Isn't the obvious answer to this eternal life without eternal youth?
Death is fine. Dying is not. The process of dying is one that I dread. I don't know if a long slow painful death is worse than one that happens instantaneously. In a long one, you suffer physically. In a short one, you are unprepared (not like it matters when you're dead, but the thought of it bothers me.) Either way, there is nothing worse in my eyes than dying. But I'm ok with being dead.
For me, no.
Death for me is to cease existing. Anything existing is better than death.
Now, I have never been tortured so this is hypothetical. But I think I would be able to take any form of non lethal torture without wishing to die. I would even prefer eternal suffering over the notion of not existing.
Isn't the obvious answer to this eternal life without eternal youth?
Even eternal life WITH eternal youth is a horrific prospect. Within a hundred trillion years or so, you will have learned all that you can learn... within the next 2^100,000,000,000,000 years or so, you will become bored. After that...I dread the thought.
you really don't understand the concept of infinity, do you?
Why is there a presupposition that death is something bad? I'll humor you, though. I think pain is worse. At least from a biological perspective, pain is a feast for your nervous system, and it doesn't even feel any good. You don't need to worry about any of that once you die.
Maybe I don't. Explain it to me, please.
But keep in mind, if motion exists in infinity, then time can be measured.
Edited for deletion.
So, If you were say...on fire...and the flames could not be extinguished...this would be a preferable state to those awful many years before you were born? You really thought they were that bad? Or am I misunderstanding you?
even with all those years combined you still wouldn't be able to understand everything about the universe and what's beyond. there isn't a limit on the knowledge to be found in this world.
My personal philosophy is that people that are dying terminally, take a cancer person for example, is leading by example and making the most of their life, I have no excuse to not strive for survival no matter what.
Before birth and after death is both the same for me. Nothing. So yes. And physical pain is the least of my concerns, 1.I believe that any and every form of physical pain is overcomable.
That said, I have an extremely high threshold for physical pain which according to some doctors is apparantly borderline unnatural.
Only emotional pain has my thoughts wavering ever slightly, as I can only guess at this time just how deep emotional pain can go. Perhaps there is a form of emotional pain unknown to me that would do the trick. I don't think there is, but I couldn't say that with any certainty. But even then, as long as I remain my identity, my self awareness and my integrity. I really don't care what state I am in. Whatever state is prefered than death. For clarification, I stated before. Loosing self awareness and identity, is for me the same as death, the same as ceasing to exist, or dying. So, becoming some living thoughtless undead or some senile plant or something is not my idea of living in which case these morals will no longer apply.
Giving up on life is something I will never consider in any circumstance, unless in sacrifice to save the lives that mean more to me than my own life. But never for any personal discomfort or pain.
And it does scare me that I can write this post with conviction. Ofcourse, I prefer not to go through great lengths of pain to stay alive, an alternative without pain is much prefered! But I'm certain that should I end up in such a hypothetical situation. I would not give up.
But another hypothetical scenario. Suppose I am on the verge of dying, but apparantly, there is an afterlife. And I find that out, but before I am dead. Should such an event come to pass. Then my morals regarding this topic would also change. As I base my beliefs on the option that makes most sense to me now. Which is that there is no afterlife. Learning of an afterlife would ofcourse change my entire belief system. Death might not seem bad anymore then.
But gee, would I be skeptical. I'd probably doubt my own mind and try to stick with living regardless, lol.
Bottomline is, death will never be an option for me. But I fear I have no say in these things.
After watching three separate family members battle cancer (two of whom lost), I can say I am definitely outtie when things start to get ugly. As a resident of a "Death with Dignity" state I will be all over that prescription when my time comes. If I don't make it back to Washington for some reason I'll move to Finland.
1.90 years on fire would surely be difficult to withstand, but you are correct that it would be possible to overcome.
Placing that much importance on personal identity sounds foolish to me. It isn't worth all that pain. But in a way, it's admirable. If you can overcome pain, I suppose you can overcome anything.
In any case, I hope that you can make peace with this event before it comes to pass.