I don’t want to die.
Sometimes I wonder if – in my lifetime – our technological evolution will become so exponential that we will hybridise with machines and become immortal. I agree with Elon Musk that either that or certain doom at the hands of our own creations seems the inevitable crossroads we will stumble upon at some point. I mean I’m paraphrasing substantially, it was a long time ago I heard him talk about it, I could have it all wrong, don’t sue me.
But when I wonder about that, I also wonder whether it would represent a great victory or a great tragedy. The part of me that doesn’t want to die would like to believe it would be a great victory. But the part of me that doesn’t want to die likely doesn’t have the whole story.
Many people say they’d hate to live forever. How can they possibly know that? I mean, look, having given it considerable thought in my teens, I would hate to be a vampire. I will give you that. But I simply cannot conceive of what it would be like to live forever in a world where it was possible and acceptable to live forever. In a world where other people lived forever. But, come to think of it, forever is pretty fucking farfetched anyway. Could we outlive the Universe? Could we endure the in-breath and out-breath of countless Universes? That would be pretty fucking indestructible.
True immortal consciousness must surely be retained for the non-physical. But maybe we could be more like the elves of Middle-Earth, immune to aging and disease. Would a greatly elongated lifespan accelerate our progression as a species, or stagnate it? Would it allow us to develop as individuals far beyond anything we’re currently capable of? Would it separate us from our source for too long and leave us spiritually ailing?
Whatever happens, I guess entropy will get us in the end.