Havoc Stryphe Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 A co-worker and I were discussing this a little while ago, and I wondered what some of you would say... Immortality, would it be a gift or a curse? If you were offered immortality, so that you could not die of any cause, including old age, in this world just as you are, no changes, would you accept it? Imagine, if you would, living in this world forever. Everybody you ever loved would grow old and die, yet you would remain. All the word's woes would be yours to remember and endure. Of course, you could make infinite fond memories as well. Days at the beach, loves come and gone, etc... To me, immortality would be like the movie, "Groundhog Day". Granted, your environment would be the entire world, not just a small town, but the premise is still the same. I would eventually "wear out" the world. I would have seen all there is to see, learned all there is to learn, and done everything there is to do. Friends would be too painful to have, as to have to watch them grow old and die over and over and over and over again. And to me, the world is full of more woes than anything else. Wars, diseases, famines, crime are all on the rise, and it seems that these are the only things your hear about on a daily basis. I would eventually slip into an eternal depression, constantly "remebering" the loves, friends and family I've lost and all the woes and troubles I have endured and those still ahead. And lastly, I would lack the closure and completion of a normal linear existence, and it would plague my mind into insanities and pyschoses. As it stands now, my life has purpose. To accomplish all I can before my time expires. To make sure that looking back, I didn't waste a minute of my life. But if that life were eternal, there would be no urgency, no motivation, no reason to make a difference, to try to, to push myself to greater heights. To me it would be a curse and no way out! So personally, I would decline the offer, and be content to live out a fragile and finite existence and leave this world with a unique mark, saying, "I was here!" How about you? What would you do, if you were given such a mythical offer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthMuffin Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 Ouch, I just don't know... Even though Groundhog day is an excellent movie, I don't think I would like to live my life like that guy (what was his name again?)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc Stryphe Posted April 4, 2003 Author Share Posted April 4, 2003 Originally posted by Darth54 Ouch, I just don't know... Even though Groundhog day is an excellent movie, I don't think I would like to live my life like that guy (what was his name again?)... Bill Murray was the actor Phil Conners was the Character's name. Great Movie, bye the way! But I wouldn't have wanted his plight for all the world! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogue Nine Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 To quote the sig of a longtime XWA member, "If you live to be a hundred, I hope I live to be a hundred minus one so I never have to live without you!" This life is nice, but immortality in this mortal coil would become tedious. It's just not worth it. Besides, this planet will become uninhabitable within a few hundred or so years at the rate we're going at. If not, some cosmic misalignment will nuke our poor sod of a planet soon enough. Death, please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artoo Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 Well, as you said, it would get boring. However instead of immortality I would settle for the lesser wishes of either never aging, just dying when my time came, (i.e. never becoming an old fart) or lengthening everyone's lifespan another 50 years. Personally I'd like the combination of the two of these wishes. That way you'd live a longer, fuller life without having to worry about when you would die. It would just happen one day. Either that or not aging till you were going into your final year. So as to have a little warning to get your life in order. But immortality in itself would be a big no-no for me. Way too boring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthMuffin Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 Originally posted by Havoc Stryphe Bill Murray was the actor Phil Conners was the Character's name. Great Movie, bye the way! But I wouldn't have wanted his plight for all the world! Ah! thats it. Hes the guy who played in Ghostbusters too I think. After thinking again and again, I think I would decline the offer too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zygomaticus Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 If my immortal state were my 20-30 year old state, It'd be ok, but if my immortality showed with age, and i'd look/feel in my 80s for the rest of my being, then that'd be a resounding "no." If it was Elvish immortality, where I get to live as long as I don't get killed, that'd be great, because I could kill myself if life got to the point where I didn't want to live anymore, but if it were immortality in the sense that you can not die, then, no thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snafu7 Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 I probably wouldn't accept it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagobahn Eagle Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 Although I am a bearer of a reputation of writing long posts, I can sum this up with two words: Heck no! Seriously: I'd rather live forever in A Better Place instead of living forever in this divorce-ridden, war-torn, cruel world. I soooo miss being a child, so I'd accept being sent back to 1st grade to do all that over, but immorataliy. About eternal life, an interesting Swedish novel comes to mind: It's called the Lionhear Brothers (<-translated), and it's about these two kids who die and go to a better place (I can't remember its name). The interesting thing is, in the end (seriously, don't read the spoiler, go read the book) they commit suicide to go to a better place. It raises the question: If you actually die, what's after the better place? And what's after that again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JediMasterEd Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 I wouldn't want to be a teenager all my life! *Thinks of the consiquences and cringes* Immortality would have it's ups and downs. You'd make a good World Civilization(history) Teacher... but teaching all the time... most religions believe in a heaven. I surely do. I'd like to believe that there is a heaven and hell, but we are not sertain until we pass on to the "other life". But even then, how would we remember? If it is true, that souls are re-used over and over again, we wouldn't remember what had happened, the past and after death. I believe that our souls only last for a certain amount of time until the soul has reached it's limit, and it stays there. Some of the easiest ways of telling is how mature the person acts at your own age. Course that could be me, but I have several people commenting me, saying how "adult" I behaved for a teen who is just a Freshmen in Highschool. Course it's hard to find in my school... *shivers thinking of the people thinking that they're Gothic just because they wear black everysingle day* Immortality, for me, would be a no. This war is one of several that I will face in my life time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbacco Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 I will be satisfied if I live beyond 80 years old. You'll get bored with your life after that much time and will to pass on to a different world. If you have immortality, you'll live longer thatn the sun, earth, galaxie. And forever is a long, long, long time if you think about it. After the sun dies and Earth is just crumpled up, where do you go from there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy_dog no.3 Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 If it would be Elvish immortality, like you would carry on looking young all your life, but it can be ended through violence, I would say yes. If I would carry on aging... no way. I will probably age up to the point were all I will not be able to do anything. But if I would not end up an old loon, it will be next to impossible to EVER get bored of life. Even if FTL spaceships are not invented, you will still have the whole universe to go to and still not get bored, as considering there are over 100 billion stars and galaxies, a lot of things are going on there, and by the time u get bored it will be the end of the Universe, which means the end to everything, even you. I do not believe in heaven or hell. I belive that when u die, that's it. U will not feel or touch or see or in any way persieve anything. U will not even be able to think. Eventually ur body will rot away, and u will be nothing but a pile of dust. If I will be able to get Elvish immortality I would day, if only to get away from the nothingness that that will be, even if it means sending some people there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Shutt Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Where do you get the idea that you'd get bored with life eventually? Some things never get boring. Staying young and beautiful forever, and never dying? Sounds pretty sweet to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Fergie Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 What's with everyone wanting elvish immortality. You live until your brutal stabbed and killed. Whoo yeah that is my kind of fun, oh yes. I like to compare it to being eaten by a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagobahn Eagle Posted April 6, 2003 Share Posted April 6, 2003 On Elves. One word: Overpopulation. Eaten by a car.. are you high? Oh, and you can kill yourself in harmless, hurtless ways too.. but I'm afraid to mention those ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duder Posted April 6, 2003 Share Posted April 6, 2003 I say no because death provides us with the only definate in our lives, providing us with the strongest reason to live. So I guess I will take death, in whatever form it comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Shutt Posted April 6, 2003 Share Posted April 6, 2003 Originally posted by duder I say no because death provides us with the only definate in our lives, providing us with the strongest reason to live. How do you figure that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duder Posted April 6, 2003 Share Posted April 6, 2003 Dunno I was drunk, it felt good to say at the time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy_dog no.3 Posted April 6, 2003 Share Posted April 6, 2003 Originally posted by Dagobahn Eagle On Elves. One word: Overpopulation. But if we were Elves, then there would be Orcs to counter us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jatt13 Posted April 7, 2003 Share Posted April 7, 2003 i'd say no. i don't think get bored, but it'd get old. it's kinda hard to explain, but i'll try with this clever analogy i came up with all by myself: have you ever played a really fun, adicting video game? you keep playing and playing, and it's still fun and engaging, but you just want to do something else eventually.you want a change. it's not boring, it's just lost it's luster. i don't think this could happen in a normal life, but if you lived forever, you'd eventually want something more. i believe in a heaven and hell, and i'll be ready to go to heaven after i die. i want to live to a hundred, and i'm not going to even think about committing suicide, but i wouldn't really mind if i died right now, cause i know where i'm going. i agree w/ artoo and krkode. i wouldn't want to live forever and keep aging, but it'd be nice to live a little longer and still feel 20-something. all in all, i'd say no to immortallity. even elvish kind, cause elves can die from grief and injury. that'd be like getting the troubles and none of the benifits of immortallity. oh, and bill murray's in a ton of movies. ghostbusters and groundhog day are 2, but he was also in some movie w/ an elephant that i forgot the name and a ton of others i can't think of right now. but trust me, he's in em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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