Greg Linster on the beauty of death

Jonathan_Graehl

Without death we cannot truly have life. As such, what a travesty of life it would be to achieve a machine-like immortality!

Gray writes the following chilling lines: “If you understand that in wanting to live for ever you are trying to preserve a lifeless image of yourself, you may not want to be resurrected or to survive in a post-mortem paradise. What could be more deadly than being unable to die?” (my emphasis)

via.

Sounds like sour grapes. I'd heard of people holding such sentiments; this is the first time I've actually seen them expressed myself.

Without death we cannot truly have life. As such, what a travesty of life it would be to achieve a machine-like immortality!

Gray writes the following chilling lines: “If you understand that in wanting to live for ever you are trying to preserve a lifeless image of yourself, you may not want to be resurrected or to survive in a post-mortem paradise. What could be more deadly than being unable to die?” (my emphasis)

via.

Sounds like sour grapes. I'd heard of people holding such sentiments; this is the first time I've actually seen them expressed myself.

The problem that I anticipate is one of goals and values. If we should be immortal -- truly invincible, for example through a medium that is indestructible or as information that is easily stored and copied and thus disposable -- then what goals could we have? I wonder then if there would be anything to do?

Personally, I can't think of a single goal of mine that is strictly contingent on my dying at any point in the future.

I guess I meant more long-term goals.

What would be the purpose of having and controlling resources if you were already going to live forever?

3dlthomas15y

"Die awesomely" - but it's a rather low priority goal...

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Greg Linster on the beauty of death

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Greg Linster on the beauty of death

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