Seeking Immortality Despite Its Downsides

[Lorelliad]

What could be a good reason for someone to seek immortality despite knowing of the downsides?

Many people would want to live forever. But that too could be a living hell, depending on who you are.

So picture this. There's this hermit, who's basically living in his magic tower for hundreds of years.

All this time, he's been researching on how to attain immortality. He hasn't left the tower, hasn't interacted with anyone.

I need some hypothetical reasons as to why someone would try to be immortal.

 

[SailusGebel]

To cure\help someone or to have more time for research.

 

[aimless]

What could be a good reason for someone to seek immortality despite knowing of the downsides?

Many people would want to live forever. But that too could be a living hell, depending on who you are.

So picture this. There's this hermit, who's basically living in his magic tower for hundreds of years.

All this time, he's been researching on how to attain immortality. He hasn't left the tower, hasn't interacted with anyone.

I need some hypothetical reasons as to why someone would try to be immortal.

to gain more time for his research, and after he’d gained it and successfully researched everything possible, he could possibly reverse it?

 

[wingedcatgirl]

• Fear of death, maybe a pathological fear resulting from the death of a loved one
• They're already friends with at least one other immortal (maybe a god?)
• They want to see some predicted event which will occur well past their natural lifespan
• They've got some project they want to finish and it looks like their natural lifespan won't cut it

Just off the top of our head.

 

[Maze_Runner]

Maybe the downsides don't apply to them? Like a downside would be watching people die but maybe they have no one to watch die. Maybe they umm . . . Like the idea of living forever and seeing how the world grows? Maybe the good things that come out of it mean a lot to the person (more than the downsides)

 

[BlackKnightX]

In pursuit of their goals, naturally. They’re driven, completely driven by their goals and purpose in life—maybe in pursuit of all knowledge this world, or maybe even universe, has to offer. Some may pursue the truth of the world and the meaning of life. Some may pursue the path to infinite power.

There’s no boredom for them as long as they still haven’t achieved their ultimate goals. And after living for so many years, their perception of time may be different from us already. A hundred years for us may seem like only a day for them.

 

[Wohendum]

Many people would want to live forever.

This seems to be the only reason needed as far as I'm concerned. I'm not close with any relatives so "loved ones dying" isn't going to be a problem of mine.

Still, I wouldn't want to be immortal in this world. It's filled with too much degeneracy that has been normalized, much of it now considered brave and stunning and inspirational. So if I can't go to another more preferable world (preferable to me), or this world can't be rehabilitated, then immortality is useless to me. The way the world and its people are now, immortality would be more of an insult than a gift to me.

 

[Lloyd]

I would want to be able to isekai myself as a form of immortality

 

[autumnveir]

Well, what is the downsides of immortality? If it means that you still have to poop, then the upsides would be anything as well. If it's literally free or easy to acquire, why not?
If you mean having a great downside, like being a lich means losing your human desires or losing your body... Or being an immortal in exchange for eternal servitude to the deity, there must be a greater upside. It's not necessarily a desire to everyone but a great desire to that character, to the point that he won't mind the downside.
As an example, character A dealt with the devil, exchanging endless lives to be an eternal king. The bored devil tricked him by automatically transferring character A to his son's body, becoming an eternal king. He will also die repeatedly... Dying is an extremely process... At least he became an eternal king!

 

[wingedcatgirl]

This seems to be the only reason needed as far as I'm concerned. I'm not close with any relatives so "loved ones dying" isn't going to be a problem of mine.

Still, I wouldn't want to be immortal in this world. It's filled with too much degeneracy that has been normalized, much of it now considered brave and stunning and inspirational. So if I can't go to another more preferable world (preferable to me), or this world can't be rehabilitated, then immortality is useless to me. The way the world and its people are now, immortality would be more of an insult than a gift to me.

... not gonna touch that second paragraph with a thirteen-foot pole...

but yeah, if you don't have any loved ones, "seeing your loved ones die all around you" is obviously not an applicable downside. And even if you do, you're researching immortality - if you succeed, you might be able to make your friends and family immortal alongside you.

 

[K5Rakitan]

They're excited by a prophesy they once heard, and they want to live long enough to see the prophesy fulfilled.

 

[KiraMinoru]

To see what happens when the universe ends. A cycle of cyclic rebirth or eternal death? And also find out whether an immortal is truly an immortal. Whether they can survive and continue to survive after the end of a universe. Basically to go where no man has gone or seen before.

 

[NotaNuffian]

For the standard money and power I guess? I want to live forever because I am terrified of death, but I will get used to it, just like how I gotten used to everything else.

To be a "God" might sound funny, but there are egoistic people out there, so yeah, people want to live for that thrill.

What is death? Is it judgement day? Is it a deathly silence? Nobody knows but those who want immortality certainly don't want to find out.

Ps. I thought you were talking about xianxia... which my points still apply though.

 

[Anon_Y_Mousse]

You forgot to list the downsides

 

[T.K._Paradox]

People might be full of hubris and think that the down sides may not hurt them so much it will others.

 

[Cipiteca396]

To share it with others. The isolation makes sense, because everyone is dying and they don't want to witness it. If they can achieve immortality and share it with everyone, then they won't have to witness death as much anymore.

 

[Ai-chan]

What could be a good reason for someone to seek immortality despite knowing of the downsides?

Many people would want to live forever. But that too could be a living hell, depending on who you are.

So picture this. There's this hermit, who's basically living in his magic tower for hundreds of years.

All this time, he's been researching on how to attain immortality. He hasn't left the tower, hasn't interacted with anyone.

I need some hypothetical reasons as to why someone would try to be immortal.

Could be that the idea of death or not having any control over death scares him. Could be he is just afraid of dying and disappearing. Could be is very sentimental and didn't want those he love to die earlier than him. Maybe he just wants to see what the future is like. Or maybe he just has a superiority complex and can't accept the fact that despite his superior prowess, something like death can humiliate him when he gets old.

 

[NotaNuffian]

To share it with others. The isolation makes sense, because everyone is dying and they don't want to witness it. If they can achieve immortality and share it with everyone, then they won't have to witness death as much anymore.

Wouldn't it be cool that humans are immortal and we can then start shooting people into the depths of space?

Truly, we are the 4th calamity.

 

[Lorelliad]

Wouldn't it be cool that humans are immortal and we can then start shooting people into the depths of space?

Truly, we are the 4th calamity.

What's the 1st, 2nd and 3rd?

 

[NotaNuffian]

What's the 1st, 2nd and 3rd?

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