Happy Atheist Forum

Here's a topic just for the fun of it!  How long would you choose live if you were otherwise immortal?  Not to sound biblical, but 800 years seems a good long time to get all the fun stuff in, see most everything.  I can't see keeping my sanity after many millennia, but I'm not about to set a bad precedent for this thread by saying, "Until I get tired of living, I guess."  So please try to give a concrete number, it's only hypothetical, after all.  I promise I won't hold you to it if we find the means for immortality.  

Well ... I'm currently working on a plan to live forever and so far it seems to be going fairly well ... guess I'll just have to keep you updated

Kyu

i would want to live for about 100,000 years. the reason why is because i would want to see what evolution does with that time and i would love to see some new religions being born and then dying out. and i want to see how the western civilization will fall and what new civilizationa would replace it. c'mon Greece 2  

Depends.

Is this immunity from natural death with the option of ceasing life when I choose, or is this Claire on Heroes kind of immortality?  :| ) and would, I think, prefer to live for another four to five billion years or so. Whenever the sun decides to punk out and go red giant. Of course, by that time, I would be an evolutionary relic, a la David Lister.

*sing* Ganymede and Titan, yeah, you know, I've been around...

Too many pop culture references in such a short post?  

Generic immortality, Curio, where you're immune to disease but no severe injury.  There's always the chance you die violently sooner than you expect, but we don't plan on that happening as it is, so I'm not going to interrupt your ideal lifespan with jetcar wrecks or massive wars, or other small stuff like the decay of protons or the heat death of the universe.   :lol:

It's not about how long I would choose to live, but what would be in my life to make it worth living. When the things I consider nice to live for no longer outweigh the things I consider nice to die of, I want to stop existing. Be it 1 year or 10, I don't really care.

Quote from: "PipeBox"Generic immortality, Curio, where you're immune to disease but no severe injury.  There's always the chance you die violently sooner than you expect, but we don't plan on that happening as it is, so I'm not going to interrupt your ideal lifespan with jetcar wrecks or massive wars, or other small stuff like the decay of protons or the heat death of the universe.   :D

Quote from: "PipeBox"And yeah, living for a long time appeals to me, but I think about it and I'm not sure things are going to change much, and irrespective of advances and entertainment, eventually, I think, you get tired of it all.

I think if history shows us anything, it's that change is the only inevitability we can count on. I doubt I'd get tired of it, only because I doubt I could ever learn everything about everything, which would be my goal.  

Quote from: "Kyuuketsuki"Well ... I'm currently working on a plan to live forever and so far it seems to be going fairly well ... guess I'll just have to keep you updated :banna:

Seriously though, I don't think I'd like to live forever.  I'm already reluctant to accept big changes in my life (reminding myself of my mother everyday!) and I think it would only get worse, no matter how much I try to think positively and have patience.

I think... maybe 100 years, 150 maybe.  That would be enough to see a new century, another generation if you chose to procreate later in life, like I did.  But I definitely want there to be an end.

Hmm
I would rather be able to, sorry to say this, but be able to die when I feel like it :p

But if I had to pick a # of years, probably anywhere around 10-1000 years from when I would have normally died.
Me and my Mum are the same: Neither of us want to live forever. We would kill everyone if we did we would go so crazy.

i also think that living forever would take out a certain humanity in your life. not only because humans are supposed to have a finite life span but also because you would have to watch everyone you loved age and eventually die and i think that's a pain that most people couldn't handle experiencing once, much less the number of times it would happen during a billion years. The intellectual side of me would love to live forever, but the human side of me couldn't stand the pain of eternal lonliness.

Quote from: "quizlixx"not only because humans are supposed to have a finite life span

Don't confuse what is with what ought to be.  

Just long enough to see us colonize Mars, answer the big questions, cure most diseases, see us become a united planet under reason, and see us figure out deep space travel-- and see the Cubs win the World Series. So about a billion years I guess.  

But just me as a person...maybe about 500 - 1000 years or so. Just long enough to live several different lives in different countries and explore all the careers that I want to try. Archeologist, artist, evolutionary biologist, actor, chef, astronaut, athlete, porn star, etc.

until i no longer wanted to  

Quote from: "Steve Reason"Just long enough to live several different lives in different countries and explore all the careers that I want to try. Archeologist, artist, evolutionary biologist, actor, chef, astronaut, athlete, porn star, etc.

Not in that order, I hope.  

In all honesty, I don't think any amount of time would be sufficient for all the stuff I would want to do. When you're immortal, you can take your time to do things right, rather than try to get it done before you die. I'm reminded of that short-lived cable show "New Amsterdam" (I think). I would eventually become jaded to all the death, a la Dr. Manhattan, minus the omniscience. Literally having all the time on the world at your disposal opens all the possibilities. YOU could cure illnesses. YOU could bring about world peace.
I think the most exciting thing would be watching the world. Observing changes in technology, medicine, social networking, and even evolution. To be able to remember how things once were, and watch in constant awe as new developments arise. All the while, being able to keep hard times in perspective, and providing insight for younger generations.
The only negative I can think of would be the eventual degradation of the human body. Goldie Hawn looked terrible at the end of "Death becomes Her" and there's no way I would want that. So, if the stipulation was a body invulnerable to aging (but able to be changed i.e. getting in better shape or gaining weight as I chose) then give me eternity. I think it would be a fun ride.

(My pop culture count is up to 3)

This is a tricky question for me. I would hate to live forever for reasons above: seeing all my loved ones and family die and all that. On the other hand, Im such a wussy that I cant just say that "I want to die this day". So maybe I would write down lotsa years on small papers and randomly pull one form a hat.

Well, not counting the 450,061 years I've already lived, I'd say around 70,000 - 80,000 ought to do it.

Ok, so it just feels like I've lived that long sometimes, especially when I run out of ibuprofen.
Really, I think that 120 healthy years is about right, as long as my offspring could share in the longevity. I wouldn't want to outlive them.

Quote from: "McQ"I think that 120 healthy years is about right, as long as my offspring could share in the longevity. I wouldn't want to outlive them.

I likes my solution to this particular problem: I don't have offspring  

Is this under the assumption of good emotional and physical health?  

I'm known, and heard of a lot, of older people who were simply ready to die by the time they reached the late 70s range.  But of those emotional and physical health seemed to be playing a huge role.

If I could be immorally healthy, both physically and mentally, I think I would not ever reach a point where I was ready to die.  If you are ready to die that would mean that life is no longer something to be enjoyed.  If you are not lacking in physical or mental health then there would be no reason to be tired of it all.

If phyiscial and mental health would decline in a normal fashion....I'm not sure I'd want to live much past 100.  And only that long because I'm a bit stubborn.

I'd want to live forever, provided that eternity was in a constant state of flux and adaption, always holding new things to be seen, learned and experienced, both the good and the bad. I'd hate to see my friends and relatives die but it would constitute as part of an ongoing tapestry with ups and downs. I'd say that grief and happiness are both temporary, so amongst such a cornucopious array of experiences, even the loss of loved ones would seem insignificant.

Also, I agree with Monkey Ninja, knowing that I was going to live forever in such circumstances would be very liberating and empowering. I wouldn't need to worry about the arrow of time when planning ahead and because of that it would be possible to achieve some truly astonishing things. For instance, I could spend two hundred years or so writing the perfect novel. I could then devote a millenium or two to finding cures for various deseases. The fact that I know next to nothing about medicine doesn't matter; I'd just spend a prior century in study, gathering contacts and initiating myself in the medical world. It would be less than nothing to me.

Of course, in order to live in a constant state of development and change, the Earth and universe around it would need to have an eternal lifespan as well. It also assumes that the human mind has an infinite capacity for knowledge, which is massively ingenuous, but, if there was a way to make such an abstractly hypothetical concept a reality, I'd definitely go for it without hesitation.

Quote from: "Mister Joy"Also, I agree with Monkey Ninja

I take it I'm Monkey Ninja?

(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjosephgolden.com%2Fimages%2Fninja-monkey.gif&hash=155a5682edb3b8179c4e807f0eb751c0f31baacc)

As long as I can handle it. If I am sick and old I think I would rather be dead.

the monkey ninja does look rather bad-ass...

Well, as a tragic consequence of traumatic childhood events, I inseparably associate ninjas with monkeys. :hail:

I understand your plight, which is why it is my commitment as a Ninja Donkey to eliminate the threat of nefarious Ninja Monkeys

Could I get the added feature of being able to change bodies?

If you were to ask me what my heaven would look like (if I were to ever wish for one), I would want to live as many different lives as possible, forever experiencing and creating from different perspectives.  If I could do that, I'd want to be immortal.  I suppose it wouldn't matter if I remembered my past lives (though I wouldn't be opposed to some sort of ultimate integrated hub), as everything is connected, and my former existences would influence those of the future.

Or I'd take as much time as I could get in this body of mine, as long as I'm healthy and somewhat sane.

I'd like to live about 226,000,000 years, or one full orbit of our sun around the center of the Milky Way.

Quote from: "laetusatheos"If I could be immorally healthy, both physically and mentally, I think I would not ever reach a point where I was ready to die.

(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmyweb.tiscali.co.uk%2Fdirtbox%2Fpics%2Fmuttley.gif&hash=e0afb1639f268a8c13ca15cbdcff94a09cf35dc1)  (https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.neogaf.com%2Fforum%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Flaugh.gif&hash=8133b4b982cd2167f0d32ce63bc914f253af35a5)

Quote from: "Willravel"I'd like to live about 226,000,000 years, or one full orbit of our sun around the center of the Milky Way.

So would you go "weeeeee!" with your arms in the air the whole time?  

Quote from: "quizlixx"and i want to see how the western civilization will fall and what new civilizationa would replace it. c'mon Greece 2  :D  :blush:

Quote from: "Steve Reason"So would you go "weeeeee!" with your arms in the air the whole time?  :beer:

Quote from: "Steve Reason"

Quote from: "laetusatheos"If I could be immorally healthy, both physically and mentally, I think I would not ever reach a point where I was ready to die.

(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmyweb.tiscali.co.uk%2Fdirtbox%2Fpics%2Fmuttley.gif&hash=e0afb1639f268a8c13ca15cbdcff94a09cf35dc1)  (https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.neogaf.com%2Fforum%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Flaugh.gif&hash=8133b4b982cd2167f0d32ce63bc914f253af35a5)

oops  

Quote from: "laetusatheos"Is this under the assumption of good emotional and physical health?  

I'm known, and heard of a lot, of older people who were simply ready to die by the time they reached the late 70s range.  But of those emotional and physical health seemed to be playing a huge role.

If I could be immorally healthy, both physically and mentally, I think I would not ever reach a point where I was ready to die.  If you are ready to die that would mean that life is no longer something to be enjoyed.  If you are not lacking in physical or mental health then there would be no reason to be tired of it all.

If phyiscial and mental health would decline in a normal fashion....I'm not sure I'd want to live much past 100.  And only that long because I'm a bit stubborn.

This is my opinion too
say no more  :cool:  :hail:

Quote from: "wazzz"

Quote from: "quizlixx"and i want to see how the western civilization will fall and what new civilizationa would replace it. c'mon Greece 2  :D  :blush:

trust me, the way things are going in greece, that wont happen soon

I'm not sure how long i'd choose to live.

The movie Death Becomes Her comes to mind. As soon as people would grow suspicious since i never aged, or aged more slowly, i would have to go into hiding. That would be TONS of pressure on me to make as much money as i could to sustain me. Or i would have to create an illegal drug ring to supply me with a constant stream of good money.

but, putting that aside, i'd like to live a good 250 years. Just to be able to see the difference in technology. I mean just think of those who are 100 years old. They saw technology go from a steam locomotive to the computer i'm using right now. Awesome. I'd like to see how flying cars are made.

Quote from: "laetusatheos"

Quote from: "Steve Reason"

Quote from: "laetusatheos"If I could be immorally healthy, both physically and mentally, I think I would not ever reach a point where I was ready to die.

(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmyweb.tiscali.co.uk%2Fdirtbox%2Fpics%2Fmuttley.gif&hash=e0afb1639f268a8c13ca15cbdcff94a09cf35dc1)  (https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.neogaf.com%2Fforum%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Flaugh.gif&hash=8133b4b982cd2167f0d32ce63bc914f253af35a5)

oops  :D

Quote from: "Willravel"

Quote from: "Steve Reason"So would you go "weeeeee!" with your arms in the air the whole time?  :beer:

(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww3.b92.net%2Fipb_images%2Fstyle_emoticons%2Fdefault%2Ftongue.gif&hash=ea8ba9f1d69ef0e5498dc404412159b1583f152d)

Actually I think I'd like to be around for the collision with the Andromeda galaxy. What a show that's gonna be, eh? Although I guess once it got close enough, we might not see much of a difference in the night sky.

Does that sound right?

i was just thinking, why just liv on earth, if your gonna live forever, wait until humanity has intergalactic travel and spend eternity all over. why stop at that, get up to the speed of sound and hurdle yourself to the edge of the universe.

Quote from: "quizlixx"i was just thinking, why just liv on earth, if your gonna live forever, wait until humanity has intergalactic travel and spend eternity all over. why stop at that, get up to the speed of sound and hurdle yourself to the edge of the universe.

...So you are optimistic about humanity EVER having efficient means of intergalactic travel? Or for that matter an efficient way to travel within this galaxy?

It depends....

If atleast most of the conditions were favourable - for eternity - I'd want to live forever.

If they weren't it would be  very very very hard to put a number on how long...I would have NO idea...too many variables...

But like I said if atleast most of the conditions were favourable - for eternity - I'd want to live forever. Not sure if that's a number...

And I don't mean 99% of the conditons being favorable but then possibly 1% being unbearable...I mean if atleast MOST of the conditons being favourable, then the rest being atleast bearable - to be more specific.

P.S: Go CuriosityNdaCat! Red Dwarf totally rules! I have the first four series...I'm hoping to get the next four asap!

Quote from: "Improbable"P.S: Go CuriosityNdaCat! Red Dwarf totally rules! I have the first four series...I'm hoping to get the next four asap!

I just completed my collection and I'm downright smegging giddy.

Quote from: "Asmodean"

Quote from: "quizlixx"i was just thinking, why just liv on earth, if your gonna live forever, wait until humanity has intergalactic travel and spend eternity all over. why stop at that, get up to the speed of sound and hurdle yourself to the edge of the universe.

...So you are optimistic about humanity EVER having efficient means of intergalactic travel? Or for that matter an efficient way to travel within this galaxy?

why not.

I saw a movie a couple years back where a man was moving on from his job and life, because he lived forever. He made a practise of moving on every 10 years or so when others realised he wasent aging. This group he decided to come out to were all college proffesors being an intelligent group they proceeded to prod and question him. It was a good movie, very low budget, but really thought provoking on what it is to be human. I for the life of me can't remember the title. For me anyway I'd live forever all I'd see, and learn, and do. An eternity of knowlege to receive and change to observe. Thats the only thing I envy religin the eternity they think they receive.

Quote from: "quizlixx"why not.

Because it's likely that in the process of development of sufficient power sources, one or two will explode and wipe out all life on this planet. If of course our glorious militaries don't. Not to mention the (possibly overcomeable) physics and mathematics and all them other -ics.

Ha, I've just thought, this Woody Allen quotation might be an amusing addition to this thread: "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work... I want to achieve it through not dying."
    I like that quote lol.