Is death inevitable? Most of us will say “yes”. But is it?
There are actual creatures that can live forever. Some species of jellyfish, lobsters or flatworms, as an example. They have different mechanisms to cheat death: impressive regeneration, backward aging or no aging at all. But all of it leads to one result – immortality. Of course, they are not truly immortal, since they can be killed by predators, environment or humans. But in ideal conditions, with no enemy threatening their existence, these creatures can keep on living eternally. Nature proves that immortality is not a fiction but reality.
But we, humans, since the very begging of our history have witnessed how the circle of life works. We know that death is imminent, so most of us don’t even question the natural order we must obey. Moreover, since living forever is so unnatural for our kind, people usually deny even the idea of obtaining it. This can be easily noticed in our culture. The majority of fictional characters from myths, books and movies who possess immortality treat it as a curse. Being “blessed” by it they are usually portrayed as deeply depressed and nihilistic people.
It looks like we, ourselves, created an artificial boundary for us which now we are afraid to cross.
So the questions are:
1.
How long would you like to live?
2.
Would you choose to live forever or just another
few hundred years?
Comments
There was once a great "Doctor Who" episode - or actually, a story arc, spun over many episodes, with a girl from middle ages who by an accident is made an immortal. There are but few drawbacks. For one - everyone around her dies. So yea, that would be so very sad - at some point, you would not be able to attach to humans for long before they die, and you have to keep on living. Of course, if everyone would be "immortal" or at least "a-mortal", that wouldn't be a case. But a lot also depends on the way we achieve this. Are we just copies of someone's brain? So are we the same person? Or maybe we can actually die due to some catastrophes?
Another drawback was a limited memory. She had an unlimited lifespan, but she could only remember so much. At some point, everything just faded in the past and was no longer accessible. She even tried to write it all down, but with time there was more and more of her memories in the books and it took a lot of time to read it. And you basically were reading stories about some other person, because you were no longer the person who wrote them.
So once we achieve immortality, will we be affected by those problems as well? And do we really want to face them? I'm not so sure anymore.
As long as I will enjoy life and I won't be huge problem for the other family members.
2. Would you choose to live forever or just another few hundred years?
It is a hard question. I don't know what life will look like in few hundred years. I would love to live as long as I want to and by that I mean choosing by myself moment of death.
It depends. I have not lived a long life yet, to be sure whether I want this forever or better to start from scratch. In any case, it would be nice to be able to control the duration of life.
I think I could use my life for several hundred years, but not for eternity. Certainly, the downside of life is that the relatives are leaving and at some point they are looking at the world differently. People are motivated by the fact that they do not have so much time in the world and try to see something, achieve something. If you know that you have an infinite amount of time, you stop trying.
How many years I would like to live ? I guess another hundred years it would be fun just because looking at technology revolution we're having the last 50 years. However, I'm having this thought that probably there is a reason why we live up to 100 years. In addition 70-90 years as like as few thousands years it is nothing comparing to the age of our universe. I mean if it would be possible to live five thousand years that generation would still be complaining that it's to little to be alive. In addition as the author mentions that there is no such thing as immortality because of outside threat.
I can’t say the precise amount of time I would like to live. But wait a minute, I can, it’s 3,216,672,000 seconds. I would say that there is no sense to live (at least for me) if you are struggling all the time and just disturb others. As was mentioned above losing of memory is not the best sign as well.
Neither live forever nor few hundred years. I consider that our body can't be
prepare to live long. We will be weak ,exhausting and bored. Life is the best when we young and we have energy to make incredible or to learn what is interesting.
As long as I stay in good physical and mental health. There is so much things to see, to do, to explore and taste. Cultures and technologies change every year, each year I meet new people, each year I try, see, taste new things, movies, art, music, food. As long as I can do that, as long as I can find those small portions of happiness, passion and surprise in my life I could live forever. I am curious what is after death even thou I don't believe in anything but before that there are still so many questions, opportunities and people in our living world that it would take thousands of years to feel bored.
2. Have you decided to live forever or a few hundred years?
I would like to live up to 100 years, it would probably be unusual for me to cross the 100 year limit. But in other matters it’s enough to live as long as it’s allotted, maybe by 80 I will get tired of monotonous life and torment my loved ones.
My opinion about the "eternal life": if it were possible to live forever, then it would be necessary to stop the birth rate and time (so as not to grow old and mature). The only option for me to stay alive is to transfer all my knowledge to a computer, but even this should be done only for those who have really valuable knowledge.
A serious question, I would like to live as long as possible, unless I am in bed for the rest of my life.
If I'm healthy, it does not cause problems for the family and I will be happy, why not?
Would you choose to live forever or just another few hundred years?
It depends on how the world will look for these hundreds of years, but probably I would choose immortal life
Well, this is a very hard one. From one point of view I would like to live forever, mostly because my life is great and I wouldn't change it, but from a different point of view - living forever could mean being lonely. Imagine that you can live forever, but no one from your life could. It could be a nightmare.
2. Would you choose to live forever or just another few hundred years?
I think few hundred years is okay for me. I would like to know what will happen when we will die, I'm very curious about it.
Hard to say - now I would say that about 90 years, but who knows, maybe when I will get old live will be too exhausting ?
2. Would you choose to live forever or just another few hundred years?
It these are the only possible options, I choose living few hundred years. I think that after 50-80 years, everything will change so much, that it will be hard to understand the world around You
If I look like in 64 as Christie Brinkley, I would like to live to 100)
2. Have you decided to live forever or a few hundred years?
It is a hard question. I wish but.... live forever with the memories of the death of all your loved ones. No one would want to live forever in the conditions of overpopulation of the planet, no one wanted.
- I would like to live as long as I am happy with my life. I think that as long as I can think, enjoy small things and take care of myself I would like to live. Of course, I cannot say "I would like to live for 200 years" because after I reach this age I would ask for "one more year".
2. Would you choose to live forever or just another few hundred years?
- Probably forever, maybe after hundreds of years the science would find a way to improve my body so I would be young once again.
2. I definitely would not choose to live forever. There is a limit to everything, even to life itself.
2. This question is hard to answer. I needed to find a deep purpose to live forever. Always imaging that there is not enough space for all people, and how do we decide who shall live forever and who’s not? If I would to live a few hundred years? I can not say how to future will look like, so it depends on the life circumstances.
I don't know how long I would like to live, I'm just taking around in planet and I'm trying to do benefits and wrongs, I'm just waiting at my around way until my "GOD" calling me.
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2. Have you decided to live forever or a few hundred years?
My "GOD" already decided to me how many years I'll spend at living, but I don't know how many years and I don't need to know it, I prefer to die in a good situation in general.
I would like to live forever , I don't care about people saying that "immortality is a curse". Of course, the best deal, "vampire immortality" - you become immortal in your prime (mid 20), your brain and body can always experience something new. But without sucking human blood and other things. The only problem, your close circle is not immortal. Of course, this is all a fantasy, but, personally, I want to see our planet in 100 - 200 years, it's hard for me to imagine what will happen in the year 3000, maybe there will be no more planet of the Earth. That's why I want to be immortal in order to catch this moment in all its glory.
2. That question is similiar to the first one but I think it is even harder to answer. Again, I think it all depends on certain circumstances. If I could live longer maybe I could achieve more. However, that also might not be the case. After years I could lose motivation to get better at certain things, there would be no pressure after all, I'd never run out time. What I am sure of is that I'd prefer to live 70 years and be quite healthy during that time than live 90 and spend 30 years being sick and unable to get up from bed.
I think I've already answered ... this is a hard choice. I think that several hundred years would be OK
It's a hard question, because if I could be young for another 100 years it's cool, but if I would be old man with millions of deceases, just alive, it don't make any sense to me.
2. Would you choose to live forever or just another few hundred years?
I think 100 hundred years is more than enough, to experience the world, and make it better, because the Earth is too small for immortal people. Plus along with our bodies, we have our psychics, that not as durable as immortal body.
2. That’s quite interesting!
You know - if it’ll be something like I’m gonna be extremely old man, barely handling anything - I don’t think that’s worth living that long.
On the other hand, it’ll be awesome to live for few hundred years and be in a great condition. There is toooo many things to achieve in life!
...I just really like that sentiment...
It's simple: I would like to be immortal, to live 200000000 years, till the end of the world (cause the world ends with me :v) . But seriously, I'd like to live as long as I can HEALTHY. it's most important thing to me. Beeing healthy and live long.
2. Would you choose to live forever or just another few hundred years?
I'd like to live forever of course. It's connected to my previous answer. Why?
More knowledge, more chill, rent for hundrets of years :D I won't even work and have fun of live. There so many games to play, there are so many spiders to collect, there are many things that I'd like to try! Really I would like to live forever just to develop myself to the fullest.
Have you decided to live forever or a few hundred years?
I believe in eternal life with God, so is it a question to me?
Yes, I agree. If I could live 200 or 300 hundred years being in perfect shape and feeling like I am twenty, I would take it with no doubts. Of course, as you mentioned, the most important part of it is quality of life and if I have any goal in it at all. Because, I think, living few hundred years in poverty or being imprisoned, will be a hell on earth. What is the point of eternal life if you have no reason to live or no purpose to fulfill?
I want to use the rest of my life as best as is only possible, I am not going into the future or looking at the past.
In some way I think that we all live forever in memories. If I had to choose, I would prefer choose to live just another few hundred years.
Yes, I think it is really hard to predict exactly how many years you want to live, since your decision can change multiple times during your life. It might depend on various things: quality of life, your physical and mental health, your relationships with friends and loved ones and so on. As was said in the video above: “Maybe one day you will want to die”. So being able to say exact number of years you want to spend is rather difficult task.
I would choose to live less, but brighter, than live longer and duller. In my opinion, 80 years old it's good time for gone :)
> Would you choose to live forever or just another few hundred years?
The second option, live forever - a huge mistake.
This question is very philosophical for a big open answer or a separate post :)
Would you choose to live forever or just another few hundred years? Hm... Hard question. I think that I will choose reach for my goals and dreams.