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The quest appears noble, but immortality comes at a price. Actually multiple prices. When babies are born, and nobody dies, we'll soon be overpopulated with all problems that brings. Food shortage, water shortage, space shortage. This could lead to very serious trouble.... Nature will also suffer.
There are also issues humanity didn't have to deal with it now, but which will eventually be an issue. Our memory is not infinite. When we can become thousands of years old, eventually our memories will reach their limits and nobody knows what will happen then.
Also will life remain interesting?
"They haven't spoken in 6 billion years, which is only natural. Everything there is to be said, has been said". These were words said in the episode "Death Wish" in Star Trek Voyager where an immortal Q wants to die. My quote may not be exact, but that's not the point.

It's not that I like the idea that I can be certain I'll die one day, but I'm also not sure if immortality is the thing I desire. And for the world as a whole, immortality can even be a complete catastrophe.

I agree completely, well said. I'd add that immortality (assuming it turns out to be an expensive treatment/therapy) would further widen the divide between the haves and the have-nots in society to the point of a literal dystopia. I can't imagine what horrors the ruling class of immortals would be prepared to inflict on the mere peasants destined for inevitable death.

And competition among the lower-class of mortals to ascend to the ranks of immortals would be fierce and possibly only fuel more violence and death.

A rational perspective accepts a peaceful death after a fulfilling life as a positive outcome, but the promise of immortality derails that. For the vast majority of us, our will to live is too strong and deeply-ingrained to overcome the temptation to become immortal even in spite of obvious social and even personal downsides.

That could in the beginning stage of immortality certainly be a case also, even in countries with a well-regulated health-care system. But just as computers and cell phones where in the beginning an extremely expensive product only bought by rich people, now everybody needs it and has it and prices did drop like crazy, and I doubt treatments for immortality will be that much different, as it has always been that much of a human desire (according to some atheists I spoke the entire concept of Heaven, the Underworld, Realm of the Dead and all that in several religions are the result of humans not accepting that life is not infinite and clinging on these believes to make the idea bearable. Not gonna debate that, but it is indeed a possibility). It even seems proven that humans are the species where the will to live on, no matter the cost, is highest among all all creatures... at least some people told me, as I cannot verify that.

If immortality, especially at the starting point, is something only a select elite can afford, this will divide people. Actually the entire concept of war came to be because one group of people had something another group didn't have.

Now many science-fiction and fantasy stories have been written on the concept on immortality and what humans would do to obtain it causing a lot of trouble in the process. Voldemort (Harry Potter) by creating Horcruxes and Queen Zeal (Chrono Trigger) by striking a deal with the extremely dangerous mounster Lavos, are notable examples of these. Both people lost themselves in their quest for immortality becoming very dangerous persons in the process. I think it shows how many people are already aware of the dangers of immortality.

Perhaps people still wanting immortality should watch the movie "Death becomes her". That movie can cure you, I tell ya!

that's why were colonizing mars

I think the plans for colonization of Mars would happen anyway, with or without the quest for immortality. It's rather the nature of humans to explore all they can explore and since the Earth has reached its limits by now, the only option is, to go to space.

No dying means an end to sex. No need to procreate and nature will get rid of those extra parts you no longer need

priorities! 😅😉

Party pooper...

Actually it goes back to something my grandfather said to me on his last trip to the hospital (cancer) "Everyone you love today and will love tomorrow is here because someone else gave up their life before."

Very poetic. Sounds like a great source of inspiration for life, true to his own word as it were. Great way to look at it!

Ok, let's keep things PG here, ok?

Easy now, he's ok. Boma isn't one to be (too) vulgar ;)

Thanks for helping keep a lookout for inappropriate content in the stream though, it takes a community!

And you get an upvote, thanks :)

Body modifications due to evolution happen over multiple generations, however when nobody dies, there are also no new generations, meaning evolution will come to a standstill. That said genitals will not disappear.
One thing to note is that a female only has a limited number of eggs (she's born with those) and never produces more, so immortal or not, women will still get infertile with the passing of time. This can cause females to have less desire for sex, but as males will still be able to produce sperm and may therefore not lose their sexual desires.... HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!

But this also means that improvements to the body to cope with features humans will need will also never take place, since this requires evolution as well, and thus the coming of next generations.

I am on no quest for immortality. No, a merry life and a short one shall be my motto.

Naw.
I have a few reasons I wouldn't want to be immortal.
1) I believe there's life after death so I wouldn't want to never have that.
2) I really don't think I'd be able to live with myself for that long.
3) It would just get old and miserable and I'd eventually want to die anyway.

There can be unintended consequences when one cannot die.

Seeing as its impossible, you'd end up spending your whole mortal life in search of it,and did before finding it,so no.

Except me. I'm going to go to forks Washington with corona virus,and get bitten by Carlisle.

I imagine if we can conquer death we would be a spiritual level high enough to conquer many of the potential problems some fear inherent to immortality.

saint Germain lol jk

Ah, Saint Germain. Fascinating individual!

Neither good nor bad. Mankind is inherently afraid of death, it's in our instincts, so we will always strive to prolong our lives. It's just nature, and I think any animal out there would act the same way.

The human quest for immortality is neither good nor bad. It's just part of who we are as a people. Throughout history, individuals have been using different methods to stay relevant through the ages whether through the building of monuments, empires, legacies, etc.

Now, the real question is WHAT IS IMMORTALITY? Because each one of us has his or her own concept of it. And each culture it's own interpretation.

It depends. On one hand, it could bring someone closer to God, salvation, and eternal life. On the other, it could get a person so focused on the future that the present slips by and they lose themselves in the one thing they couldn't have, just like Eve did in the garden

I wouldn't want to be immortal. It would be great if people were able to expand their lives a little longer but everyone would just have almost nothing to do. Yes, we could invent more things for entertainment but we would most likely have overpopulation.
What about realagentships? People would probley get bored of their partner. Think about the effect this has on nature too. Humans would run out of the matriels fast and animals.
People would also not have ANY fears. You were afraid of the dark? No problem, your immortal now and nothing can kill you! Also if your immortal, can't you also still experience pain? It depends on how you look at it. None wants to die, but nobody really wants to live forever.

dying is bad, so yes

probably not, if you can’t die...you live in pain for ever dealing with something that was supposed to kill you

once you become immortal all your friends will die and you will be lonely forever

I would never ever want to be immortal and here is why.
You have to watch everyone you have ever loved die. Your entire family, all your friends, any of your spouses, everyone. You will never get to see them again, because if you die you cannot go to heaven (or like whatever you believe in). And in a couple billion years or so, when the world ends, you will still be there. Floating in space for all eternity. Alone.

Nature spent a long time optimizing humans for conditions on this world. We are all too ready to monkey with that without really understanding how or why we're currently optimal. The consequences of underinformed cookery are almost always disappointing. And then there's the fact that knees and eyes and hearts and lungs and feet and skin all wear out with age. If the average human age continues to increase, we might all need to accept a cyborgian

culture.

I'd say no. Theres a reason people die. Imma compare this to Voldemort right now. He had 7 things to allow himself immortality and he died before Dumbledore. Immortality makes people bored with life. Nicoles Flamel didnt enjoy his never-ending life. This is alot of Harry Potter references but I think im getting my point across. Become to obsessed, you lose out on everything. Succeed and you live past everyone you love and all your friends. Immortality is not a quest that should be searched in my opinion

‘Nuff said

I mean we can just bounce the ball back. And I don't think immortality will bind anyone to congress or the oval office forever.

You missed the point.

MY point is Congressmen have no term limits, while Presidents have term limits.

My point is that if you have CLEVER (a word you mistake for dumb) people in congress all the time you can also have an INCOMPETENT (a word you mistake for very good) president all the time (identity doesn't matter). Besides, when people are immortal, you'll have to get rid of the term limit, especially when birth stops, as sooner or later you will then run out of people who can be president, and that simple fact already voids your point too.

You are a flake. Immortality is part of your equation? Are you on drugs?! Power corrupts. So politicians need to be changed. Regardless of party. Your opinion of Trump is being confused with fact.

Well, let's put it this way... It was already beyond stupidity to make a meme like this political in the first place. Oh, and my opinion on Trump is based on study, and thinking things through not on misguided "facts"... Rather about sorting out the truth behind everything Trump says, which is not an easy job, since that guy mixes facts and fiction like I've never seen it before.

Be glad that I didn't delete that comment, since I feel that is what I should have done, as this place is not meant for political discussion in the first place, but since Trump-groupies will then suspect a biased way of moderation, I was not sure if that was the way to go. And especially not for hate campaigns...

I bounced a ball back... I know you wouldn't be able to take that properly, but that is your own shortcoming... not mine... Perhaps it would be better than you keep any political statements in the political streams were they belong. Oh, and politics has one thing in common with philosophy.... You have to look further than the obvious... That's all I did... If you can't handle balls being bounced back.... don't play them in the first place.

To be Freaking skips from regular show

Alright, you guys have all given awesome answers (even if I don't necessarily agree with them), and I thank you all for that. I don't think anyone's gonna read this but here are my thoughts:

God did originally create man to be immortal. Because the world was originally perfect, there was no need to be able to escape it. However, when man sinned, his relationship with God was severed, and sin and death entered the world. Death actually was a mercy, so that we wouldn't have to live forever in a broken and evil world. But because we were made to live eternally in the presence of God, we still long for that (in a way).

When Christ conquered sin and death, He offered all who believe in Him an opportunity to spend eternity in the presence of God, which is what man was created for, as I said. But because we are in a state of rebellion against God, we don't want to have to submit to the One who demands that we give all that we have and are to serve Him.

And so we continue to seek to regain immortality by other means. Because we don't know what joy there is in following God, we want to be gods of our own, and not have to bend the knee to any other. But God, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, gave us mortality so we wouldn't get caught up in our sin and pride, but instead look to Him for eternal life.

But some still remain defiant. They don't want to have to be accountable to God. They want to be able to do whatever they want. And so they keep on looking, seeking for what isn't there, and being unable to find it, resort to wasting away their lives in temporal pleasures and comforts.

So those are my thoughts on the human quest for immortality. Is it inherently bad? No. Can it be misguided and lead down paths that are bad? All too easily. Can it lead us back to God? Yes, but only with the right promptings.

Again, this is my own opinion. I won't get angry if you disagree. But no matter what your opinion is on this, I wish you a great day!