Immortality. Is it for you?

[The Great Watchers]

Ok, ladies and gentlemen, I have a question to pose for all of you:

If you had the ability to become immortal, would you do it?
What kind of parameters would you set for your immortality? (Meaning, would you want the ability to die if you wanted to quit living, or would you want to stay alive indefinetly?)
How do you think people around you would take it? Would there be controversy about it in religious groups?
And finally, do you think the human mind can hold up to eternity?

Yes I would definetly become immortal.

I wouldn't be able to die, get hurt, and I wouldn't be able to get sick.

The people around me would make a big deal about it at first then as time went by and they got old and I was still the same age they would probably say I was lucky. It would be hard to get over it at first but after about forty to fifty years I wouldn't be bothered by it, as long as I don't get attached to anybody else. Also I would go around preaching the word of god and studying the bible since there wouldn't be much else to do and it would help me focus and give me a goal.

As long as I don't get attached to anyone and I just focus on the bible my mind should hold up. I think....

The immortal preacher. Hmm...
What do you think Gad would think of you, defying his wish for you to come back home?

[Germania Alliance]

Being able to simply die whenever you desire... For you religious folk, that's a ticket to hell, isn't it?

Simply wanting to die, then dying, it's suicide in every way.

[The Great Watchers]

Ultimately...
*drum rolls*
Yes! I have so much I want to do! I want to learn languages! I want to master instruments! I want to argue with every single person on NS, INCLUDING the mods! But, I want to be able to die when I say. Because, after all, life can really be a drag sometimes.

You can probably do all this without having to become immortal. Have you thought about that?

Madam Nana. You destroy my argument completely. That's why you are a level 10/10 NS-er, and I am a lowly 2.59/10
Still, to reach the level of magnificence I desire on instruments, I need as long as it takes to get perfect... Which is a lifetime or more.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

You can probably do all this without having to become immortal. Have you thought about that?

Madam Nana. You destroy my argument completely. That's why you are a level 10/10 NS-er, and I am a lowly 2.59/10
Still, to reach the level of magnificence I desire on instruments, I need as long as it takes to get perfect... Which is a lifetime or more.

You're young yet. I believe in you.

[The Great Watchers]

Being able to simply die whenever you desire... For you religious folk, that's a ticket to hell, isn't it?

Simply wanting to die, then dying, it's suicide in every way.

There is so much relgious background to it too. People would call you sacreligious for defying death, or a god, for becoming immortal, etc.

[The Great Watchers]

Madam Nana. You destroy my argument completely. That's why you are a level 10/10 NS-er, and I am a lowly 2.59/10
Still, to reach the level of magnificence I desire on instruments, I need as long as it takes to get perfect... Which is a lifetime or more.

You're young yet. I believe in you.

OOC:And this concludes Watchy's night on the computer. See ya.

[Genivaria]

If I were immortal then I would devote all my time to scientific research. No death interrupting me.
Whats first on the agenda? Ending World Hunger.

[United States of Cascadia]

Definitely, yes.

I don't want to live FOREVER, of course, I'd like to die eventually. But, for a question like this, it's something to ponder. It isn't wise to jump to conclusions, especially if you were given the choice to cheat death.

My reason being is that if you really think about it, living for eighty years isn't really anything, and you're lucky if you even manage to achieve that age. In eighty years, you really don't get to do much, and the average person will never impact the world in their lifetime. Not everyone gets to be Einstein or Napoleon.

You spend most of your life in school, working, or even sleeping! If I was given the choice to live my life without limitations, there's so much I'd do. I'd get involved in conflicts, kill a corrupt leader or two (Libya, anyone?), help find a cure for cancer even. And with all that time on my hands, there's so much to look forward to. I won't be around for another hundred years, and we certainly won't be able to achieve space flight beyond Mars by then. If I could live "forever," hell, fuck Earth. I want to see the galaxy.

I don't care how small my deeds are, allowing others to build on my progress is more important than being the one to make history. I find this exemplified in one of my favorite quotes:

'He said kenders were small because we were meant to do small things. 'If you look at all the big things in the world closely,' he said, 'you'll see that they're really made up of small things all joined together.' That big dragon down there comes to nothing but tiny drops of blood, maybe. It's the small things that make the difference.'
-Tasslehoff Burfoot, Dragonlance.

[Germania Alliance]

I don't care how small my deeds are, allowing others to build on my progress is more important than being the one to make history. I find this exemplified in one of my favorite quotes:

'He said kenders were small because we were meant to do small things. 'If you look at all the big things in the world closely,' he said, 'you'll see that they're really made up of small things all joined together.' That big dragon down there comes to nothing but tiny drops of blood, maybe. It's the small things that make the difference.'
-Tasslehoff Burfoot, Dragonlance.

Out of curiosity, and not to say anything against your own opinion, but you'd pass up the chance to do so much good for humanity? Not just humanity, but for anything and everything?

[Australiah]

Yes Immortality is for me don't be silly. You could be the ultimate crime fighter, or Rule the world (Even if it meant nuclear war as i would be affected)

[United States of Cascadia]

I don't care how small my deeds are, allowing others to build on my progress is more important than being the one to make history. I find this exemplified in one of my favorite quotes:

'He said kenders were small because we were meant to do small things. 'If you look at all the big things in the world closely,' he said, 'you'll see that they're really made up of small things all joined together.' That big dragon down there comes to nothing but tiny drops of blood, maybe. It's the small things that make the difference.'
-Tasslehoff Burfoot, Dragonlance.

Out of curiosity, and not to say anything against your own opinion, but you'd pass up the chance to do so much good for humanity? Not just humanity, but for anything and everything?

Every big achievement of mankind is made up of the little people all doing there part to achieve it. In my opinion, there is no task more noble than this.

[Germania Alliance]

Every big achievement of mankind is made up of the little people all doing there part to achieve it. In my opinion, there is no task more noble than this.

I understand.

[Servantium]

If you had the ability to become immortal, would you do it?

Absolutely.

What kind of parameters would you set for your immortality? (Meaning, would you want the ability to die if you wanted to quit living, or would you want to stay alive indefinetly?)

Upload brain/consciousness into some sort of computer network, there would obviously be the option for termination

How do you think people around you would take it?

I'd think that they'd want it done to them also.

Would there be controversy about it in religious groups?

Duh.

And finally, do you think the human mind can hold up to eternity?

Nope.

[Polyamorous Platypus]

I am Platypus. I am immortal!

[Meowfoundland]

I'd get bored, so no.

[Servantium]

How is it possible that I'm the first person in this thread to even bring up the possibility of non-biological immortality?

[GraySoap]

My brain cannot comprehend the idea of immortality, at least not well. I guess the same is true for mortality, and I'd never know it until I die and then you cannot know. Where as up until this point I've been immortal. Yep, I knew it. I'm already immortal.

[Senestrum]

If offered immortality, I would take it in an instant.

I have never seen any good reason why you shouldn't take it, save possibly "man it's going to get really boring after the heat death, and it's just going to suck when proton decay has dissolved all other matter in the universe". Which can be circumvented if you can kill yourself on command or put yourself into some sort of suspended animation.

[Great Nepal]

I don't want to live FOREVER, of course, I'd like to die eventually. But, for a question like this, it's something to ponder. It isn't wise to jump to conclusions, especially if you were given the choice to cheat death.

Then you are not actually immortal, just a guy with extremely long lifespan.

[Central Slavia]

If offered immortality, I would take it in an instant.

I have never seen any good reason why you shouldn't take it, save possibly "man it's going to get really boring after the heat death, and it's just going to suck when proton decay has dissolved all other matter in the universe". Which can be circumvented if you can kill yourself on command or put yourself into some sort of suspended animation.

THIS.

Of course, that supposes the "invulnerable" sort of immortality, which is indeed the nice one.

[Inchland]

I'd only want immortality if I could stay young, If I still grew old and useless, I'd rather die before that takes a full hold.

[Risottia]

I don't want to live FOREVER, of course, I'd like to die eventually. But, for a question like this, it's something to ponder. It isn't wise to jump to conclusions, especially if you were given the choice to cheat death.

Then you are not actually immortal, just a guy with extremely long lifespan.

And eventually you'll end up with personally insulting all the people of the Universe in alphabetical order as hobby.

[Farnhamia]

Pointer for NSG: write in a normal sized font. The big font is not really necessary to carry your point across.

And no, immortality is not for me. I do not wish to live forever.

I'll miss you, Nanatsu.

[Pope Joan]

I feel as D. H. Lawrence did:

"I WAS so weary of the world
I was so sick of it
everything was tainted with myself,
skies, trees, flowers, birds, water,
people, houses, streets, vehicles, machines,
nations, armies, war, peace-talking,
work, recreation, governing, anarchy,
it was all tainted with myself, I knew it all to start with
because it was all myself.

When I gathered flowers, I knew it was myself plucking my own flowering.
When I went in a train, I knew it was myself travelling by my own invention.
When I heard the cannon of the war, I listened with my own ears to my own destruction.
When I saw the torn dead, I knew it was my own torn dead body.
It was all me, I had done it all in my own flesh.


III

I SHALL never forget the maniacal horror of it all in the end
when everything was me, I knew it all already, I anticipated it all in my soul
because I was the author and the result
I was the God and the creation at once;
creator, I looked at my creation;
created, I looked at myself, the creator:
it was a maniacal horror in the end.

I was a lover, I kissed the woman I loved,
and God of horror, I was kissing also myself.
I was a father and a begetter of children,
and oh, oh horror, I was begetting and conceiving in my own body.


IV

AT last came death, sufficiency of death,
and that at last relieved me, I died.
I buried my beloved; it was good, I buried myself and was gone.
War came, and every hand raised to murder;
very good, very good, every hand raised to murder!
Very good, very good, I am a murderer!
It is good, I can murder and murder, and see them fall
the mutilated, horror-struck youths, a multitude
one on another, and then in clusters together
smashed, all oozing with blood, and burned in heaps
going up in a foetid smoke to get rid of them
the murdered bodies of youths and men in heaps
and heaps and heaps and horrible reeking heaps
till it is almost enough, till I am reduced perhaps;
thousands and thousands of gaping, hideous foul dead
that are youths and men and me
being burned with oil, and consumed in corrupt
thick smoke, that rolls
and taints and blackens the sky, till at last it is dark, dark as night, or death, or hell
and I am dead, and trodden to nought in the smoke-sodden tomb;
dead and trodden to nought in the sour black earth
of the tomb; dead and trodden to nought, trodden to nought.


V

GOD, but it is good to have died and been trodden out
trodden to nought in sour, dead earth
quite to nought
absolutely to nothing
nothing
nothing
nothing."

[Make up your own mind]

How is it possible that I'm the first person in this thread to even bring up the possibility of non-biological immortality?

You're not.