The 500 year old question

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If you could live for 500 years(in good health without aging/as you are currently) would you want to?
This once in a lifetime deal would only apply to you and not the rest of the humans on earth.

I put the same question to my 22 colleagues at work and 50% said No and the other 50% said Yes for a variety of different reasons.



Any takers? Thoughts?
 
tom_e said:
No I don't think so. While it would be interesting to see what happens over the 500 years I don't particularly think I'd want to be in a cycle of watching people I'd come to care about slowly die off in a weird cycle. Also unless it comes with an unlimited money hack I don't want to work for 470 odd years :D
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I hear you about seeing you'd loved ones pass away...but you could be the nuturer of nuturers, guiding them with your experience in life to inrich there's lives.
Could be that genetics would aloww people to live for a 1000 years and you'd get a raw deal :D
Regarding work, imagine the different things you could do as a job. Maybe there would be no need to work in the future. Think of the pension! :D
 
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Ayahuasca said:
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Yes you could grow breast as well =)
Nice tattoo/ writing style
 
I think of all the oportunities to learn taste and see different things on ouf planet....
How tech/science would progress.
Traveling into space etc
 
Megahurtz400 said:
Are you incapable of dying for 500 years?

What happens if there's a cataclysmic event/nuclear war? Would you just be wondering around a barren earth by yourself?
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Good point Megahurtz. No you would die. You would also die by way of suicide etc. So not indestructible. But you would be good to go with deseases, cancers and the likes, but dud if a 2 ton boulder squashed you flat
 
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Jono8 said:
Edit: already answered that you can commit suicide if you want.

Yes, i absolutely would take the 500 years then. Why wouldn't you (unless you are really old already and would be stuck that way for 500 years, that would be rubbish).

It sounds great actually, you get to try out multiple different life paths, partners, friends etc. Loads of time to try different artistic pursuits etc etc.

and if it proves too long you can just jump off a cliff.

i think it is probably only worth it if you are between 18-50 (if you are being strict about staying the same age you are currently)
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Loves the positive outlook/possibilities
 
DampDog said:
I tend to agree. I'm of an age where I've already lost parents, siblings and a few very close friends. I heard it said you know you're getting old when you go to more funerals than weddings. Not much point in being here if all the people you really care about are gone.
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Perhaps you could meet so many more DampDog.
 
SexyGreyFox said:
I'm 66 now so nearing the end and I just can't imagine another 20 years let alone 500.
I couldn't bear watching my wife die and then my kids and then grandkids and everybody else I know.
Would my pensions be paid out fo r500 years or would I have to keep working?
It sounds awful.
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It's a tough call for sure.....
I would hope pensions and work as we know it will be a thing of the past. But yes, you pension would still be paid :)
 
Efour said:
I'd do it.

Wife and kids die, boohoo. Get some more you've got 400 years more to do it again.
You're conditioned to expect only 1 go at life in some quasi Christian hero normality capitalistic dream.

You'd be world famous, probably worshipped as some diety. You could lecture 21st century history on board generational space ships or Babylon 5.
Move to mars. Total recall.

Sign me up. Pussies.
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Now we talking! Love it
 
mrk said:
500 years? Yes, if it means I get to see humankind become a near type-2 civilisation. We will have matured energy generation providing limitless energy and from that point onwards all manner of things in all areas of human life would be benefitted so I'd want to be able to see all of that compared to all the naff we have to deal with today.

You can actually sign up if you're rich enough to pretty much live 500years or more. Just freeze yourself for a 100 years at a time only being unfrozen to live for say 5-10 years to see progress, then back in the fridge you go. Cryogenics will be a major player in future long distance space travel too so it too will become a matured technology.
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Agreed on the tech/science developing forwards as a species...Would be fascinating.

Yes cryogenics could have it's place in our progression through time. I like the idea of using it to fast forwards. We might also be able to bend/manipulate space time moving forwards :)
 
throwaway4372 said:
rather die than have all that attention tbh. need some way to fake death / get new ID
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A low budget film from book of a similar premise called The Man From Earth (2007) is interesting. The main character has been around for 10000 years to present day and can self-heal. He teaches history in universities and keeps moving/changing IDs every 10 years not to draw attention to the fact that he does not age. All filmed in one room with 5 other characters. Worth a watch.

Trailler. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5Fjr658CQs&t=19s
 
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I think that seeing the glass half-full, or half-empty on one's life will also have an impact on your decision to want to live longer.

500 years sounds a long time to ponder on things....but imagine the world/us in a couple of hundred thousand years....
To think that the Wright brother's first flight was only 120 feet in distance only 120 years ago .... I think it would be fascinating to see humankind kinds progression in 500 years
 
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