Would you be able to enjoy immortality?

[jamesabr]

I said in a previous forum that one would likely have to see their loved ones die. Despite the immediate appeal of being able to make mistakes throughout an endless life, I don't think that I would enjoy immortality. I think mortality forces us to enjoy life more, riddled with mistakes or not.

[Kb3ck]

I think I would enjoy parts of being immortal like always having the youthful energy to go out and do things but I don't think I would like the fact that I would be the only one in my life that isn't aging. All of my friends and siblings would pass me in age.

[kimmyschemy06]

Probably at first, but then when my family and friends die I would surely get lonely, then bored, then regret being immortal

[SandraTWP-BRW]

This is a really loaded question. My mind keeps asking about contingencies: Does immortal mean immune to injury and illness, or with an advanced capacity for healing? Could I be killed by violence, and just be immortal to the effects of aging? Or, would I age and become infirm, but not actually expire...?

Here's what I think: I could be happy as an immortal, so long as I was able to physically care for myself. I don't think I'd want to be an immortal who was, say, bedridden. But my experience is that life is what you make it, and when you're life isn't working, you need to change course. I would imagine an immortal life involves countless more course corrections.

And, as others have considered: I would miss those who would die while I went on. The thing is, I'm learning as I grow older, this happens anyway. I admire a lady I met in the past couple years. She's one of the most elderly people I know, so everyone in her life is younger (and sometimes quite a bit younger) than she. But she's a joy to be around - sharp as a tack, kind, and just a generally happy and content person. Her focus is on the life around her, not on the people that have gone before her. However, she shares memories of them with us, with the same kind of enjoyment. If I were immortal, she'd be my role model.

[Cowgirl888]

I think I would enjoy immortality. It would be even better if loved ones enjoyed it with me.

[Mune]

Losing the inevitability of death, I would think, would make life less of a challenge. You would find yourself procrastinating or wondering why anything matters. I think it would be a lonely existence and difficult to fill with meaningful events. Watching those you know die, the music you love fade, the world change as you sit remembering the past. I don't think it would be as enjoyable as I wish it would be.

[katiesquilts]

I'm not much of a people-person to begin with, so I don't think the whole "lack of personal relationships" would bother me that much. However, every day feels SO long for me right now, and to have to live through such long days forever... It'd be more of a stress for me than a pleasure.

[Mannie913]

I think if I had to be immortal, I would definitely make the best of it. At first I'm sure I would be bummed but I am a very positive person so my I trust my attitude would change. In my first years, I would hard to make sure that later one I wouldn't have to work. I would definitely travel the world to see everything. I would read every book I could get my hands on. But I think it would get very boring. The world is only so big. Only so many things to discover. Only so many things to read and learn. It would terrible to watch all my friends and family die while I just idle through life at 23 forever. I would hope I would have some super cool power to get me through. I think being an immortal witch would be better than mortal since then I could at least do magic. Maybe help mortals through the times like Magnus Bane does in the Mortal Instruments series. Also being a Fae sounds pretty cool, like in Throne of Glass. If I had some cool trick up my sleeve, an immortal mate by my side, and plenty of money so I didn't have to constantly go to work, I think I could enjoy it.

[kstockard]

I don't believe that I would be happy with immortality. Knowing that I have forever to experience life would make me push things back and I would never accomplish anything. I love life how it is now and I personally don't think that I would enjoy being immortal.

[Genaaa]

It'd probably be nice at first, being able to do anything really. However, after awhile of being immortal, friends and family would start to die which would be horrible to have to watch.

[Joy Boudreau]

I believe that immortality here on this earth would be truly awful. Over the centuries, people have grown in knowledge and have made good scientific advances, but there have also been equal advances for evil purposes. Wars have become greater and more devastating. More murders, more horrific crimes, more conspiracies and lies and open ugliness. There is beautiful in this world, but also ugly. I think that our minds are not strong enough to thrive in those conditions for all of the ages. You would (theoretically) become immeasurably wise ... and be somewhat helpless to change the minds of those younger than you when they are set in harmful ways.

[breyfoglese]

I'd be immortal as long as I could tap out at some point, so to speak. If I can't choose to die, immortality seems terrible; how long does it last? Does all human life die out and the sun expand and I just...remain? That seems like hell. I also don't know, as others have mentioned, if I could stand loving people so deeply and then watching them die. Eventually it'd seem like I was attending so many funerals, and since people would get suspicious if I stayed in one place too long, I'd have to break ties anyway. But live for a few hundred years and have control over when I die - that I could do.

[dosenron877]

Per an event in this book, I would not be able to enjoy immortality for one of the same reasons as Steven. When he was being chased by dogs in Lhasa he had this mental observation (paraphrased)

I don't mind dying but I don't like being torn to pieces with each piece experiencing pain while awaiting the regeneration and rejoining of the injured parts.

[cherlyn]

I would definitely not enjoy immortality. I mean, immortality haas its perks, being able to stay young for a longer period of time, enjoy new things etc. However, you will have a deep scar in your heart for seeing your love ones leave you one by one, leaving you alone in this universe, making your life long and lonely. Thus, I would not be able to enjoy immortality.

[KasieMiehlke]

I don't think I would be able to enjoy being immortal. I think i would initially act extremely reckless, but eventually become bored. I would also hate to see everyone I know fade away as I remain.