If you were immortal, would you be happy or sad?

[Fox 5,330]

I would be happy to have earned immortal life. I would have so much time to learn and I'd be able to do things I've always wanted to do. I think of it more as a privilege. Even though the trouble of not ending your own life. I see reason why many would lose their sanity and become depressed, but I don't think that would happen to me.

Edited January 17, 2014 by Fox

[Celtore 2,770]

I'd be very happy. Friends would come and go over the centuries unfortunately, but I'd get to see how advanced we'll get as a species. Plus honestly, it wouldn't be much different than what I already do. I can still tinker with my Linux box, play video games with my friends, play my clarinet or go for a walk downtown. Heck, I could switch it up one day and get into playing with hardware, I'd have literally all the time in the world to figure it out.

 

Perhaps I could become a part time historian as well, that would be a great use of immortality.

Edited January 17, 2014 by Celtore

[Midnight Dragon 264]

Both.

I'd be sad about everyone around me dying.

But I'd also be happy about having a long time to accomplish all of my dreams!

[Concord 1,982]

Hello!

 

It'd be hard seeing others go, but at least I'd be calm about the fact, that I wouldn't have to worry about such a thing as death. I often am afraid, when I remmember, that some of my lasts days will be the present, and I will have to experience death. It's hard to even think of such a thing when I'm so young, but, time's just getting shorter, and before I know, the time will come...

 

Overall, I'd be happy. I'm a person that would love to be immortal. Immortal doesn't mean you can't die from injuries, so that doesn't mean that I could never accidentally die, but atleast it wouldn't be from old age... Celestia and Luna type of immortality would be a dream for me.

[Lagom 204]

I would be both, since the reason why I would be happy is because I would be able to see a lot of things.

But I would also be really sad because this will mean that I will have to watch everyone I love pass away.

[Rainbow Eclipse 3,927]

The idea of eternal nothingness, doing nothing, not even being conscious... pretty depressing. So I'm all for immortality.

[Skylar 1,641]

I'd hate to be immortal, i'd prefer to have a good life then go into what ever comes next  

[AppleGearRising 526]

This is interesting, some people believe that the inevitable outcome of death somehow justifies their existence and gives it more purpose? I'm not mocking this philosophy, nor do I intend to argue with it but who's to say that a longer/ infinite life, which means more time in which to accomplish more, is any less significant than a life that is fated to end?

[zev_zev The outcast 415]

I'd hate to be immortal, i'd prefer to have a good life then go into what ever comes next

 

I am glad that at least someone able to look at this issue not only with the "Sunny" side. Immortal it's the worst thing, much worse then death.

[Shift 4,272]

Sad, because quite literally everything would die around you. Also, what would happen if the government found out and took you for SCIENCE? What if you fall in love? 

 

I would prefer to live longer, though, perhaps around 600-700 years. Maybe 900. At least I knew i'd die sometime.

[Sekhayet 253]

Are you boning me? I'd be ecstatic. There's literally an infinite amount of stuff to do in this universe. I'd have the time to do it all.

[Game Twinkle 43]

I would be happy and sad. Sad of course cause I know my live ones won't be with me as long as myself. I would be happy because then I could experience everything there is to experience, read so many books. Travel around multiple times. Learn so many things and master these things. I know that sounds selfish, but I would like to feel complete and full when my time ends because there is so much to do already that I barely even have time to complete anything as of late.

[Deesinn 393]

It goes both ways, because people truly don't truly want to die, but at the same time, watching everypony you know die is pretty harsh.  Then again, new ponies who can teach you new things, and have more fun with come along, so I wouldn't be too bummed out over it.  Time wouldn't become valuable anymore, so you would be able to literally do whatever you want without any pressure.  Hopefully one of you smart ponies invent the immortal elixir so this can actually happen!

[\/ 651]

Is this infinite age or infinite youth? I don't want to be a 10,000,000,000,000 old guy who looks like a bag of dead skin. I would love for infinite youth. I'd stay young and learn so much, and write it down in a book so I wouldn't forget it, and I would teach everyone everything I knew, and I would travel the universe (eventually) and have lots of fun doing stuff.

[Naive Wolf Josh 93]

Immortality is my dream.  I would be a great privilege to watch history unfold till the days the universe collapses back upon itself, then watch it begin anew.  The period between universes, these empty expanses of time, would be hard to get through, but with all I had seen I would need so long as to reflect back upon it all and to dream of what is to come.  Losing friends and family would hurt, but I also look forward to the friends that I have yet to make.

 

So yeah, without hesitation I would become Immortal.

[ReverseFaller 2,483]

I believe that I would go insane if I were immortal. Living forever, and seeing countless loved ones die would make me mad. If I were cursed with immortality though, I would try my best to use it to help change the world for the better.

[Crimson 58]

I'd be Ecstatic! I live for music, and music lives forever. Also, I love Pinkie Pie, and since concepts don't die, we could live forever making wubs and throwing parties! Either way, my parents are strongly against what I live for [though, they don't know how much I love music..], and I know it seems a bit morbid, but I wouldn't mind seeing them go. As for friends, they would live on [for me at least] through the music I'd make. Life would be good.

 

For most, immortality would be a curse; for me, it would be a blessing. I fully understand the consequences that come with immortality, as I do have a tendency to do things I would later regret; it is inevitable. You asked me a question, I gave you an answer. Have a nice day everypony!

[D1SC0RD 987]

At this point, I really don't know.

 

The thing is, I dont even know what I want to do with the next 10 years of my life. I have no hobbies, little motivation, and I'm fearful of many things. Once I get myself into a career, I could see things getting mundane.

 

Or maybe they'd get really exciting. Maybe I would fly all over the world, try things I've never done, and develop the skills that I wished on birthday candles for. Basically, there's always stuff to do, so maybe I'd do it.

 

I guess I'm just unsure about what drive I'll have as an adult to live life to the fullest. My future is full of potential experiences, but I don't know how realistic my aspirations are. Right now though I am fine with 80 or so years.

[Scootalove 10,689]

I would be sad because, outliving my friends and family can lead to depression and eventually wanting to end my own life. Being immortal can really make me very sad on the inside and the outside.

[Hanibal94 218]

I wouldn't want to be immortal, because there's a whole bunch of drawbacks most people don't even think about:


Evolution will turn you into Windows 95.


Believe it or not, humans are still evolving. But if you're immortal, your body stays the same FOREVER. It would be like a computer becoming indestructible, but you can't install anything new or do any updates, whether on the hardware or the software. At first it will seem awesome, but eventually there's gonna be newer models with much more power and cooler features, and you'll have no choice but to get a new computer.

The same would happen to you. Science has no idea what future people will be capable of, but you won't get to share it. You won't be able to see in the dark, or jump 6 times your height - heck, your ancient, non-evolved tongue may not even be able to speak the same languages, all because you're trapped in a body that's been outdated for millions of years and you can't get a new one.


You can't let anyone find out.


If somebody discovers the truth, you're gonna be world famous instantly. This may sound nice at first, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. People will think "Hey, this guy has eternal life, so he must know the secret to eternal life, so he must be the one and only true god!". So thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of people will be chasing you, begging you for the same immortality you have.
Perhaps some of them will even go fanatical and murder anybody who doesn't worship you (OK, that's kinda unlikely, but it's still possible).


And that's just ordinary people. Who says a government, crime boss or rich fat cat isn't gonna get you first? A lot of powerful, wealthy people are gonna think that your veins contains immortality, the one thing money can't buy. They're not gonna stop until every last penny, goon, and ounce of power and influence they have has been spent trying to get at your blood and organs to unlock the secret of eternal life. Just look at all the wars being fought over oil. Your body parts would be worth far, far more - and who says immortality means they can't hack your arms, legs or even your head off? Immortality only means freedom from death, not freedom from wounds or dismemberment.


Your brain will keep on aging.


OK, so you won't get Alzheimer's, but that won't keep you safe forever: Your brain cells are limited, so your ability to store and recall memories is limited too. But guess what's not limited? The amount of stuff your body is asking said brain to remember. That's one reason older people often have memory problems - they're reaching the point of overload.
Also, your brain has to organize stuff so it can be rapidly recalled at a moment's notice. This ability doesn't last forever - just long enough for a regular human lifetime (or most of it, anyway), but you can't just open up your brain and delete old stuff - it stays there forever, like the toolbars on my Grandma's Internet browser (I've gotten used to playing tech cleanup when it's time to visit). Eventually, your brain will be so piled up with junk you won't be able to function properly anymore, no matter how young your body is.


​Time speeds up until you lose your mind.


Ever noticed how it seemed like summer vacation would take FOREVER to arrive when you were a kid, but your parents were like "Woah! How did summer get here ALREADY?"
That's because your perception of time speeds up with age. It's just a fact of life - nothing you can do to change it. Each passing year represents a smaller portion of your life than the one before it - when you're 10, a year is 10% of your life, but when you're 20, that drops to just 5%, and then to just 2% when you're 50, and so on.
So if you live long enough, it will be like living in a movie that's been speeded up 32 times - people blinking in and out of existence around you, cities appearing and disappearing on slowly eroding mountains and so on. How could you not go mad when faced with this?


You'll get stuck somewhere... FOREVER!


There's one, overwhelming benefit death offers to everyone and everything: an end to all suffering. OK, so you'll be safe from cancer, but there's still plenty of accidents that could hit you and trap you somewhere with no escape... FOREVER!
Perhaps you'll be in the basement of a building when an earthquake strikes and knocks it down. Congratulations - you're now stuck under a million tons of rubble, and you can't count on being rescued, because the people who do that just give up when they know nobody could have survived that long under that much rubble(and even if you're found much later, your secret will be revealed - see above).

And of course, don't forget that Earth is not immortal. Even if it never gets hit by a giant meteor, or invaded by aliens, or sucked into a black hole, the sun is eventually gonna turn into a Red Giant and get so large it'll swallow up the Earth - and you'll be left all alone, floating through the blackness of space, unable to die of the cold, the vacuum, or the solar radiation.... FOREVER!



OK, I know science and technology could eventually solve pretty much all of these problems in one way or another, but that's a really big if, and I'd rather not rely on it. Besides, I also like to believe that when I die, I'll be reincarnated as a pony in Equestria as a reward for living a good and virtuous life, and I wouldn't wanna miss out on that.

Edited January 17, 2014 by Hanibal94

[Discordian 6,015]

Being immortal would be bitchin'. Human thought processes are often limited to what they can do within the bounds of their lifetime but what if death were not a hindrance? You could think on a much grander scale. Assuming true immortality where death is not possible under any circumstances or one is revived immediately after they die then one would also never have to worry about some of the physical limitations a fear of death might bring. Granted there are ways to make an immortal suffer for eternity but if all one had to do was go into hiding for a set amount of years before people forgot they existed then there is much potential to what you can do for yourself and the world. Would you be the ultimate overlord? Would you be the world's savior? Maybe you'd just want to live your life normally. If one cannot die, then imagine the knowledge they could accumulate. Traveling the solar system would not be totally beyond your grasp should the death of the planet become a concern.

 

I suppose it comes down to the limitations of the immortality such as whether you can feel pain, whether you have regenerative abilities, etc. So many factors that could change how one feels about their immortality.

 

I'm not an emotional person, nor do I believe the loss of a loved one should under any circumstances lead one to be so irreversibly depressed that they should belief death is a better embrace than finding new friends and family. That's not even considering the possibility that interpersonal relationships are a necessity in your immortal life. You could spend hundreds of years alone, pursuing an extensive education of a particular subject, until you are ready to love again if that time should ever come.

 

I'll never understand when people say they'd be super depressed if they couldn't die with their friends and loved ones. You could have countless loves and friends across the globe but you want to limit your emotional attachments to the few people you meet once in a lifetime? Do you think it's impossible to love again if you break up with your girlfriend whom you've been dating for ten years or get a divorce after twenty years? If you believe death is the only logical step after losing a loved one through death or a less traumatizing situation then you have a despairingly narrow view of the world. That would change over time as an immortal.

 

People treat immortality as if the only thing it affects is your relationships. It can affect a great many things in your life and others'. There are a lot of waves you can make if you didn't have the silly limitation of death to hinder your efforts. If you didn't have to pass your legacy onto an heir and always control it how you want to you might have a different tune. You could make the world a place befitting your own image whether that be a positive or negative impact on global affairs.

[Judgement 445]

If I was immortal I would be happy at first but then sad eventually. I wouldn't be able to handle seeing friends die while I live. The world is too big to be friends with everyone, and being immortal would just ruin the whole point of living.

 

That's why I said "life is like a free trial" earlier (on another thread). If you have too much of something that is good, you are bound to take it for granted eventually.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Judgement

[SparklingSquirrels 21,340]

I would be extremely sad... it would be really hard to see all my friends and family members die

[Envy 6,156]

Immortality would be torture. There's no way that could make me happy. To be honest, with the things are right now and will be, I'm not necessarily happy about still being here as it is.

[DustJacket 213]

I would be sad, but I'll get over it and finally figure out how to make a real TARDIS.