Immortality
As I pull myself through another bout of illness, I say to myself, ”Stay strong, and you will win this battle.” The pessimist in me however, replies, “No matter what you do, you will lose the war.” My mindset is perhaps well epitomized by one of Benjamin Franklin’s more famous quotes, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
This brings us directly to a concept that us humans have been fascinated with since time immemorial — immortality. Wanting to live forever may seem like a childish wish, but alchemists from ancient Greece to modern biologists have dedicated lifetime’s worth of research into discovering the possibility of everlasting youth. Let us say we do find the key to biological immortality and discover how to stop our cells from aging. What then? Well two possible scenarios arise, at least two that I can think of.
In the first scenario, this novel “technology” is made available to everyone. It may come with a price, but that doesn’t matter. There is only one thing that can ensue from here on a socio-economic catastrophe on a global scale. In times like this when we are still fighting against poverty and famines, immortals will only serve to make matters worse. With finite resources on earth, it will be a miracle if humanity sees itself out for another century without completely devouring whatever oil, coal, and what not we have left on earth. Doomsday will descend upon us, and ironically, we will end up killing each other, defeating the very purpose of immortality.
The less apocalyptic and more intriguing scenario is one where only a select few individuals are let in on the secret. The basis for the selection of these individuals is a whole different ball game. Let us assume that the discoverer of the secret chooses to not reveal it to anyone, fearing unexpected consequences and rightly so. What he does do however, is make himself immortal and explore the endless possibilities it holds. There is just so much he can do that it is not possible to pen everything down in one article. To be able to see how much we have advanced technologically 1000 years down the line (if we do survive as a race) is probably one of the greatest privileges of being an immortal. Opportunities to interact with future bright minds, travelling to places and becoming wiser as he grows “older” are just some of his other perks. He has all the time in the world. He can simply preoccupy himself by watching time work its magic, as it changes the world and people around him.
On the other, one must not forget the pitfalls of immortality. When he has all the time in the world, it takes immense willpower to wake up every morning and not say, ”I will do this tomorrow.” Even mortal humans procrastinate in their ephemeral lives. Knowing that one’s life will end inevitably is what drives them to accomplish their goals, to leave a mark on this world before they leave it. Take away that motivating factor, and an immortal man will find no pleasure in his achievements.
One must also realize, sooner or later, the people around him will start noticing that he is not aging with time, forcing him to move to new places and make new friends. It is a cycle he will have to repeat, maybe once every 15 years. Breaking strong bonds and forming new meaningful ones is by no means an easy task, for no man can remain a loner for the rest of his life, especially an eternal one. Forgetting his past will be difficult, and the older he becomes, the more regrets he will have, the more he mourns over what could have been. He will also have to go through the pain of losing his family and loved ones, who are after all mere mortals. Being able to tolerate the mental and emotional trauma that accompanies his power is an achievement in itself.
Considering the bigger picture, while he may get to witness technological booms and revolutions, he will also have to go through some dark times. The probability of further World Wars occurring will always remain non zero. Besides, who knows what other apocalyptic events humans will manage to drag themselves into?
A more intricate and profound dissection of the second scenario is presented in the film “The Man from Earth”. Produced on a shoestring budget of $200,000, it manages to capture the audience’s imagination with its riveting script. With the film running for not more than an hour and a half and most of it set in just a single room, it is storytelling at its very best.
Now the question I would like to ask you all is,”Do you really want immortality, considering the detrimental effects that entail it?” Well, you have to look no further than Lord Voldemort to find out what happens to people who chase after immortality.
