What's wrong with DESIRING immorality?

[kimb]

Let me set up what I believe is the ideal scenario for immortality

You must be registered for see images

• Scientist invent a genetic counter-agent that naturally prevents deterioration as a cause of DNA replication, making death from old age a thing of the past.
  
• The counter agent comes in the form of a single pill which is affordable should you put forth the effort to purchase it; it's also side effect free
  
• Those who take the pill become immortal, meaning no deterioration/mutation caused from long term cell replication; essentially putting a permanent stop to aging.
  
  
  
  You must be registered for see images
• Babies, children, and teenagers are capable of taking this pill without facing any negative effects; they will continue to age until they peak at full maturity which is around the age of 25. You will no longer age once you reach the age of 25.
• You are still capable of dying from illness, disease, stress, starvation, severe trauma, etc. (So no, "but you'll get trapped tho")
  
  
  

  You must be registered for see images
• As a response to the discovery of immorality, society develops means for those who want to opt out of immortality to have the option to do so. Assisted suicide becomes a norm for those who feel like they've accomplished all they were able to in life or feel like they don't want to life anymore. You can have your funeral, and a happy send off the way you want it.
• Cryogenics is a less accessible alternative for those who want to continue to live, but want to take "a break" from life. You pay in advanced and charged at a yearly rate.

Aside from the practical implications and potential side effects of immorality on society, what is wrong with desiring this?

 

[Lightbringer]

There's nothing wrong with desiring immortality. Life's natural instinct is survival.

 

[l Forgotten l]

It defeats the purpose of living.

 

[kimb]

It defeats the purpose of living.

WE give life purpose, if you choose that your life purpose is to die, so be it. I plan on achieving far more greater things than rotting away in a coffin.

 

[Pyro NB]

Nothing is wrong with it. I personally wish I could be immortal.

 

[Kai NB]

There's nothing wrong with desiring it. All that matters is what you're willing to do to achieve it.

It's the question of whether or not the ends justify the means. If you have to do something immoral to achieve it, obviously most would be against anyone achieving immortality

 

[Cohle]

The person who is capable of achieving immortality may not desire it. What other things would go hand-in-hand with civilization that has access to immortality, what are the prerequisite? We don't know, we haven't achieved it.

I don't think these kind of scenarios are realistic, because we're using something we don't understand to solve our petty problems, merely "using" it. Imagine that a child doesn't understand value of a $100 bill, and would probably ask for it thinking it's useful in making airplanes, when what he really wants is any A4 paper, something within his reach, while money exactly isn't.

What questions would unending life solve? Fear of death, existential crisis, lack of security? Concept of soul, a little enlightenment maybe those could answer it.

Immortality is the bill we're asking for, and paper is what we need to identify. Whatever questions we have, we already have the answers for. We just need to identify them.

 

[Genocide]

overpopulation

 

[Honord Sage]

Let me set up what I believe is the ideal scenario for immortality

You must be registered for see images

• Scientist invent a genetic counter-agent that naturally prevents deterioration as a cause of DNA replication, making death from old age a thing of the past.
• The counter agent comes in the form of a single pill which is affordable should you put forth the effort to purchase it; it's also side effect free
• Those who take the pill become immortal, meaning no deterioration/mutation caused from long term cell replication; essentially putting a permanent stop to aging.
  
  
  
  You must be registered for see images
• Babies, children, and teenagers are capable of taking this pill without facing any negative effects; they will continue to age until they peak at full maturity which is around the age of 25. You will no longer age once you reach the age of 25.
• You are still capable of dying from illness, disease, stress, starvation, severe trauma, etc. (So no, "but you'll get trapped tho")
  
  
  

  You must be registered for see images
• As a response to the discovery of immorality, society develops means for those who want to opt out of immortality to have the option to do so. Assisted suicide becomes a norm for those who feel like they've accomplished all they were able to in life or feel like they don't want to life anymore. You can have your funeral, and a happy send off the way you want it.
• Cryogenics is a less accessible alternative for those who want to continue to live, but want to take "a break" from life. You pay in advanced and charged at a yearly rate.

Aside from the practical implications and potential side effects of immorality on society, what is wrong with desiring this?

You forget Nature strikes back,it would increase the power of diseases,shorten the mating cycle by making it harder to bread thus less human would be born.Remember accidents still would happen and people would die even if they lived longer if replacement by both would slow down to balance longer life.

 

[Belserion]

You forget Nature strikes back,it would increase the power of diseases,shorten the mating cycle by making it harder to bread thus less human would be born.Remember accidents still would happen and people would die even if they lived longer if replacement by both would slow down to balance longer life.

Nature is a b i t c h

 

[kimb]

The person who is capable of achieving immortality may not desire it. What other things would go hand-in-hand with civilization that has access to immortality, what are the prerequisite? We don't know, we haven't achieved it.

I don't think these kind of scenarios are realistic, because we're using something we don't understand to solve our petty problems, merely "using" it. Imagine that a child doesn't understand value of a $100 bill, and would probably ask for it thinking it's useful in making airplanes, when what he really wants is any A4 paper, something within his reach, while money exactly isn't.

What questions would unending life solve? Fear of death, existential crisis, lack of security? Concept of soul, a little enlightenment maybe those could answer it.

Immortality is the bill we're asking for, and paper is what we need to identify. Whatever questions we have, we already have the answers for. We just need to identify them.

I don't see immortality as a solution to a problem, I see it as the means to an end, but in the short term it's one of the barrier we as a species must be overcome in order to better achieve our goals and existential purpose.

 

[Guntah]

overpopulation

Yeah....this, pretty much.

While technically, 100 billion people could share the planet at the same time, I don't think society could change enough to adopt immortality into it.

 

[Cohle]

I don't see immortality as a solution to a problem, I see it as the means to an end, but in the short term it's one of the barrier we as a species must be overcome in order to better achieve our goals and existential purpose.

Well then OP, I don't know how it would affect the natural life phases, do we stop aging biologically? Meaning you don't get to experience a lot of life, given that you choose it; that's one drawback.

Anyone here above 30-40? what's it like, would YOU want to be 25 forever?

I don't see anything wrong with a ***** WANTING to be immortal though, it's harmless with no malicious intentions, seeing how you've put it here. I'd say at best "be careful what you wish for", you may not know what you're asking for.

 

[kimb]

Well then OP, I don't know how it would affect the natural life phases, do we stop aging biologically? Meaning you don't get to experience a lot of life, given that you choose it; that's one drawback.

Anyone here above 30-40? what's it like, would YOU want to be 25 forever?

I don't see anything wrong with a ***** WANTING to be immortal though, it's harmless with no malicious intentions, seeing how you've put it here. I'd say at best "be careful what you wish for", you may not know what you're asking for.

I know there are way to many unknown factors and potentially dangerous effects of immortality becoming a reality to answer for, which is why I didnt want to pose a thread like "is immortality a good thing". I tried to emphasize on not making this dicussion about the practical implications of immortality, but people are already talking about overpopulation and the natural balance...Oh well.

There is a slight stigma around desiring immortality in the way it's portrayed in society and how its associated with evil. I wanted to address that stigma, but I guess I focused too much on defining the terms of immortality.

I just want to add that when it comes to abstract concepts like immortality and similar potiential realities like it, there's always a negative that comes with the positive and there's always the unknown that won't be uncovered until we experience it first hand. All I'm saying is, we shouldn't always fear the unknown and try to develop methods to deal with the negatives to purely benefit from the positives.

 

[Lyke]

Imagine ppl you know dont wanna take this pill. Youll see generations of your ppl dying

 

[kimb]

Imagine ppl you know dont wanna take this pill. Youll see generations of your ppl dying

If it's too much for me to bare I'll off myself via assisted suicide, but I doubt I'd be surrounded by people who'd be stupid enough to pass on immortality.

 

[Avani]

Let me set up what I believe is the ideal scenario for immortality

You must be registered for see images

• Scientist invent a genetic counter-agent that naturally prevents deterioration as a cause of DNA replication, making death from old age a thing of the past.
  
• The counter agent comes in the form of a single pill which is affordable should you put forth the effort to purchase it; it's also side effect free
  
• Those who take the pill become immortal, meaning no deterioration/mutation caused from long term cell replication; essentially putting a permanent stop to aging.
  
  
  
  You must be registered for see images
• Babies, children, and teenagers are capable of taking this pill without facing any negative effects; they will continue to age until they peak at full maturity which is around the age of 25. You will no longer age once you reach the age of 25.
• You are still capable of dying from illness, disease, stress, starvation, severe trauma, etc. (So no, "but you'll get trapped tho")
  
  
  

  You must be registered for see images
• As a response to the discovery of immorality, society develops means for those who want to opt out of immortality to have the option to do so. Assisted suicide becomes a norm for those who feel like they've accomplished all they were able to in life or feel like they don't want to life anymore. You can have your funeral, and a happy send off the way you want it.
• Cryogenics is a less accessible alternative for those who want to continue to live, but want to take "a break" from life. You pay in advanced and charged at a yearly rate.

Aside from the practical implications and potential side effects of immorality on society, what is wrong with desiring this?

Basically be an Elf in Middle Earth...And after a few hundred years be as sad as them....we better have Círdan ready with a ship to help us out.

@Bold: you answered your own question. There is nothing 'wrong' in desiring immortality but there are many situations when it can be very selfish desire. It's impractical to desire things you know won't end well or have too many negative side effects.

 

[Cohle]

I know there are way to many unknown factors and potentially dangerous effects of immortality becoming a reality to answer for, which is why I didnt want to pose a thread like "is immortality a good thing". I tried to emphasize on not making this dicussion about the practical implications of immortality, but people are already talking about overpopulation and the natural balance...Oh well.

There is a slight stigma around desiring immortality in the way it's portrayed in society and how its associated with evil. I wanted to address that stigma, but I guess I focused too much on defining the terms of immortality.

I just want to add that when it comes to abstract concepts like immortality and similar potiential realities like it, there's always a negative that comes with the positive and there's always the unknown that won't be uncovered until we experience it first hand. All I'm saying is, we shouldn't always fear the unknown and try to develop methods to deal with the negatives to purely benefit from the positives.

I figured it out, the reason immortality is wrong is because we humans don't want to put in the work, or aren't yet ready for or think so at least, to counter the negative effects of permanent life.

Good thread.

 

[uhmusddy]

If we could be immortal I'd start or join a cult of observers & simply observe in the shadows.

 

[Sagebee]

Me personally I don't care for immortality based on the world we exist in but I wished there were copies of me so I could get more done.