floating through space, or what is left of it, I will sing every song I know, until I go insane and let the eons pass me by until I find something or someone else.

[Ganurath]

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?

b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?a) Immortality, without hesitation.

b) Of course not. I could bear it long enough to develop the technology that would adjust my memory storage so that I'd be able to deal with this eternity. Having done it all won't hold so much weight if I don't remember doing it.

[Destro_Yersul]

1: Yes, absolutely. Preferably as a lich.

2: Not a chance. After a while I'd go bat-<expletive> crazy and try to take over the world, or something.

[FoE]

I don't have enough time in this life to do everything I want to! Assuming this isn't some kind of immortality with a huge drawback (ie. rip out your eyes before you become immortal bwa ha ha), I would definitely go in for some everlasting life.

As a condition, however, I would still like to be killed through mortal means. That way I don't spend untold lifetimes as a dismembered corpse or buried alive or choking to death in the void of space.

[thubby]

And eventually when it is only me, floating through space, or what is left of it, I will sing every song I know, until I go insane and let the eons pass me by until I find something or someone else.

the horrifying part is, in space, no one can hear you sing.
not even you

[golentan]

the horrifying part is, in space, no one can hear you sing.
not even you

I thought that was the work of a merciful universe.

[Tichrondrius]

A) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?

Immortality, of course. Its my ultimate wish, the ability to do as I please with no concept of time or fear of death. The ultimate escape. The most wonderful thing to ever happen, what I hope science perfects...

B) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?

Of course I would. Unable to age or die? Sounds like paradise. Sure it would be awful at first losing all those that I care about- but that would happen anyway with a normal life, and it wouldn't happen to me! How great would that be? And the amazing things I'd get to see past one lifetime, the people I'd meet, the things I could do... an infinite world open just for me!

[Mewdo]

1. Mortality

2. No, because I am a horribly vain person, as are all people, in the end.

The reason pride comes into the picture is because I view the universe as being a story. Or rather, a collection of everyone's story. The stories must have protagonists, antagonists, rising actions, falling actions, themes to make it all worthwhile, and endings. Now, stories with immortal characters can arguably have endings and themes, but the stories themselves are not about those characters. Those charcters cannot have endings to their story because they themselves never end, and also have no point in learning from their own experiences. They may have interesting parts scattered throughout their infinite life, but these are just as easily told from the perspective of someone else, and in fact rely on the other people within the story to be interesting. To tell the immortal character's whole story would just be an infinite falling action. Thus, I wish to be my own protagnist in my own story. Affecting others but also being affected by others. Having my own accomplishments, gaining them by my own power. An immortal person may accomplish more, but without any sacrifice or effort. Because of that, the accomplishments of someone immortal are infinite times more meaningless than the accomplishments of us puny mortals.

Also, I wrote a poem that touches on this subject, and my previously mentioned horrible vanity forces me to display it and seek praise.

When does Death play his loveliest note?
When does he play his most horrible tune?
When will you feel his scythe on your throat?
Does it matter if it is soon?

When will Death come to take you away?
Do you live in fear of that day?
Or for it, do you pray?

Does it matter if you live only one day more?
No, it doesn't.
What matters is what you die for.


Now, all this may or may not be true, but the point is that I myself believe it is true, and that is why I would give my answer if proposed that question.

[LurkerInPlayground]

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?
Yes, if it involves eternal youth. If it turns out to be one of those horribly cursed forms of immortality, then no. Yes, I'd take it even if it meant outliving everybody I knew.


b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?
Well it depends on what you mean by immortality. I presume that our sun will go nova, and after that, there's always the heat death of the universe. And is this medical immortality or one of those wonky immortalities where you never succumb to wounds or disease?

Frankly, I don't consider immortality a very rational possibility at this time and having heard some of the drama that sounds cryonics, it seems like people hold too much awe at the idea of living forever. Or invest too much of themselves in it. Not me. I'm probably going to die without benefits of from slowed aging or any possibility of a resurrection.

The most likely possibility is medical immortality, which is to say, that death is still possible, but aging is no longer a cause of death. Notably, even slowed aging brings increased quality of life in advanced age and can presumably prolong the lives of the greatest thinkers of an era.

At any rate, the reasons the people give her for the morality/ethicality or immorality/unethicality of immortality is entirely bunk. Period. Don't let poetic nonsense distract you from the fact that immortality is merely a desire without any inherent meaning within it.

[thubby]

Now, all this may or may not be true, but the point is that I myself believe it is true, and that is why I would give my answer if proposed that question.

i would love to challenge your idea.
a story ending in the present, "and here i am today" are common. neither the person nor the events impacting or impacted by that person have ceased, only the telling.
even typing this now I may as well be immortal in the sense that my story has no end.

why can't an immortal sacrifice? they have an awful lot they can lose, and unlike you there is no escape in death.

[Boo]

*snip*

I've asked it more so in regards to "Can't die EVAR and do not age". More fictional that anything. But some answers are quite interesting, and I enjoy reading them in a philosophical sort of way. So I don't care how you answer, as long as you do. You gain bonus points if you say why in the form of a novel. :smalltongue:



For those of you answering with a scientific immortality: Think of it like having found the technology to make the half-life of an isotope impossibly long, or even nonexistent.

Either that, or be taking a certain number of pills every day for the rest of your life to extend it drastically while your biological age does not increase enough to be considered a year older.

There's also the possibility (though I doubt this one substantially) that you have increased your regenerative rate enough to be able to take any blow and not die, or even, maybe, return from the dead! (Okay, honestly, this is basically going into 'The Spirit' territory. I'm stopping there.)

[Mewdo]

i would love to challenge your idea.

Do you mean challenge the idea that immortality isn't the better choice, or challenge my logic behind choosing mortality, even though mortality is better? In any case, I accept your challenge and will consider each of your counterpoints before stating my own countercounterpoints. Then you may in turn give your countercountercounterpoints. I just hope all this pointing doesn't poke out an eye.


a story ending in the present, "and here i am today" are common. neither the person nor the events impacting or impacted by that person have ceased, only the telling.


Yes, but why does the telling end? Because the story is over. The character and problems he/she faces have been elaborated upon enough so that the character can face the problem. The character succeeds or fails, and there is a resolution to wrap it all up and to display the theme. The story ends. You are correct in saying that the character lives on, but he/she doesn't live on forever. Why would the character want to? His/Her story is over. The character will accept death knowing he/she had a good run. But the character who is immortal does not get that release. He/She must live forever knowing that his/her own story is over, and the focus will never again be on him/her.


even typing this now I may as well be immortal in the sense that my story has no end.


How can a story have no end? What's the point in that? It would just be an infinte falling action, going nowhere, no resolution, no meaning. No one will want to sit through that. And I may be vain, but not so much that I believe I could possibly keep getting the action to rise infintely. And even then there is still the problem of no purpose in the end, because there is no end.


why can't an immortal sacrifice? they have an awful lot they can lose, and unlike you there is no escape in death.

Anything and everything that an immortal has at one point is going to fall into nonexistance. The immortal knew that when they chose immortality. I would go so far as to say that their last sacrifice came with that choice, when they ultimately sacrificed everything.
Also, as you pointed out, I do not wish to give up my escape. You're basicly saying outright that it's a bad deal. So does that mean you're just trying to prove that I have faulty logic? Anyways, I would love to hear your next challenge.

Once again, this is simply my own opinion as to why I would chose mortality over immortality, putting it forth so that I may have others' opinions of my opinion. Though I suppose that's not a very safe thing to ask for on the internet.

[Zanaril]

Yes. Then I really can put off doing anything as long as I like.

[GoC]

I would like to live forever. The first few deaths would be painful but eventually I would devote my life to more intransient things. I want to see history happen and society change. A few billion years of human existance will make up for the eternity of nothingness that awaits.

[Corporate M]

http://www.ytv.com/programming/shows/yu-gi-oh/img/characters/char_seto.jpg
Ofcourse I'd want to live forever. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a lying bastard. People instinctively want to live. Oh sure, they might go through a bit of emotional turmoil, and feel like life is pointless and THINK they want to die. But deepdown, people want to hold on to life as long as possible. It's our lottery ticket to happiness. You don't throwout your lotto ticket till you see the numbers. The problem with living is that you never see the numbers. The numbers are every moment, of everyday...

I will say this much. Living eternaly would be a hellavu lot harder without my little lady. It'd be alot lonelier. But on the other hand, without fear of death. I'd no longer have to worry about reprocussions. What's the worse they can do to me? Lock me up forever? Like I can't get someone to help break me out and trick them into believing I can make them immortal too?

In general I believe we are not immortal beings for precisely that reason. We're already pretty good at being devils, we don't need cheat codes making it any worse... Not to say all I'd do is being @n4rChY!!!11eleven!!111!!!11 as an immortal. I'm not a one-dimensional being. I still feel things like compassion, remouse, empathy.. But power is a frightening thing to give to the wrong people. And everyone is the wrong people.

[A Rainy Knight]

1) Immortality.

2) It's kind of hard to tell. The deaths of everyone around me would be rough, but there's nothing quite as painful to me as thinking of all the amazing things the future holds that I'll never be able to see. Also, death is quite possibly my number one fear in the entire world. For me, it's just terrifying to even try to comprehend what it would be like to fade out of existence. I'd love to be able to put off that question forever.

[Alteran]

I'd have to say no to immortality.

If it came with the ability to end my life when I wanted, then maybe. It would be very hard to watch everybody I know die around me, but it would be even harder to be alive once the entire human race is gone and the planet is dead. Not only that, I'd probably still be able to feel pain. One day I would be absorbed into the sun when it becomes a red giant, and I'd be burning in there until the sun itself burned out. Forever is an incredibly long time, and there's no way I want to be alive forever. I'm sure I'd go completely mad once everybody was gone. Humans are very social creatures, I doubt any of us could stay sane like that. The though of an infinitely long time alone, floating in space...it terrifies me so much more than death.

[RabbitHoleLost]

http://www.ytv.com/programming/shows/yu-gi-oh/img/characters/char_seto.jpg
Ofcourse I'd want to live forever. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a lying bastard. People instinctively want to live. Oh sure, they might go through a bit of emotional turmoil, and feel like life is pointless and THINK they want to die. But deepdown, people want to hold on to life as long as possible. It's our lottery ticket to happiness. You don't throwout your lotto ticket till you see the numbers. The problem with living is that you never see the numbers. The numbers are every moment, of everyday...

I will say this much. Living eternaly would be a hellavu lot harder without my little lady. It'd be alot lonelier. But on the other hand, without fear of death. I'd no longer have to worry about reprocussions. What's the worse they can do to me? Lock me up forever? Like I can't get someone to help break me out and trick them into believing I can make them immortal too?

In general I believe we are not immortal beings for precisely that reason. We're already pretty good at being devils, we don't need cheat codes making it any worse... Not to say all I'd do is being @n4rChY!!!11eleven!!111!!!11 as an immortal. I'm not a one-dimensional being. I still feel things like compassion, remouse, empathy.. But power is a frightening thing to give to the wrong people. And everyone is the wrong people.

This would be a great answer, if it weren't a complete fallacy.
What about people who prefer not to have surgery on lethal cancers, or those who kill themselves?
Already, your first statement is proved wrong. You assume because you are cowardly towards death, everyone is.

[Reinholdt]

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose? I'd probably go with immortality. Silly Reinholdt. Picking the bad option.

b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age? Oh, most definitely not. I'd be driven quite mad you see. But with luck I can divert that madness into maybe somehow helping the world. Study, study, study.

Do I think I should choose immortality? No, of course not. And I'm not really afraid of death. But I would probably choose immortality anyways.

And yes, I'm perfectly willing to accept living through the heat death of the universe and floating around for eternity. Hmm... perhaps I'm already mad. :smallconfused:

[Felixaar]

1) Mortal. There is no way at all that I would want to live forever. I'm too excited about whatever comes next! I haven't got a clue what does, but I'll eat my hat if it ain't fun!

2) I'm not sure what you mean. I'd be able to live with it mainly cause I wouldn't have a choice. But I wouldn't like it. If it were the case however, and there would be nothing I could do about it at all whatsoever, well, then, what choice do I have?

[Khanderas]

Immortality, I would however be sure there was a way out.
Would suck immensly if I for example, get trapped in a burning house, leaving a charred thing in constant pain that would be a corpse if not for the fact it is still alive.

Or the world expires and Im trapped in the white dwarf / red giant at the end of the solar system.
All intelligent life destroyed only me left, and has been like that for 5000 years sofar...

So yeah. Needs to be an exit. Just as long as I can choose when to use it. I would not mind keeping a youthful body as well, I would assume that is part of the deal. No fun being a betwetting mummy in a nursinghome somewhere.

[Ilena]

Me i would not want to be immortal and live forever, i would not want to be stuck in this body forever :P

[OverdrivePrime]

I am keenly interested in finding out if the Quickening really does go like that, of if Duncan and Connor were just hamming it up for the camera.

[Flickerdart]

I'd totally take immortality. Maybe not absolute immortality (surviving heat death, for example, would be a tall order, or even the planet's destruction) but certainly something thorough.

[horngeek]

Due to my beliefs, I believe I am headed for eternal life. Why would I want immortality?

[Collin152]

Psh, mortality, immortality, life, death, it's all the same thing in the end.
As long as we are locked in Samsara, there is no end to anything but progress.
There is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange æons, even death may die.

[Mando Knight]

Due to my beliefs, I believe I am headed for eternal life. Why would I want immortality?

...Because they're the same thing?

Anyway, mortality, immortality, doesn't matter to me. I don't care. If I could live eternally young, I would probably take the chance, but if I can't in this pathetic universe, then so be it.

[Boo]

...Because they're the same thing?

By definition, yes, but his version differs in location.

[Lupy]

I'd not take immortality if it was offered to me, except in some as-yet undefined circumstances.

The only things that no one can ever take from you are your birth and your death, ever. And since most of us didn't plan our own birth, our death is the only thing we really own. I won't give that up.

[Collin152]

I'd not take immortality if it was offered to me, except in some as-yet undefined circumstances.

The only things that no one can ever take from you are your birth and your death, ever. And since most of us didn't plan our own birth, our death is the only thing we really own. I won't give that up.

On the other hand, someone can give you your death without your consent very easily.

[Lupy]

That's true, but at least you went through your life knowing that one day you would die. You got that certainty from it, if nothing else.

[Lost Demiurge]

A. Yeah. Yeah, I'd choose immortality. And all that entails... Though if there was a type that had an "Off" switch I could push, I'd prefer that kind. Best to have a way out of everything.

I have much to do. Much to see. Don't think it'll all be done by the time I'm dead.

B. I don't honestly know if I could stand being immortal. I think, I hope, I wish I could. Maybe. It would depend on quite a few factors.

If I could still sleep, still dream, then I think I could stand immortality.

[CasESenSITItiVE]

I don't think i would want to live forever. the bottom line is, everything in this world changes, and as such i think that after a while, you would just get desensitized to everything, including scientific curiousity, as breakthroughs you were excited about eventually get overlooked by bigger ones in the future.

it would probably take a while (which is why i wouldn't mind extended life, as mentioned) but i think everything dissappearing, over and over, would devalue life

[Reinboom]

There is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange æons, even death may die.

In a topic of immortality, a lovecraftian mortal quote is less meaningful.


For me:
a) I would take immortality.
b) Depends on the time. I figure my emotions would come in waves.

Now...
First, I do not understand the idea that being perceiving death drives oneself to completion. I, for one, had little to no concept of death for a significant portion of the beginning of my life - and, all considered, was rather personally productive.
The things the concept of death has done for me are:
- prevented me from impaling myself on a steel electric pole (I've wanted to do this for a long while, just... theres that whole death thing in the way)
- prevented me from crossing the street at the wrong times
- deterring my interest to explore detroit at all

among other small things

As for losing everyone I currently know... well, it'd be heartbreaking.
My parents have a very good chance of dying before me, my sisters will most likely pass before me (being significantly older, and a few having some bad habits). I've lost cousins, friends - one close friend even dying within a day of last speaking to him, power line accident -, grandparents, and further. I've gotten over it decently fast every time. Attempting to handle such is not instant madness.

On entropy, yay for laws of thermodynamics!:
Entropy always increases, however, it has been noted that the maximum entropy is also increasing as things isolate and spread. Further, even the - arguably - most extreme forms of entropy (black holes) explode and evaporate.
Next, the shape and direction of the universe needs to be accounted for. In an ever producing situation, well, pure entropy would never be reached - just as long as you could find a way to travel closer to the center.
In an open to crunch of the universe situation, it provides something much more interesting. With the universe rapidly collapsing you have energy interacting at exponentially increasing rates, radically increasing time perception. It is theoretically possible to view and interact in infinite perceived time while the universe collapses within finite time.
This also does not exclude 'shaping' in such cases. Or even multiverse theories.

If pure entropy occurs, however, then.... well.... a scientifically obtained 'immortality' would have you whisked away in to photons as well. A more supernatural immortality... life will live forever, in dream.

The universe is large. Time is always active, and a person normally only perceives the current portion of it (I would hate to have manhattan's view of time). When everything is explored, everything has become new again from the beginning.


So yes, I would want immortality.

[Trodon]

a)yes
b)most likely

[LurkerInPlayground]

Now...
First, I do not understand the idea that being perceiving death drives oneself to completion. I, for one, had little to no concept of death for a significant portion of the beginning of my life - and, all considered, was rather personally productive.
The things the concept of death has done for me are:
- prevented me from impaling myself on a steel electric pole (I've wanted to do this for a long while, just... theres that whole death thing in the way)
- prevented me from crossing the street at the wrong times
I suppose it's not weird for you to hear that I would not sympathize with a number of those goals. At least, I wouldn't do these things as an end-in-themselves if I were immortal.

I would call it "morbid" but I've decided that it's egregiously pointless. First off, it'd hurt. A lot. It's also highly inconvenient for a number of reasons. Bodily injury can still disable your powers for the short-term, if not for the long term.

And just because you cannot die doesn't mean you're invulnerable to mental harm, loss of freedom or coercion. An immortal can still lose things even if they cannot die. For another thing, messing up somebody else's car because you can't be bothered to look both ways is a pretty dickish thing to do.

You see, I can play with my own scat or urine. Probably wouldn't have a really good chance of actually doing myself any harm -- being that I'm pretty healthy. The reason I don't do this isn't that isn't merely that it's unhygienic -- it's aesthetically unpleasing. To a number of different senses.

Basically, I don't get why you'd inflict pain on yourself merely because the threat of death was removed.

[Reinboom]

Basically, I don't get why you'd inflict pain on yourself merely because the threat of death was removed.

#2 and #3 were the joke ones, actually.

#1 is the product of a morbid curiosity mixed with a sense of vertigo.
When I lived on the 9th floor of a tower apartment complex, my main room's major window opened up right above a steel power pole, one of the ones that connected to the city's electrical bus lines.
Now, I already get vertigo when around high falls. It always feels like I'm being urged off. Without death as fear, impulse would most definitely take me in this case, since, I have a strange wonder for this.

Of course, it would have to depend on the kind of immortality once more. It's to note that I'm considering immortal to be something created in this case, of which, reliance upon the body would've had to of been removed or modified in order to create this. This logically leads to mean that physical damage would be reversible.


But no, I wouldn't want to destroy someone's car for the hell of it.

[SilverSheriff]

If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?
Immortality: Because I am, as you have described; a Robot.
Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?
Yes, Plenty of new people to come across, sure I would mourn after someone I held dearly has passed away but then I would remember the good times me and that person shared and get back to living out my 'life'.

[horngeek]

...Because they're the same thing?

...

The difference is that immortality is on a sinful world.

Eternal life, on the other hand...

so yes, the difference is location, if you want to very much oversimplify it.
But the location is everything.

[RabbitHoleLost]

...

The difference is that immortality is on a sinful world.

Eternal life, on the other hand...

so yes, the difference is location, if you want to very much oversimplify it.
But the location is everything.

Of course, that's all due to personal beliefs one way or the other.
For those of us who don't believe there's anything after death, I can't blame them for wanting immortality.
I think it would just get boring, and then all those times I've said "you can sleep when you're dead" become lies >>

[SMEE]

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?
Mortality. I'd take it in less than a heart beat.
How could I attach and give myself fully to my lover, my friends, my children if I knew that they would soon be nothing but lost memories in my mind while I keep going?

Immortality sounds like the worst punishment that could be inflicted upon me.

b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?

I'd be driven crazy within years. And would isolate myself from everyone and everything so I wouldn't hurt people.

Boy... those thoughts are terrifying. :eek:

[Mad Mask]

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?

Immortality, without any second thoughts. Our measly human existence is far too short for my tastes, and after being dead for billions of years before I was born I can say dying is not a very interesting prospect. I would rather live through the end of the universe, drifting through nothingness, than die.

b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?

Yes, I think so. Assuming I don't lose my memories, if Heat Death comes, I'll live entirely through my dreams. I'll eventually get over the loss of my loved ones, and focus my life on the progress of humanity. Hopefully, Big Crunch will happen instead of Heat Death and the universe will start anew, and I could restart everything.

[Mando Knight]

I'd be driven crazy within years.

I'd do that, then get bored with insanity after a couple centuries.

[Hooded1]

I wouldn't want to live forever. I don't want to see all I love turn to dust. I find the idea of living forever to be unnatural and feel that it would be inherently corrupting.

However, I think I could survive living forever. I would be able to entertain myself for a very long time just by reading. I would also get an extensive education. I would learn new hobbies like how to actually play the guitar. I would pick up martial arts. Generally I would try to become the most interesting man i the world.

[Boo]

Boy... those thoughts are terrifying. :eek:

For the most part, I figured they would be.

And since no one's replied to the only person to mention Queen: Yes, I did base the title off that song.

For those using the original question material, do note that the Earth will be destroyed in roughly one hundred million years (lolSunlol), and in ten billion: the galaxy. Though, I probably have the timing off to some degree (likely by a large sum). So you'll probably end up drifting through space for a long while, or at least until you get sucked up into a black hole, then possibly spat out by a white hole in some reality where computers are called 959ogi7yhp[;zsdfsdzsargrgy8a. Note the semicolon. :smalltongue:

Those who are using the killable immortality: Well, I guess you don't have to worry all that much since you'll likely have been shot before then.



P.S.

I'd be driven crazy within years.I'd do that, then get bored with insanity after a couple centuries.

This is sig worthy.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

The thought that someday my mind and body will deteriorate and fail me is deeply insulting to me - a genetic betrayal.

For me, the thought that my mind will just go away, and my body will go whence it came is calming. The thought that, after a long and (at the pace I'm going) fruitful life, I can rest forever, without being bothered, and just NOT BE, that's bliss.

Death, to me, is beautiful.

I don't fear death.

I fear the unnatural.

My fears are not based around the possibility of me dying, they're based around the possibility that something may be WRONG. I don't really get scared, except in my dreams.

As someone has already said, you need to have the lack of something to fully appreciate it. If I lived forever, how could I ever fully APPRECIATE life for what it is, if I wouldn't ever know death, and when I say know death, I mean in a physical, personal way.

I answered a question sort of like this in another thread, and I said that I have heard of people talk of their near-death experience as "the most peaceful moment in their life". I want that. I want that peace. And this was coming from the guy talking about the time his body was getting ripped to bits by an industrial mixer.

What's some other interesting point?

Oh yeah, someone also said that after you die "your experiences become meaningless", or something like that. I would say, not true. Has your grandfather, or someone else of the sort, ever told you a story, and that story has stuck with you, even after he's passed away? Would you say his experience was meaningless. Would you rather he had never existed at all, because there was no REASON behind his existance?

What there was, though, was passion. Life is not a reasonable thing, but it's a passionate thing. I would like to pass life's passion on to my child, and they on to their children, and so on and so on. Maybe I'll become famous, and my memory will live on. If not, I don't care. I will not care, because I will not be there to see my memory disappear. If I'm not famous, in every small way, I became meaningful to SOMEONE.

But if I was immortal...

I would laugh, and then I would cry. And then I would close my eyes, and sleep. Forever.

Edit: I've read some more, and will like to expand, based on mostly SweetRein's post, concerning vertigo.

To me, vertigo is what makes life worth living. I have a friend who jumps off bridges for fun. If I keep on living, I would need to do more and more to get that same feeling of vertigo, that thrill that makes me feel ALIVE. Eventually, I would have done everything, and there would be nothing I could do that would make me feel alive, and I might as well be dead.

[Hylleddin]

1. Mortality

2. No, because I am a horribly vain person, as are all people, in the end.

The reason pride comes into the picture is because I view the universe as being a story. Or rather, a collection of everyone's story. The stories must have protagonists, antagonists, rising actions, falling actions, themes to make it all worthwhile, and endings. Now, stories with immortal characters can arguably have endings and themes, but the stories themselves are not about those characters. Those charcters cannot have endings to their story because they themselves never end, and also have no point in learning from their own experiences. They may have interesting parts scattered throughout their infinite life, but these are just as easily told from the perspective of someone else, and in fact rely on the other people within the story to be interesting. To tell the immortal character's whole story would just be an infinite falling action. Thus, I wish to be my own protagnist in my own story. Affecting others but also being affected by others. Having my own accomplishments, gaining them by my own power. An immortal person may accomplish more, but without any sacrifice or effort. Because of that, the accomplishments of someone immortal are infinite times more meaningless than the accomplishments of us puny mortals.

Also, I wrote a poem that touches on this subject, and my previously mentioned horrible vanity forces me to display it and seek praise.

When does Death play his loveliest note?
When does he play his most horrible tune?
When will you feel his scythe on your throat?
Does it matter if it is soon?

When will Death come to take you away?
Do you live in fear of that day?
Or for it, do you pray?

Does it matter if you live only one day more?
No, it doesn't.
What matters is what you die for.


Now, all this may or may not be true, but the point is that I myself believe it is true, and that is why I would give my answer if proposed that question.

I kinda view life the same way but I would still choose immortality. This is because I don't really want to be the protagonist permanently, but instead the reader. And I want the whole story.

A note about the entropy thing. Your mere existence as an immortal being breaks entropy. Theoretically, it should be possible to engineer a way to avert the heat death of the universe using your lack of entropy. And you have a long time to figure it out.

[SDF]

A note about the entropy thing. Your mere existence as an immortal being breaks entropy. Theoretically, it should be possible to engineer a way to avert the heat death of the universe using your lack of entropy. And you have a long time to figure it out.

Not if it is a mystical immortality, which it would have to be to defy physics anyhow.

The most likely scenario involves your body floating frozen in space with you being unable to move until the gravity of a star traps you in its orbit. This sucks for you being unable to move until millions of years later when the star starts to go supernova and you get pulled to the surface of the star where you spend the next eon burning alive until the star either turns into a white dwarf where you will be stuck to it until some other cosmic event takes place or the star will collapse and form an event horizon where you will stay under extreme gravity for the foreseeable future.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

I just thought of how painful it would be to be sucked into a black hole while alive. Spagghetification must be painful.

[Phae Nymna]

I think, I mean, well... I think I'd take an offer of immortality.

I think I could stand to live forever. It'd be tough though. I'd probably break down after about 15 people who I've loved intensely. Then I'd get therapy and return to the world of the dying.

[Katrascythe]

If I could live forever, without aging, then I would do so IF AND ONLY IF I could die at the precise moment of my choosing. If I were stuck in an immortal body unable to age and unable to die, I couldn't stand myself and I would probably go crazy after the first few thousand years. I don't think that I have the mental capacity of the God Emperor of Mankind such that I could allow myself to become a great person again and again throughout history just to unite humanity when the time comes.

I want to live, explore, and discover if I was immortal. When I was satisfied, I would like to be able to die.

Other than that, when I die, I want to be freakin' dead. Living forever would drive me nuts without some semblance of mortality would drive me nuts.

[LurkerInPlayground]

If I could live forever, without aging, then I would do so IF AND ONLY IF I could die at the precise moment of my choosing. If I were stuck in an immortal body unable to age and unable to die, I couldn't stand myself and I would probably go crazy after the first few thousand years.
Yes, I would think this is wise, although I hadn't mentioned it.

Namely because the planet has to die at some point and spending an eternity choking, freezing and/or burning in the void isn't exactly my idea of fun. Alternatively, sitting at the bottom of a crushing gravity well (also possibly burning) isn't exactly my idea of fun.

[Slippery Bogle]

The million dollar question here eh? Heh.

Well, you would have to way in all factors and see which would be more profitable.


One, what (if anything) is on the other side of death? The world has many different answers to that important question. Yet, we little hard evidence (if at all) of the afterlife. People that have died and were resuscitated to tell us that they experienced. Other than that, we have know clue. If the afterlife is anything but what I would ever want/need in an afterlife, then I would consider immortality more.

Two, what exactly would you have to gain from immortality? Immortality does not equal invulnerability. Therefore, if you were permanently injured or disfigured, you would have to live with that for eternity. That would not be something that I would choose. You could end up being a vegetable or in constant pain for eternity from being shot however number of times and not die. If you were to be able to be invulnerable, then I would definitely consider immortality more.

Third, what would your purpose be if you chose immortality? Basically you would be able to accomplish all your current goals and then still have plenty of time left over. Eventually you would run out of things to do that interest you because you would be doing them over and over. Unless humanity progresses and figures out new technology or new inventions, you would be stuck in perpetual boredom on some level or another. Not too mention you would out live everyone you would ever care for. Yes, you could make new friends and continue to do so along the way to keep yourself from going mental. If humanity ever discovers/invents a way to explore the universe more than we can right now then I would definitely consider immortality more.


Lastly, considering these factors, I cannot decide at this current time the answer to the OP's two questions. Until we can discover more facts about life and after it, there is no way to be certain which is more profitable to choose. Both immortality and mortality has it's pros and cons and to weigh each is a relative action to take.


But I'm just a Bogle, I wouldn't know about you humans...

[Yarram]

I think it'd rock to be immortal, just because there is so much to learn and so little time to do it. Imagine how fricken good you could get at piano after 600 years.

[Darius Midnite]

"May you live forever...or long enough" - Mark Twain

I might tire of immortality, for what we do not realize at this young age is, there comes a time where you would want to die. When all fascination in this world has been drained and there is nothing left.

[Hylleddin]

Not if it is a mystical immortality, which it would have to be to defy physics anyhow.

The most likely scenario involves your body floating frozen in space with you being unable to move until the gravity of a star traps you in its orbit. This sucks for you being unable to move until millions of years later when the star starts to go supernova and you get pulled to the surface of the star where you spend the next eon burning alive until the star either turns into a white dwarf where you will be stuck to it until some other cosmic event takes place or the star will collapse and form an event horizon where you will stay under extreme gravity for the foreseeable future.

I don't mean backwards engineer or synthesize it, (as you said, it would have to be mystical and not prone to that), I mean using myself as part of an anti-entropy device. Granted, that could be uncomfortable.

[Purple Rose]

Living forever would be... tiring. I mean, forever is a really really really long time. Then again, the Universe is a really really really big place. Infinite in fact. To quote a reliable source: "Bigger than the biggest thing ever and then some. Much bigger than that in fact, really amazingly immense, a totally stunning size, real 'wow, that's big,' time. Infinity is just so big that, by comparison, bigness itself looks really titchy. Gigantic multiplied by colossal multiplied by staggeringly huge is the sort of concept we're trying to get across here." So who knows. Divide your time living forever by the amount of stuff you would have to see and... well... I don't know.

[Ryrgwryr]

As much as you all would love to see this being an article relating to eternal life, this is, in fact, a question relating to eternal life. Well, two questions so it's a tad more clear.

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?

b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?

a) I'd pick immortality but only with those conditions met:
-I couldn't be harmed in any way i would consider harming me (especially having arms and legs ripped off, being blind or deaf). Basically i would keep perfect condition of body even when being continuously stabbed, shot, nuked, sucked into a single point etc.
-I would get memory extension (so i actually COULD store the new information i learned, possibly by human or alien technology)
-So really no fiendish catches would be nice.
-Oh, and I would get fireball as spell-like ability at will
b) Yeah, although i would get kinda insane after time. I would be so much closer to.
Other notes:
It would be so exciting to learn evrything, travel to evrywhere, watch the humanity rise with me, die on my eyes, grow again(humanity or yet inexistant specie that might be similiar to humans - namely it would have ability to create culture) etc... Well it would get boring after while. Sad thing is I would not only see my close friends and family die but most likely all the culture, all things. Unless "me" could be extended to something which additionally stores that data(like said some memory extension).
I would get insane ofcourse but after all I was the only one given the choice to gain immortality and learn evrything, wander endlessly.
Another thought: It would be pretty frustrating if i would land on planet that isnt capable of maintaining life... I mean assuming that universe will big bang again.
Yet another thought: Surviving black hole? Uhh... Hard to imagine I think it's weapon of ultimate destruction.
Sorry about my post being chaotic but that's how I am.
Fireballs for evryone :smallbiggrin:
~Ryrgwryr Nrgrirgrn

[Coplantor]

I think I would live forever, yeah, people gets used to live without their loved ones. Sadly, it seems that lately I've been losinf my empathy towards other people and somehow I cannot suffer other people's death. But the real problem of stop aging would be the myriad of experiences I wouold miss, I mean, if I stop aging at twenty, having a couple would be wierd. Also, if the human brain storage capacity is limited, then I will start forgetting things? Probably I wont care because, I wont remember, but it kinda sucks. But, what are the true possibilities of developing my mental capacities without time getting in the middle? Could I become a godlike beign? Able to manifest my will? Too many questions, so little time. Argh! I cannot choose, both alternatives are quite good. I iz confused.

[Mx.Silver]

Mortality. I get bored enough as it is with a finite amount of time on my hands. With immortality, your entire life is going to end-up waiting, especially after about 4 billion years or so.

[Saithis Bladewing]

Assuming I remain my own age, I don't think I'd mind Immortality, given my primary entertainment revolves around the creative process of myself and others, which even if it goes in circles will always be fresh and interesting as new creators come and go.

[Rapidwhirl]

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?
Immortality.

b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?
Yes, I have a purpose. Don't you?

What surprises me is that people refer to death as natural. My Bible tells me that the opposite is true. We weren't designed to die. In a sense the death some of the members here crave will bring about the burning agony and loneliness they sought to avoid. This is a great tragedy, remember that you could be wrong.

Following my own advice:
If my religion is wrong, even an immortal's life will end eventually. It is physically impossible to survive without food, water, and air. The vacuum of space would kill me.

If I did survive that, stars, blackholes and whatever else is in space, for indeterminable amounts of time eventually the universe wouldn't pull itself back together again. In which case I would decidedly be inhuman. Everything I did and experienced would have been meaningless

Meaningless, just like everything is without God. I simply would have lived to see it, and it would be fascinating.

[Goldwing]

a) If given the choice of immortality and mortality, which would you choose?

b) Do you think you could stand living forever, being unable to die? Unable to age?


I would choose immortality. Want I want to do can only be accomplished through living forever, being unable to die. I tend to live my life in the third person anyways, may as well give myself a good solid reason to do so.

I want to see the stars...and...the treks?

Aw, who am I kidding? I wanna crack at Chekov, even if that would involve making him gay. The eyes...EYES! So pretty.

[Berserk Monk]

Why live forever, when you could rock forever, last stand of the 300 Spartans style! Yeah! Extreme!