What if you can live forever?

Inspired by this Musing question.

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To be honest, this is a good question. Several thousands of years before, people already had such desire, such as some emperor in China wanted a medicine to live forever (forgive me for not having sufficiently deep knowledge on this topic to answer who is this emperor). Until now, researchers are still finding methods to extend our lives and create technology to preserve bodies and hopefully revive them one day.

Well, whatever, until today, perfect preservation and reviving technology still does not exist. But what if we turn it around and think another way - if you can live forever?

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Someone in that thread pointed out a very good point - having something called "death" actually motivates you to do things. Knowing that there is a finite amount of time, you will appreciate. They mentioned, that's also why you give real flowers instead of those plastic ones. Real ones will wilt and rot, so it will be cherished. If I actually have an infinite amount of time to do what I want then probably I will just sleep all day without trying to even make something useful because there's always another day. Right now, I still have an unfinished storyboard (think of an animation project for the game osu!) and some ideas to code. If I really have an infinite amount of time for me to waste...yea, why am I writing this anyway, I can just dump my head into the pillow and go unconscious for the next 24 hours since there will always be the next day for me to write and post anyway...

I can go on forever but probably I will just leave it to you to think :3

In this case, everyone and live forever and we assume that the basic necessities are always sufficient and this world is just an infinitely expanding Minecraft world. The biggest problem about this is everyone will become lazy, and you will have literally no progress, things become boring over time, and soon you will see people going insane and stuff like that.

Pretty much a good reason to keep lifespan at a limit, eh?

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Let's think of it another way. You, are the only one in this world that lives indefinitely.

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It's actually pretty interesting to imagine something like this - what will you do, if you are the one that can live on indefinitely but others will pass on sooner or later? It reminds me of a character in the game Tower of Saviors. She's Idun, and is probably the only immortal being I know in this game apart from those dragons.

From her backstory, it is mentioned that she thought that she could remember things forever and cherish those moments she had, but memories fade over time. Soon, she only have shallow shadows of those figures that once appeared, and everything is no longer clear, but she has no choice but to live on because essentially, she cannot die (technically, not even age). It actually sounds pretty sad. Even if you can live on forever, important things might not. It might be a person beside you, a piece of memory that was deemed important to you, and many others.

Imagine a world, with only you as the only alive human being on it, living indefinitely, like the robot in Laputa, accompanying birds and plants, day by day.

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Probably when that happens you won't know, either.

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I wouldn't want to live indefinitely, it would be strange. We are given a finite amount of time to live on and that's how things should work - it's up to us to make use of that finite amount of time to do whatever that brings meaning to the rest.

I remember a comment left on a song in Netease Cloud Music, it seems to be a quote but the source is not stated. Translating from Chinese, it reads:

There are three stages of deaths: First stage, you are certified as dead by a doctor, then you are biologically dead. Then, people attended your funeral and bid goodbye to you, you are officially known as dead by the world. Lastly, everything about you is gone and forgotten from this world, then you are finally dead as a whole, the entire universe will then have no more connections with you.

I saw many variations of this quote and it is used on different occasions. Chester Bennington didn't die, his songs are still alive in many's hearts. Alan Turing didn't die, his ideas are still remembered and recorded by the world. Steve Jobs didn't die, his works and ideas are still inspiring the latest products.

Even if you can't be remembered by the world, do good and change something around you. The chain reaction started by it can go on for a long time. Even if not remembered, the effects of your life will go on.

I am used to set that as a life goal. If it is reached, then there will be no regrets living a finite life.

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What are your thoughts on this question? Feel free to share them in the comments :)

See you next time~

--Lilacse