Poll: What's the attraction to being immortal?

[Saltyk]

I assume that we're immortal and forever young. Probably with some sort of healing factor. Hopefully one that restore limbs and such. Otherwise, being 1,007 years old and looking it would not be too pleasant.

Why be immortal? Why not? You can live forever, see and learn a great deal, and experience things that you could never imagine.

I'm certain that you would adapt to the change in language. There's no reason to otherwise. After 100 years, I'd get over my loved ones dying. Besides I could watch over my grandchildren and their grandchildren and so on and so forth if nothing else. As for getting trapped forever, all you would have to do is avoid dangerous situations. Besides if people knew you were immortal, they would know you were still alive in the event of an earthquake.

And I doubt 100 years would ever go by so quickly that you wouldn't notice it. It might seem quick to you, but not the blink of an eye.

As for evolution making me into a freak, I highly doubt we will change so much that our basic human form will go "out of style". I'd say more likely that humans as we are now will simply live along side the new human forms. The sheer number of us makes a complete change unlikely barring some natural disaster or genocide. And then, being the immortal God among "base humans" would probably give me some benefits.

 

[Saltyk]

Then there's the prospect of you inevitably being trapped somewhere for an eternity. And what happens the earth eventually blows up? Do you just float through space forever?

Sorry, pet peeve of mine. See this right here? What I quoted? That wouldn't happen with immortality. Unless you include invulnerability, you can be immune to age and disease, but not, say, a bullet to the brain. Or indeed, the planet blowing up. Think the Elves from LotR. They're effectively immortal, but that didn't stop one hell of a lot of them from dying when the Last Alliance stormed Orodruin.

As for me, I think 80-some years is enough. I mean, yes, I'll be kind of sad that I probably won't get my lightsaber, but I'd prefer that disappointment to having to bury my future children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.

I refuse to die without having a lightsaber clutched in my hand! Science better get working on them right now.

 

[Hazy992]

Then there's the prospect of you inevitably being trapped somewhere for an eternity. And what happens the earth eventually blows up? Do you just float through space forever?

Sorry, pet peeve of mine. See this right here? What I quoted? That wouldn't happen with immortality. Unless you include invulnerability, you can be immune to age and disease, but not, say, a bullet to the brain. Or indeed, the planet blowing up. Think the Elves from LotR. They're effectively immortal, but that didn't stop one hell of a lot of them from dying when the Last Alliance stormed Orodruin.

As for me, I think 80-some years is enough. I mean, yes, I'll be kind of sad that I probably won't get my lightsaber, but I'd prefer that disappointment to having to bury my future children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.

Well, assuming you couldn't be killed either, so you're invulnerable

 

[Wekub]

First off, you've got the fact that you have to watch every single one of your loved ones die.

Aye, unpleasant. Even if you continue making new friends and family, you'll lose each person eventually (assuming you're the only immortal).

Then you've got the fact that within a few hundred years you'd be unable to communicate with anyone due to language changes[...]

That's only assuming you don't bother to communicate with others. If you do, as most would want to, this would not really be a problem. And even if you go loner-mode for a couple of centuries you can still learn the modern language again afterwards. We're able to learn new languages, so the +200yr versions of our current ones would hardly be impossible.

[...], and eventually you wouldn't even look human anymore thanks to evolution.

Wait, what time scales are you using here? You're either thoroughly overestimating the speed of evolutionary changes (ans especially when humans are the case, as we tend to help our weak), or thoroughly underestimating (I suspect) human society's... expiration date.

You'd be treated like a freak and likely ostracised by everyone. Although it's not like you'd be able to actually form relationships with anyone as by this point time would be moving so fast for you entire lifetimes would be gone in the blink of an eye.

I'd say all of that is pretty exaggerated.

Then there's the prospect of you inevitably being trapped somewhere for an eternity. And what happens the earth eventually blows up? Do you just float through space forever?

If you're also indestructible, then aye, you'd be pretty damn bored, I expect. :]
If not, you'd die eventually. Though you'd probably experience a fair share of boredom by then, too.

I know this is a bit of a rant and it's not like it can ever happen, but I was just curious.
TL;DR Why do you want to be immortal? There's some major drawbacks to it.
EDIT: There should be a poll here. Just say if you would be immortal or not I guess

Nope. Wouldn't want it. I'd like to stay here a while, but bloody hell, forever? Or even centuries? Nah.
But it's a funny thought. :] (If you exclude the parts where you see future generations of your family die, etc)

W

 

[Alleged_Alec]

Well... The whole not dying bit sounds rather good. I could probably handle loved ones dying. As mentioned: adapting to new languages is not too hard and the other things are also not too big of a problem.

 

[NathLines]

There are no drawbacks to being immortal. Losing loved ones? We already do.

Lifetimes in the blink of an eye? I'm sorry, time doesn't work that way. It'll move at exactly the same pace as now.

Not being able to understand languages? Uhm, no. This doesn't make any sense.

Not looking like other humans because of evolution? We already have plastic surgery. Don't you understand how fast technology is evolving at the moment? Imagine an explosion. That's how. I'd be surprised if we still have flesh on our bodies in a thousand years.

I understand that it would be hard on the mind to be immortal. No doubt a lot of us would just go crazy after a while. But we already deal with the passing of time in our current lifetimes. Make no mistake, immortality is no different than life. Immortality is the removal of death. And death is what scares us.

 

[sextus the crazy]

Here's why you wouldn't want to be immortal.

http://www.cracked.com/article_18708_5-reasons-immortality-would-be-worse-than-death.html

 

[Goofguy]

An other thing about immortality that people don't consider is their livelihood. So what do you do to make ends meet now? Do you WANT to be doing that 100 years from now? Sure, maybe you could just save up money to get a doctorate in a field you love and do that indefinitely but wouldn't you get bored? I mean, you could never really retire because you'll always needs money to sustain your immortal life. Unless you plan on trying a little bit of everything by the time you're 500 years old...? Astronaut, carpenter, surgeon, archaeologist, marine biologist, lawyer, soldier, plumber whatever.

Maybe this ideal immortal life would involve people constantly giving money to you because they view you as a living god, who knows.

 

[Da Orky Man]

I'd like the kind of immortal that let me die when I want to. If that were the case, then sign me up! Language changes will be easy to keep up with, evolution can be countered through the use of mechanical addons Deus Ex style, and as for loved ones and friends, I can wait until we've developed AI that can also live forever.

 

[Aris Khandr]

People have a survival instinct. Our natural reaction is always to survive. That's why "fight or flight" is one of the most vital and hardwired concepts our brains have. Immortality is the logical extension of that instinct into a fantasy. On top of that, more and more people are giving up on religion and its promises for "life after death", and accepting that the only thing we have to look forward to is a hole in the ground. Immortality, as a concept, seems a much more interesting alternative.

 

[doggy go 7]

so you don't have to die, and face eternal nothingness, with no you to remember there ever was a you, wiht nothing to wake up from afterwards to realise that there was nothing. this. is. fucking. scary. and any way to avoid it is a positive

 

[Yopaz]

Because people are stupid. They say they want to see technology grow and document the world history as a time witness.
What you would see is that we would lose access to the heavy metallic elements needed for technological progress. You'd see us running out of precious nutrients such as phosphor which is likely to be in a time lapse of 50-100 years so some of us are most likely going to witness it anyway. Now so unless things change in the next 50 years we are doomed within 200 year at best, this doesn't just mean humans. This means all life. Bacteria, plants and animals would all die. Then there's like 4 billion years on a dead planet until the sun reaches the end of its life. After that a lot of nothing.

 

[DOOMGUY '93]

Well the reason I want to do it is for SCIENCE!!!! Like living to see advancments in technology, and because I live forever I can hop on ship and take a LONG flight to another system because I would be alive when they have made the right craft for it. Also (assuming this the kind of immortality that makes you invincible) I would probably become a mercenary cause WHY THE HELL NOT!!! And Deadpool is my favorite Marvel character and if I can be somewhat like him GREAT!!! But yea I'd be immortal if I could. And plus if it's not invincible immortality when my spouse dies, after a few years I'll just bite the bullet.

 

[silasbufu]

Sorry, first of all, the language argument is just silly. We're able to learn any language we want in the present (if you're willing to put effort into it), so I see no reason not to, in the future.

I don't know if I would like to be immortal or not. What I know is that I'm scared of dying. At least now I am. Maybe in about 50-60 years (I'm 22 now), after living a full satisfying life, I won't give a crap. But right now, with so many things that can cause death, circling around us, it's normal for some people to wish for immortality. That's why we should try to live our lives to the fullest ( I know it's a cliche but it's true )

 

[VoidWanderer]

For me, if I was able to attain immortality, I would finally have the time to unite the world, though with my plans for it, Religion will always be a large obstacle to overcome.

 

[veloper]

I suppose those people assume they would be happy for a very long time, opposed to being a lab rat forever.

 

[Oly J]

I'd only like to be immortal as in ageless, I'd still be able to be killed I just couldn't die naturally, I just like the idea of being able to die when I am good and ready, or in combat perhaps, but not when my frail human form dictates I must

 

[ShindoL Shill]

five years after you die, everyone gets superpowers. you would have gotten your favourite one but.. you died.
plus, who says you don't evolve like a pokemon? and we can learn new languages. hell, you'd be there for the people making them, so why the hell won't you know it.

and when it comes to the whole 'apocalypse' argument, you're IMMORTAL not INVINCIBLE. look at Misfits: Nathan gets impaled on a pipe, dies and comes back AFTER he's taken off it. in Heroes, an immortal/regenerating character dies from head wounds.