If you were given the opportunity to somehow become immortal (you will never die, you will live on forever - nothing can kill you), would you do it?

Only if I could die when I choose. Otherwise, I would eventually become tired of living (it might take 1000 years, it might take 100,000, but it will happen). If it's "you're immortal whether you like it or not", then no, thanks.

I think an endless life would grow tiresome & we would wish we were dead anyway.

Yes, Eventually you could rule the world and the everything else that exists, no one could ever put you in a stereo-type or judge you. It would become boring but hey its a chance no one else has.

It would be great being alive to see technological developments and medical discoveries, but to watch my children, my grandchildren and every succeeding generation die....it wouldn't be worth it.

***LawDog...What if you were wrongly accused of a crime (it happens) and were sentenced to live in prison?

i feel we each have a time and reason to be here, if we were meant to be immortal we would just be that.......

I don't think so. I do believe there's something after life, and to be "stuck" here on Earth would be nasty. What if there was a nuclear bomb and everyone died? What if there was a plague? How about when the comet finally hits the earth? It'd just be me and a dead Earth for "the rest of eternity".

Zardoz! (thanks Phi :)

*** lisashea - until you were ABDUCTED at least :)

Excellent tough question. I fear the potential boredom, but I fear death more (maybe). The universe seems to hold such a multitude of wonders, I think I could hack it - I say yes.

Presuming I would have a reasonably quality of life, I would prefer to be immortal! There's just so much to do and so little time to do it, as a mortal.

no, nope, no way

oh yeah...

you are not ready for immortality koshwarble

jjg: nah, you'd just forget things. what was the question again?

So long as the process of immortalization did not have some strange effect upon my person.

Very tough question for me. Right now, I'd love to live for a long time, but I suspect I wouldn't want to live forever. Also, there's the problem of being trapped or imprisoned for a long time. Likely, I'd go insane. I think Anne Rice in her Vampires series dealt with immortality and it's burden pretty well.
*** I don't think living forever and ruling the world have anything to do with each other.

no. If I were forced to live forever, I wouldn't. if I could do this, and have the option of ending when I wanted to, then sure.

lizzie darling, what do you mean would? ;)

Depends - will I have to wear them? Those big baggy adult diapers. Will I just continue to get old? If so, no thanks.

I would, and I would be a dog on wheels. **doom: cute, very cute. ;)

oh yeah. the only arguement against being immortal that holds any water is having to watch loved ones die. of course, being mortal doesn't exempt you from this either.

Hm. If I had the option of ending it at a time of my choosing several centuries/millennia hence, I would do it in a second. But if this involves NEVER dying, forget it. I think, even if everything was great and fun and interesting, I still would want to move on SOMEDAY to whatever lies beyond this place.... not having the option would potentially suck even worse than finding out too soon.

I have to admit, I have a foggy sort of belief in reincarnation. I believe that we have something to do or learn in each life, and I hope that I'll manage to accomplish that, and get another go-round. It would be sad to be stuck here forever with no purpose, or even to have the same purpose for all time. Besides, I'm bad enough now about thinking "Oh, I'll have time for that later." If I actually had all eternity, I don't think I'd ever get around to doing anything.

Probably. My only concern is that my brain would eventually run out of storage space. If the brain continues to make pathways and connections through out life, as has been suggested I suppose it will eventually explode out of my head. So, maybe not. ***** Next question of course is, would I stop aging or would I be this shriveled out old man who lives in a hospital bed for eternity? Immortality and lack of aging are not necessarily the same thing.

oh the places you will gho!
***Sorry, I don't buy life-after-death. There is this existance, and there are cute-and-puzzy stories told to the lower classes to make them like their lives being miserable. "i'd rather rule in hell than serve in heavean"

***jzp - I prefer the term "gullible" to "lower classes"

No way.

"Freedom from myself will be the sweetest rest I've ever known." - Chris Rice

jzp/seven - hmmm, I've never thought of myself as either lower class or gullible ... I always thought that there was life-after-death and then there are all the self-gratifying stories about this life being all there is, told to the selfish and short-sighted so that they don't have to anticipate the long-range consequences of their actions ... yes, I realize that's a bogus generalization, but no more so than yours.

ron - ah yes, thanks.

I couldn't think of a better description of hell.

***Jamey: you're welcome!

I would say yes on a sliding scale. Maybe just to stop aging would be enough, so that one day I will in fact die but not for a long time. At least that's better than living for ever and ever and ever!

Lorax: _very_ well said, even though I do disagree.

I might regret it later but I'd sure say yes now.

Nope nope nope.

No, not if I would never die, but if I could kill myself when I chose to, then yes.

Why not? I always wanted to be Lazarus Long.

...but only if I could make someone I deeply loved immortal too.

I wouldn't only because it would stop me from having a normal life.

no way

Sign me up for eons and eons!

Brian, wouldn't that be a bit redundant? And certainly Narcissistic!