Why do people want to be immortal?

[loc978]

Better than what's actually going to happen to me, I say. My body has already entered the downward spiral that comes after a physically punishing youth... if I could freeze it where it's at, I wouldn't need to suffer the eventual partial paralysis that's coming to me (my lower spine is really, really fucked). After that comes death. My synapses stop firing, and then most likely... nothing. I've never seen any reason to believe in the existence of any individual possessing a "soul" apart from fear of death... which is rather unreasonable, as reasons go. I'd rather live than not live, no matter what.

Add to that the possibility for human technological advancement, and, well... we may not need to perish with the sun in 4.5 billion years. It's entirely possible we'll achieve extragalactic travel before then. Even if the human species destroys itself within the next couple of centuries, I'll still have this planet's resources an billions of years to come up with a solution of my own. Perhaps I'll even figure out a way to preserve a self-sustaining shelter containing all of my favorite things if/when the universe implodes on itself. Even if I fail at all of that, it's better than not existing.

**edit**
also, I don't think your idea of immortality meshes with most people's. If your parts are fragile enough to sustain irreparable damage, you can die. Our sun going nova would vaporize you... unless you have a way of re-forming after being vaporized... or your parts are invulnerable to such things... that would be death.

 

[lionrwal]

Depending on the type of immortality the Captain Jack Harkness, where you die then come back basically reset to before death but still aging, or the nothing hurts you stay as you are for all eternity never aging, I would go for the latter I'm very unemotionally attached to death it's part of life yes their would be some area of grieving but you move on.

I would just like to see where we as a species go on from here. And seeing as how things are now i think that will take some time.

I'm talking about immortality where everything that affects normal people affects you. Any injury or ailment will have the same effect on you, albeit death. You get an arm cut off, you have to have it sewn back on to use it again.

 

[lionrwal]

To see if things change... to have a new chance at a better life and to be able to experience what life has to offer entirely. The people who live the worst lives should probably be granted immortality until they've had their shot at a good one.

So people should be immortal until they have a good life, then they lose it? I don't think that counts as immortality.

Because it could quell a lot of our fears.

For instance, I have a fear of losing one of my limbs. Particularly, one (or both) of my arms. If I were immortal - or just invulnerable - then that fear would be gone because I could never lose either.

Note that this is the Baccano style immortality I'm talking about. The one where you can a) live forever and b) when something is cut or removed, it just all comes back to you. Arm chopped off? A few seconds later, all the blood comes back into you and the limb reattaches itself. That would be awesome.

Honestly, I don't want true immortality on this Earth because unless we go somewhere else, the sun is eventually going to explode. And then there's the whole bit about the Heat Death of the Universe/end of the universe in some manner. It would, however, be nice to have the aforementioned Baccano immortality at about 27 years old for a few thousand years, or a million or so, just to see where humanity is going.

And, of course, so I could play all the newest video games at my leisure. Also not needing food would save me a whole lot of money, and not needing sleep would save me a whole lot of my already-considerable time, enabling me to earn more money!

On a final note, everyone should go watch Baccano now, no matter your opinion on anime (Hint: The performances are excellent and the humor isn't bad at all). Genius, that show.

The immortality I'm talking about is that no matter what, you won't die. Every kind of injury normal people have will have the same effect on you, albeit death. If your arm is cut off, it's cut off, and you have to stitch it back on to get it back. Just clearing up any confusion I caused.

That's not immortality, that's not even really being a god, its a hybrid between being a zombie and not aging.

Immortality is when you don't age and don't thus die of age. Barring exotic events, you don't die.

And I specifically said you will never die. You will feel all the pain, but you will never die.

 

[Moc]

Pretty easy: They do not think about the consequences, the pain of a thousand lifetimes, imagine you met the girl of your dreams and then 50 years later she dies and you will never ever die. And this story could repeat itself until you turn insane. Then again a cynical bitter person (what the eterneal torment will twist anyone into) could work around the negative sideeffects of immortality.

 

[lionrwal]

Better than what's actually going to happen to me, I say. My body has already entered the downward spiral that comes after a physically punishing youth... if I could freeze it where it's at, I wouldn't need to suffer the eventual partial paralysis that's coming to me (my lower spine is really, really fucked). After that comes death. My synapses stop firing, and then most likely... nothing. I've never seen any reason to believe in the existence of any individual possessing a "soul" apart from fear of death... which is rather unreasonable, as reasons go. I'd rather live than not live, no matter what.

Add to that the possibility for human technological advancement, and, well... we may not need to perish with the sun in 4.5 billion years. It's entirely possible we'll achieve extragalactic travel before then. Even if the human species destroys itself within the next couple of centuries, I'll still have this planet's resources an billions of years to come up with a solution of my own. Perhaps I'll even figure out a way to preserve a self-sustaining shelter containing all of my favorite things if/when the universe implodes on itself. Even if I fail at all of that, it's better than not existing.

And when the Universe ends or comes to a big halt, you will still exist, drifting around in the aftermath of whatever happened.

 

[Soviet Steve]

They fear death and haven't got any idea how immortality could mess with their psyche. If you think someone 20 years younger than you can be annoying try 200.

They wish to spend more time with me, obviously due to my own immortality. Shame they can't have it, though.

This being the obvious exception, though again, the time spent with her would feel far too short and eventually result in a mental breakdown.

 

[nerd killer247]

if i can still have sex then yes

 

[lionrwal]

To see if things change... to have a new chance at a better life and to be able to experience what life has to offer entirely. The people who live the worst lives should probably be granted immortality until they've had their shot at a good one.

So people should be immortal until they have a good life, then they lose it? I don't think that counts as immortality.

Because it could quell a lot of our fears.

For instance, I have a fear of losing one of my limbs. Particularly, one (or both) of my arms. If I were immortal - or just invulnerable - then that fear would be gone because I could never lose either.

Note that this is the Baccano style immortality I'm talking about. The one where you can a) live forever and b) when something is cut or removed, it just all comes back to you. Arm chopped off? A few seconds later, all the blood comes back into you and the limb reattaches itself. That would be awesome.

Honestly, I don't want true immortality on this Earth because unless we go somewhere else, the sun is eventually going to explode. And then there's the whole bit about the Heat Death of the Universe/end of the universe in some manner. It would, however, be nice to have the aforementioned Baccano immortality at about 27 years old for a few thousand years, or a million or so, just to see where humanity is going.

And, of course, so I could play all the newest video games at my leisure. Also not needing food would save me a whole lot of money, and not needing sleep would save me a whole lot of my already-considerable time, enabling me to earn more money!

On a final note, everyone should go watch Baccano now, no matter your opinion on anime (Hint: The performances are excellent and the humor isn't bad at all). Genius, that show.

The immortality I'm talking about is that no matter what, you won't die. Every kind of injury normal people have will have the same effect on you, albeit death. If your arm is cut off, it's cut off, and you have to stitch it back on to get it back. Just clearing up any confusion I caused.

You ask a very general question (why do people want to be immortal?) with a keyword that has many different definitions [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Immortality] and then expect people to know the one very specific definition that you had in mind.

And you didn't expect people to just jump up and give their own and say "HELL YES!" to the one they specified?

By the way, biological immortality [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_immortality#Organisms] is something that can happen.

And, finally, the simplest reason is because we fear death and pain and most people don't think "Hey, what am I going to do if everyone else dies and I am left floating in infinite pain?"

Sorry about the confusion, I really should have specified.
On the last part, I have a lot of free time and I like thinking about that stuff so that others don't have to.

 

[Esotera]

I'd only like to be immortal in the sense of being able to choose when I died, and on what terms. I'd rather choose to die in 25 years time, or 25 centuries times, and have it be a painless experience, than go senile & wait for a slow death from cancer or complicated health.

 

[lionrwal]

if i can still have sex then yes

I encourage you to read my entire post.

 

[loc978]

Better than what's actually going to happen to me, I say. My body has already entered the downward spiral that comes after a physically punishing youth... if I could freeze it where it's at, I wouldn't need to suffer the eventual partial paralysis that's coming to me (my lower spine is really, really fucked). After that comes death. My synapses stop firing, and then most likely... nothing. I've never seen any reason to believe in the existence of any individual possessing a "soul" apart from fear of death... which is rather unreasonable, as reasons go. I'd rather live than not live, no matter what.

Add to that the possibility for human technological advancement, and, well... we may not need to perish with the sun in 4.5 billion years. It's entirely possible we'll achieve extragalactic travel before then. Even if the human species destroys itself within the next couple of centuries, I'll still have this planet's resources an billions of years to come up with a solution of my own. Perhaps I'll even figure out a way to preserve a self-sustaining shelter containing all of my favorite things if/when the universe implodes on itself. Even if I fail at all of that, it's better than not existing.

And when the Universe ends or comes to a big halt, you will still exist, drifting around in the aftermath of whatever happened.

I thought my post made it pretty damned clear I knew that. Bolded the pertinent bit.

 

[Ledan]

Simple enough question. Every few days it seems a thread involving immortality comes up and I have to ask, why do some people want to be immortal?
I used to wish to be immortal until I realized that would mean I would have to see the death of everyone I grew close to. I would be cursed to live to see the entirety of the human race go extinct, to see civilization crumble, to experience the pain of the Earth being engulfed by the Sun, then be left floating out in space when the Sun consumes our solar system for all of eternity, helpless.

Anyway, that's my view on immortality. What say you?

Why is it that whenever immortality comes up someone ALWAYS says that it would be terrible. It wouldn't. It would be friggine awesome:

Friends: You make friends, you lose friends. Whether you lose them becuase they are dead or because you now live somwhere else and haven't talked to them in 20 years doesnt matter. You lost them, get over it. It's really easy to make new friends, to have new experiences, etc.

Also, if you are immortal you could spend enough time/money or know how to turn other people immortal. So you're "one true love" will be able to share eternity with you. Pretty sweet deal.

Who says the human race will go extinct? or that civilization will fall? As the Immortal you can set long term goals. Like colonizing mars, colonizing other solar systems, galaxies, galaxy clusters. Y'know the whole heat death of the universe? Colonize another big bang cluster! Sure, it could take millions of years to get to another big bang cluster, but by that point technology could have advanced to a point where we can move entire solar systems, and keep them energy efficient.

I honestly think that people who think that Immortality have NOT thought about it enough. You think as if you have no power, but you would be immortal. Which would mean ultimate power. Spend 100 years traveling the globe, another 100 years building up an economic superpower, 1000 years of slow manipulation to control the earth. Invest in artists who will keep you entertained, plan long term goals. And heck, if you grow bored you can go to sleep for 10000 years. Or use people as pawns.

The world would be your oyster. Forever. Enjoy goddamit!

 

[lionrwal]

I'd only like to be immortal in the sense of being able to choose when I died, and on what terms. I'd rather choose to die in 25 years time, or 25 centuries times, and have it be a painless experience, than go senile & wait for a slow death from cancer or complicated health.

Then that's not immortality is it?

 

[Delsana]

To see if things change... to have a new chance at a better life and to be able to experience what life has to offer entirely. The people who live the worst lives should probably be granted immortality until they've had their shot at a good one.

So people should be immortal until they have a good life, then they lose it? I don't think that counts as immortality.

Because it could quell a lot of our fears.

For instance, I have a fear of losing one of my limbs. Particularly, one (or both) of my arms. If I were immortal - or just invulnerable - then that fear would be gone because I could never lose either.

Note that this is the Baccano style immortality I'm talking about. The one where you can a) live forever and b) when something is cut or removed, it just all comes back to you. Arm chopped off? A few seconds later, all the blood comes back into you and the limb reattaches itself. That would be awesome.

Honestly, I don't want true immortality on this Earth because unless we go somewhere else, the sun is eventually going to explode. And then there's the whole bit about the Heat Death of the Universe/end of the universe in some manner. It would, however, be nice to have the aforementioned Baccano immortality at about 27 years old for a few thousand years, or a million or so, just to see where humanity is going.

And, of course, so I could play all the newest video games at my leisure. Also not needing food would save me a whole lot of money, and not needing sleep would save me a whole lot of my already-considerable time, enabling me to earn more money!

On a final note, everyone should go watch Baccano now, no matter your opinion on anime (Hint: The performances are excellent and the humor isn't bad at all). Genius, that show.

The immortality I'm talking about is that no matter what, you won't die. Every kind of injury normal people have will have the same effect on you, albeit death. If your arm is cut off, it's cut off, and you have to stitch it back on to get it back. Just clearing up any confusion I caused.

That's not immortality, that's not even really being a god, its a hybrid between being a zombie and not aging.

Immortality is when you don't age and don't thus die of age. Barring exotic events, you don't die.

And I specifically said you will never die. You will feel all the pain, but you will never die.

A head shot and decapitation will still kill you, that's the trick about immortality.

 

[lionrwal]

Simple enough question. Every few days it seems a thread involving immortality comes up and I have to ask, why do some people want to be immortal?
I used to wish to be immortal until I realized that would mean I would have to see the death of everyone I grew close to. I would be cursed to live to see the entirety of the human race go extinct, to see civilization crumble, to experience the pain of the Earth being engulfed by the Sun, then be left floating out in space when the Sun consumes our solar system for all of eternity, helpless.

Anyway, that's my view on immortality. What say you?

Why is it that whenever immortality comes up someone ALWAYS says that it would be terrible. It wouldn't. It would be friggine awesome:

Friends: You make friends, you lose friends. Whether you lose them becuase they are dead or because you now live somwhere else and haven't talked to them in 20 years doesnt matter. You lost them, get over it. It's really easy to make new friends, to have new experiences, etc.

Also, if you are immortal you could spend enough time/money or know how to turn other people immortal. So you're "one true love" will be able to share eternity with you. Pretty sweet deal.

Who says the human race will go extinct? or that civilization will fall? As the Immortal you can set long term goals. Like colonizing mars, colonizing other solar systems, galaxies, galaxy clusters. Y'know the whole heat death of the universe? Colonize another big bang cluster! Sure, it could take millions of years to get to another big bang cluster, but by that point technology could have advanced to a point where we can move entire solar systems, and keep them energy efficient.

I honestly think that people who think that Immortality have NOT thought about it enough. You think as if you have no power, but you would be immortal. Which would mean ultimate power. Spend 100 years traveling the globe, another 100 years building up an economic superpower, 1000 years of slow manipulation to control the earth. Invest in artists who will keep you entertained, plan long term goals. And heck, if you grow bored you can go to sleep for 10000 years. Or use people as pawns.

The world would be your oyster. Forever. Enjoy goddamit!

I encourage to study the universal law. Basically, it states that all things, even the Universe, will die one day. Nothing can live forever. Humans WILL go extinct someday and civilization will eventually crumble. It's just a matter of when.

 

[Tallim]

I can't even get through one lifetime without getting bored with stuff. I can't imagine trying to fill all the hours in all of time.

 

[ThreeWords]

Ever read The Boat of a Million Years?

 

[lionrwal]

To see if things change... to have a new chance at a better life and to be able to experience what life has to offer entirely. The people who live the worst lives should probably be granted immortality until they've had their shot at a good one.

So people should be immortal until they have a good life, then they lose it? I don't think that counts as immortality.

Because it could quell a lot of our fears.

For instance, I have a fear of losing one of my limbs. Particularly, one (or both) of my arms. If I were immortal - or just invulnerable - then that fear would be gone because I could never lose either.

Note that this is the Baccano style immortality I'm talking about. The one where you can a) live forever and b) when something is cut or removed, it just all comes back to you. Arm chopped off? A few seconds later, all the blood comes back into you and the limb reattaches itself. That would be awesome.

Honestly, I don't want true immortality on this Earth because unless we go somewhere else, the sun is eventually going to explode. And then there's the whole bit about the Heat Death of the Universe/end of the universe in some manner. It would, however, be nice to have the aforementioned Baccano immortality at about 27 years old for a few thousand years, or a million or so, just to see where humanity is going.

And, of course, so I could play all the newest video games at my leisure. Also not needing food would save me a whole lot of money, and not needing sleep would save me a whole lot of my already-considerable time, enabling me to earn more money!

On a final note, everyone should go watch Baccano now, no matter your opinion on anime (Hint: The performances are excellent and the humor isn't bad at all). Genius, that show.

The immortality I'm talking about is that no matter what, you won't die. Every kind of injury normal people have will have the same effect on you, albeit death. If your arm is cut off, it's cut off, and you have to stitch it back on to get it back. Just clearing up any confusion I caused.

That's not immortality, that's not even really being a god, its a hybrid between being a zombie and not aging.

Immortality is when you don't age and don't thus die of age. Barring exotic events, you don't die.

And I specifically said you will never die. You will feel all the pain, but you will never die.

A head shot and decapitation will still kill you, that's the trick about immortality.

Not exactly. Sure, the connection to your body will be cut, but the brain cells still exists, and they are still alive, the can still work. You may be reduced to a single brain cell organism, but you will still be alive.

This is becoming pretty ridiculous, isn't it?

 

[Xaio30]

I want to learn everything there is, and to do that I need more time. Simple as that.

 

[Esotera]

I'd only like to be immortal in the sense of being able to choose when I died, and on what terms. I'd rather choose to die in 25 years time, or 25 centuries times, and have it be a painless experience, than go senile & wait for a slow death from cancer or complicated health.

Then that's not immortality is it?

Immortality is physically impossible to achieve as a biological organism, because the universe will experience heat death one day. Living indefinitely is close enough to immortality for me.