Philosophy : Would immortality be a blessing or a curse?

I'm 91, so I don't have much time left, and that terrifies me. However, I wouldn't want to live forever either. So, for how many years would I want to live? Always one more decade, I guess.

According to The Man From Earth, it's a curse. I recommend this movie.

The Green Mile too.

That is an excellent film!

---

😺 Schrodinger's Cat walks into a bar, and doesn't. 😎 I told you Leftards in July that Trump would win in a LANDSLIDE! And he did! MAGA!

It's one of my favorites.

Mine too!

---

😺 Schrodinger's Cat walks into a bar, and doesn't. 😎 I told you Leftards in July that Trump would win in a LANDSLIDE! And he did! MAGA!

That movie ****ing rocked. I didn’t think a movie with one location and no real conflict (physical anyways) could kick so much ass.

It sure did! Totally unforgettable.

Of course it's a curse. If you want to work out who's smart and who's dumb, ask the immortality question. Anybody who answers blessing is an idiot.

Yes, a great movie. Extremely underrated. I suspect its theological implications meant the Hollywood money men chose not to back the script.

Yes, excellent film! One of the best cinematic sci-fi offerings around in terms of intelligence and nuance.

Many touches of genius throughout and even if a difficult watch, one that is not easy to shake off.

---

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

👍🏆

---

Viva Venezuela

I want to be an immortal. A universe without me would bore me to death.

---

Administrator
"filmboards is a bold experiment in free speech and anarchy"
I GameBoy

---

"THAT'S SOME BAD SHIT, HARRY!".

I would be bored without you too Gamey….😉

---

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Awww, thanks Toasty.

Be nice to Sophie though.

---

Administrator
"filmboards is a bold experiment in free speech and anarchy"
I GameBoy

😜

Be nice to Sophie though.

Nope!

She's a top tier idiot of the first order. Brings it on herself. She has absolutely zilch self-awareness and is likely on the disorder spectrum somewhere and needs to be medicated. If she already is, she needs a stronger dose.

---

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

On Earth or in Hell, CURSE!!

In Heaven, BLESSING!!!

---

"THAT'S SOME BAD SHIT, HARRY!".

Perhaps both?

---

😺 Schrodinger's Cat walks into a bar, and doesn't. 😎 I told you Leftards in July that Trump would win in a LANDSLIDE! And he did! MAGA!

What type of life would make immortality a blessing?

Well, every immortal is healthy.

Friends? When they die, what then? New ones? Sounds like a recipe for perpetual grief.

What's a blessed life?

Where would you travel when the planet was eventually destroyed?

And after that, when that new planet is gone?

I think the problem you have here is comprehending infinity. The damage loss after loss of family and friends would inflict on your pysche would be immeasurable.

You'd quickly become unrecognizable as a human. You'd be destined to live alone, deranged, angry, bitter, and craving death.

No. You're demonstrably not thinking it all the way through.

Wishing has no impact on facts.

Damn, you old! And that’s a compliment! I’d take a chance at seeing what immortality is like. But at my age now, in my prime. Not at your age unless it regressed with the gift of immortality. I’d be all like Gilgamesh!

If you'd actually read the epic you'd know Gilgamesh wasn't immortal.

In Highlander the Series he was.

My apologies, I only know of the Gilgamesh from an ancient Sumerian myth.

Was the character obsessed with immortality to the point that it nearly destroyed him? Did he then come to accept that true immortality is the legacy you create?

They didn't really delve into the messages of the epic, in the show, he was just one immortal among thousands throughout history.

I see.

In the Sumerian poem, Gilgamesh seeks immortality after witnessing his friend die. He goes on a quest, whereby he must complete a number of near impossible tasks. Ultimately he fails, but in going on the journey, he grows as a person and comes to accept his mortality. When confronted by the huge walls of the city he built, he realizes that we can be immortalized through our legacy.

The first part of the poem examines a more interesting concept - the relationship between nature and culture - and it explains why he is so affected by his friend's death.

I highly recommend it as an essential piece of literature everyone should read. If they would teach this **** in Universities, instead of trying to nurture militant Marxism, maybe the world would be a better place.

Curse.

Imagine immortality. Your consciousness never ends. You’d be able to pour over every iota of creation a billion times in every conceivable way and you still wouldn’t die. You’d grow bored of everything. Eventually you’d go mad and would effectively be in hell.

It would be different if you can choose to die. It’s conceivable that immortal you’s technological capacity would one day be such that you could repeatedly wipe your mind clean, effectively killing yourself and allowing you to repeat the process of growing bored of all existence into perpetuity. That doesn’t sound as hellish.

---

Please, for lack of a better word, discuss.

You'd outlive everyone you ever loved, including every child you ever conceived across millenia.

Time would flow so quickly for you, this heartache would feel as though it was being repeated every year. After millions of years, every week.

Your perception of everything would be altered. Love would be diminished after your 25th child and 7th wife. You'd fear being trapped somewhere, such as falling into a crevice, or being locked away - you wouldn't ever have the sweet relief of death.

You'd outlive the planet, and drift aimlessly in space for an eon before another planet or moon's gravity pulled you in. It's highly likely that cosmic body would simply be a ball of rock and you'd be trapped there until that too disintegrated.

But, most importantly, you'd never get anything done, because for you, there'd always be tomorrow. There'd be no deadline. You'd always have more time. You'd have a meaningless, unfulfilling
existence.

Death is the reason life feels so good. Mortality is the blessing.

You’d outlive any feelings of loss. Existence would become torture and immortality, a curse.

I’d imagine at 91, you’ve had to endure many of those feelings you’re describing, eh Thomas?

---

Please, for lack of a better word, discuss.

Yes. I can't even enjoy a nice boredom relieving blow job either, because my penis pokes inwards.

I'm 91, so I don't have much time left, and that terrifies me.

What are you terrified about Thom?

We are ALL going to go at some stage. We are ALL born with a death warrant hanging over our heads. No point being fearful of the inevitable.

One may fear how they are going to go, but at the end of the day, that is unfounded fear also, because one isn't going to know until the time.

Matter is impermanent and many humans make things so much worse for themselves due to image of body self.

I will live each moment as I go, and preserve the physical life I have as best I can, but I don't care when I go and part of me looks forward to it.

What matters most is:

How well did you live?
How well did you love?
How well did you learn to let go?

---

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

I don't know how old you are, but I'm pretty sure that, in all likelihood, my time will be up before yours.

I know I'm living on borrowed time. Do you?

Well, that wasn't really my point.

Any of us can go at any stage and its just a fact of life that the elderly are going to pass at some stage regardless.

How is time borrowed? I never got that saying.

---

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

It's a Monday morning and we're both tied to separate railway tracks. My train is the 8.15 to Newark, and it's already late. Your train is the 21.45 to Rochester, which only runs on Fridays.

Want to swap tracks?

From whom is time borrowed?

We will all be there one day, some even sooner and unexpectedly. You need to be dignified about it.

---

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Time is borrowed when either we live beyond average life expectancy or we're living in a reckless manner, inviting death. It means we're getting more life than we should expect to get.

It's just an expression. It only relates to the subject who is expected to die soon. The borrowed time doesn't have to be paid back. Don't think about it too hard.

Don't think about it too hard.

I'm not. You're are the one who mentioned it.

Just live for the moment Thom. Your life/time is what it is, regardless of whatever average life expectancy is. Its different for everyone and really can't be measured.

Aging and getting into the twilight of ones life is also about humbling oneself. The rest is just clinging and even self-absorption. You; me; they; are all going to have to face this at sometime or other. You are not alone.

I think its awesome you are online and communicating lucidly and intelligently. My folks are about a decade behind you are are just not tech savvy at all and lazy when it comes to learning new digital skills. Plus they aren't lateral thinkers.

---

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

No, I meant don't think about the expression too hard. You're the one analyzing it.

Like I said, would you like to swap tracks?

I am not the one wanting to change things about my situation, you are, that is why you expressed it.

Run with the feedback or dismiss it, your call.

Your question is rhetorical and since lives can't be changed, it won't be changed. You need to appreciate your being for the life you've had and the journey traversed and remain gracious for that.

---

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

You speak with breaktaking ignorance. You must be in the first half of your life. When you get old, see if you're so philosophical then.

I'm tired, and I'm content to slip away. But not just yet. Maybe tomorrow. Then, when tomorrow comes, maybe I'll want just one more day.

Life is sweet, and we cling to it. Only people who don't see an end in sight think like you.

My question invites you to view the world from my perspective. It's not rhetorical. About the kindest thing I could say to you regarding this is that at least you had the integrity to avoid answering the question with a lie. That you avoided answering it at all, though, demonstrates you know I'm right.

Ignorance deceives and I feel you are being wrongheaded and obstinate.

I don't do lies and your anecdotal question just can't be answered, so I wasn't even going to attempt to make something up just to appease and what you want to hear.

I don't want to pressure you, due to your age, yet you don't appear to have gone too wisely and with humility into it though. Its selfish and ignorant to envy those that are younger too.

---

Norman! What did you put in my tea?