The downside of eternal life

[Dropkick]

Just another senseless thing I've been thinking about.

If you could live forever would you want to?

There are serious downsides to immortality: boredom, death of loved ones, loneliness, possible (most likely inevitable) insanity (but with immortality you may have time to recover), possible death of race, possible inability to adjust to changes in culture, having to hide from the non-immortal, plus many more.

And if you could make others immortal how would you pick who to turn?

What would you do with your immortality?

 

[Blobbenstein]

Well, if I were to drink the potion in 'Death Becomes Her', I would try to invest money I had and become rich, so I could buy a castle....wouldn't be much fun being immortal and living on the streets, although if civilization came to an end then it may come to that.
I think I might be lonely in my castle though..

 

[Envy]

The inevitable heat death of our universe would suck.

 

[Blobbenstein]

if you had the technology, you could delay that problem. Create a world powered by turning matter into energy. Maybe a matrix virtual world that didn't use much energy, that could exist for trillions of years.

But I believe that all matter would evaporate into energy eventually, and we would get a new big bang.

 

[rainforests1]

Just another senseless thing I've been thinking about.

If you could live forever would you want to?

There are serious downsides to immortality: boredom, death of loved ones, loneliness, possible (most likely inevitable) insanity (but with immortality you may have time to recover), possible death of race, possible inability to adjust to changes in culture, having to hide from the non-immortal, plus many more.

And if you could make others immortal how would you pick who to turn?

What would you do with your immortality?

I don't like the way humanity is headed, and I think we'll become farming societies again by 2030 possibly 2020. The worst case scenario for me. It would be a no. As far as others are concerned, I'd have to think about it more.

 

[beancounter]

The only poblem I see with immortality is being around during the heat death of the universe, because then it would really get boring.

But by then you could probab,y learn how to travel to alternate dimensions and have plenty of new things to see and learn.

 

[Katrina]

Well I wish I could live longer so I can teach myself whatever I feel like learning. The downside is that even if I'm immortal, I would still have to work to support myself somehow. Haha. Though I guess after my first 100 years or so, I could have a house and all of that bought and paid off and I could use the rest of eternity doing whatever I feel like doing.

Anyway, I guess my ultimate goal as an immortal would be to better the world in some way. I would spend my life learning new things, finding ways to put them to use, eventually build up some sort of business that encourages sustainable living or something like that. I don't think I would ever get bored, really.

Who to make immortal too? Whenever I meet my soulmate, I would make him immortal, provided that he wants it. Any children I have would be made immortal. I'm not sure past that.

 

[Dropkick]

Though I guess after my first 100 years or so, I could have a house and all of that bought and paid off and I could use the rest of eternity doing whatever I feel like doing.

You've obviously never been a home owner. I've bought several houses in my lifetime, but even though I paid for them, they all actually belonged to the government. Because if I didn't pay the "rent" (property taxes) they would kick me out and take it away. My current house costs me just under 3 grand a year in taxes (and it constantly rises).
There might be a country somewhere in the world where you can actually own property, but I don't know of it.
-If somebody does would they please tell me? Maybe I'll move there.

-disclaimer: owning still beats renting.

 

[Clueless Git]

It's a great show folks!

Thing about a great show is that to be a great show it must have a beginning a middle AND an end.

The TV show 'Lost' doesn't have an end and as anyone with a brain doth shurely know; Death is infinitely preferable to sitting through **** like that.

 

[Dropkick]

If you believe the majority of world religions we may already be immortal. We just change form and/or plane of existence.

 

[Calliegirl]

I don't think I would want to live forever. Just a few hundred, or a few thousand years to see what new things are invented and how the world changes.

 

[Dropkick]

I don't think I would want to live forever. Just a few hundred, or a few thousand years to see what new things are invented and how the world changes.

It would be difficult to keep up with the changes, especially if the world continues to evolve at the rate it currently is. You'd have to keep a constant eye on trends and technology or you'd fall completely out of touch. The world has completely changed in just the last 30 years. If you didn't keep up for even a few years you might never be able to catch back up.

Think of how hard it is for some people to understand new technology or relate to current trends and music in any way. I don't consider myself to be that old or have a hidebound mind, but I have problems relating to some of the new trends and (some) popular music. My parents still can't program a VCR and my Dad has never used a computer that didn't use punch cards.
Now multiply that problem for someone who lives for centuries.

 

[yakherder]

The evolutionary process relies on a finite lifespan, and living forever among those who continue to die and evolve, generation after generation, would cause you to end up as a primate ideally adapted to conditions other than those in which you live. Your former colleagues would probably view you as an archeological artifact and throw you in a lab. They would then argue about whether you are the missing link or an abomination sent by some evil futuristic deity to deceive nonbelievers. Then they'd kill each other over this disagreement.

 

[ledboots]

Lol! ^^^

 

[SuicideBlonde]

Every time I see this thread I get this in my head

and think of Highlander.

 

[das_nut]

and think of Highlander.

Yes. Sure, you can be immortal, but people keep trying to behead you...

 

[Cerebellion]

I think I could deal with the constant threat of beheading if I got to have regular sword duels in random places.

 

[Dropkick]

The evolutionary process relies on a finite lifespan, and living forever among those who continue to die and evolve, generation after generation, would cause you to end up as a primate ideally adapted to conditions other than those in which you live.

New thought: what if the evolutionary process for intelligence turns out to be a loop, or if man regresses as the evolutionary need for intelligence has passed? Then you could end up as the only homo sapient in a world full of chimps.
Then everywhere you went they'd throw poo at you.

 

[yakherder]

New thought: what if the evolutionary process for intelligence turns out to be a loop, or if man regresses as the evolutionary need for intelligence has passed? Then you could end up as the only homo sapient in a world full of chimps.
Then everywhere you went they'd throw poo at you.

When I respond by throwing poo back, would they think less of me or respect me for it?

 

[Cerebellion]

Forget the poo throwing, chimps are mean. You'd count yourself lucky to get hit with poo and not having your face torn off.