If forced to choose, without being given the time to think...

[Deja Q]

Which would you choose?

If an ultimate being were to ask people, in this society, that they would have to choose between immortality and death RIGHT NOW, without thinking about the ramifications of either decision, what would they choose? What would you choose?

My guess is that many would say immortality. Sadly, yet amusingly, they are not realizing the sort of environment we're creating for the world... :scared:

I'd choose death. Is immortality a blessing? I don't think so. An immortality of being poor does not appeal to me.

What would you choose?

Why did humanity decide to choose to be a race of stress, greed, and war rather than a race of relaxed, peaceloving folk?

I'm stopping now before I digress into 18,000 different tangents...

[spychoactive]

1. i almost thought about it...

but i'd hafta go with immortality...

but being immortal may very well kill me

;)

one love
spike

ps: great thread

[Racenut20]

2. Good beer, huh /????

[lcordero]

3. I would still choose immortality

human change takes a very long time. I would rather have time as an ally rather than as an enemy.

[LeahMira]

4. Hating these either/or choices...

I'd choose death. Is immortality a blessing? I don't think so.

Death? Sure, but not right this minute!!!

I hope I will be somewhat immortal in being remembered kindly by those I know and love. Enough.

Why did humanity decide to choose to be a race of stress, greed, and war rather than a race of relaxed, peaceloving folk?

When Cain killed Abel?

[Deja Q]

10. Cain and Abel are fictional characters, stories we were taught as kids

What if we taught something more affirming and productive instead? And how to not obey our instincts in favor of more civilized approaches? Or is that concept too anti-american because it puts the needs of the many above one's "personal freedom" (selfishness)

Oh well. Humanity also often gets what it says it doesn't want (war).

[7th_Sephiroth]

5. immortality

i could do whatever i want with no major ramifications, but it would be boring after the first eon or so

[A-Schwarzenegger]

6. Clark.

[Nikia]

7. Immortal

I'd actually be more liely to try things because I would know that certain activites wouldn't kill me, like sky diving. I would also be less likely to be afraid of faliure. I could go back to school for other careers not being afraid that I would be wasting my time if I never found employment in that career. I could try many different life paths, knowing that I could always try another after a while. I'd gain so much knowledge and perhaps be very wise. I don't think that I'd be poor and certainly not after a while. Long term investments usually generate money even if one can only put in a small amount in over time. I know that I could start a successful business before the 50th time too. Then there might be book deals and speaking engagements. Certainly, I could at least become a private teacher to those that value the old and wise.
If I knew that I would not die, I would not be afraid with whatever was going on in the world. I would be less afriad to fight it and less afraid that it might end.
Forever is a long time though. That is the problem. I try not to concentrate on it. Really, forever is a long time to either live or be dead.

[VOX]

8. Immortality would be a curse. If you knew you wouldn't die...

*nothing* would carry any risk. And without that sense of risk, everything would be flattened out, joyless.

Humans have a need to play basic games (and I don't mean mind games) -- the best of which combine an equal mix of skill and chance. If things get too skewed one way or another, it becomes boring, and you quit the game.

Immortality takes the *chance* out of everything. And with that, goes the sweetness of life.

Nevertheless, there's a lot to be said for living to a very ripe old age. And being healthy while you do it.

[Nikia]

9. There were be some risk. It just wouldn't be final

Think of it as role playing/adventure game where you have an infinite number of lives. I enjoy these games. You might be stuck on a problem for a while and solving it is a challenge. Eliminating the risk of death wouldn't make sky diving less enjoyable. I like the thrill of roller coasters, which I trust to be safe in that way.
I have found myself, as my counter productive life flaw, making things more interesting by attatching more emotional signifcance to them than they merit. This is a life dynamic that does not have to include risk. You still may or not have successful relationships, careers, or other undertakings. Just because you can start again does not mean that you still won't feel for these things.

[Art_from_Ark]

20. There would be plenty of risks associated with immortality

Just ask Tithonius :D

Seriously, "immortality" only refers to eternal life and does not include any connotations regarding success or failure. Thus, even if you were immortal, you could still become seriously injured, lose your fortune and become homeless, or, like Tithonius, waste away until the gods turned you into a grasshopper.

[Robb]

11. Neither choice is worthwhile

...without the power to smite mine enemies. :)

[SheilaT]

12. What I want to know

is do those who chose immortality have no belief in an afterlife?

Or do you believe in one, and still chose immortality anyway?

[Nikia]

14. I don't know the nature of the afterlife

I am still learning about things relgiously/spiritually but what happens after one dies is more unknown to humanity than anything else. Even if I believe in heaven, how do I know that I would enjoy living there for all of eternity? Am I condemning myself to exist as a ghost by saying that I'd want to live forever in this world? Existing forever on Earth without being able to have meaningful interactions with people would be the worst.

[camero]

13. Death

Forever is a very long, long time. If we lived forever, there would be too many of us and the old would push out the young.

[Kamika]

15. What kind of immortality would this be?

Would absolutely NOTHING be able to kill you?

You realize you would live on and on and on Way after earth is a piece of coal.. and the universe has expanded so much nothing exists..


You'd float in the vasteness of nothing.. day in day out...


EDIT: I just realized this is probably the deepest thing I've ever written here.. yey me!

[Nikia]

16. I thought of a deep response

I am thinking that it might be a big sin though to post it. It is against my beliefs to suggest that any human should try to be God.

[Kamika]

19. oh

that sounds deep. How would you create stuff though

[Nikia]

21. You'd have a long time to figure that out

Some geniuses have advanced science much in their own lifetimes. Just think what someone like Einstein could have done with thousands of lifetimes. You'd have even more so you wouldn't have to be quite as brilliant.

[Lizz612]

17. Death

I've read enough about immortals to not want to be one, give me the peace of the grave instead of the pain of watching everyone, everything die and be destroyed. Didn't have to think.

Edit: I do not believe in life after death; I want to live my life without that reward or punishment waiting at the end.

[Nikia]

18. My great grandmother said that was a sorrow of long life

She lived to be 102. She watched nearly everyone of her generation die and much of children's generation die as well before her death.

[Blade]

22. NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

not a philosophical question! My brain...it hurts....I'm in a philosophy class right now, and It's not going by too well. I just don't like it.

[ProudGerman]

23. we didn't choose

Why did humanity decide to choose to be a race of stress, greed, and war rather than a race of relaxed, peaceloving folk?

It was never up for a decision. Its part of our nature. Humans are capable of great selfishness and selflessness, sometimes in the same person.

[CoNnOc]

24. Immortality.

The amount of social data gained through the observations of an immortal would be priceless. An added bonus for me personally would be all the time to read books i'd get. That alone would be pricless.

[short bus president]

25. sounds to me

like you followed up with more in-depth study on that weird smell in the bathroom you posted about the other night...

;-)

[WillParkinson]

26. Immortality...

What type of immortality are we talking here?

They did an episode of Aladding (yes, the Disney cartoon...) where a guy made a wish to be immortal but never said immortal AND young and now he was like a thousand years old and looked like it.

Immortality would be interesting. You said being poor but if you're immortal you could have time to take classes, become a better (or worse) person.

I'd have to go for being immortal as long as I could be young (well, not TOO old to enjoy it).

[spychoactive]

27. wow

my proverbial hat is off to you for this thread...i haven't been able to stop rolling it around in my head and i am no closer to an answer in my head, my instinct (being told not to think about it) was immortality...now i am not so sure...

forever is a long time...

but choosing the alternative, i'd miss the ending of the new paris hilton unreality series...

how tragic would that be?

;)

one love
spike

[trof]

28. Immorality

;-)

[spychoactive]

29. nice!

ssia

:)