What would it be like, to have life endless, life undying, life forever, even while on earth? We've learnt of life eternal, an everlasting life that comes, nonetheless after death. How about it being drawn closer? That before the death comes, one experiences the life without dying, life without end, an immortal life. Such could be said to have been the fantasies of many, at some points in life. However, reality speaks a different language; one that suggests that we're mortals and our bodies are within these confines—yes, mortality.
I can't really say that I've had some of these thoughts around or within my mind, nevertheless, the thought of it makes for a wonderful consideration and discussion. To have life without the effects of life's natural and unnatural consequences—diseases, sicknesses, accidents, earthquakes, hurricanes, and a whole lot—leading to death, I think it could be a hard pass for anyone, I inclusive. Beyond this wonderful side, there's more to the goodness of immortality that would make it a no-no decision for me.
Amazingly, if I would get patronized and offered immortality at a cost or no cost, I guess it would be a "pass" for me. For some reasons, I think I would be taking this path. Not to base my whole choices on the works of fiction, but watching several movies that revolved around the subject would give me a major thought, or rethink if I were to be going ahead already. Watching "Old Guard", "The Originals" and a host of others around the discussion subject here gave me an insight to something more, than the possible, all amiable view of immortality.
Something I came to realise through these works was how tiring, frustrating, painful and exhausting it could be to keep living and reliving everyday; three hundred and sixty five days a year, tens, thousands of years, centuries, millenniums. I could picture the tiring and frustrating nature of the unnatural situation, that it felt not much of a terrific idea or move to make. From outside, it's all coated with such wonderful view, yet the coated part shows the greater reality.
Beyond this, the value of life will seemingly not be there. My life won't seem valuable and well protected, preserved and cared by me, since there's immortality within me. An extension would be to the life of others; it could seem not much important as well. Take you back to the movie "Hancock", it portrayed a life of carelessness and recklessness from a man who was seemingly immortal. There was little or no concern for himself, and others.
So, yes it could encourage a life of carelessness, recklessness and disregard for human lives. Arguably, it could be used for good, even from the premise of some these movies mentioned or not—again, these movies don't make the basis of my discussion, however, movies could be outlets to some realities. I see it then from this perspective of how dehumanizing the product of immortality could be—to others and the person.
Image is mine.
I guess immortality doesn't cancel out emotions, and with that, the frustrations and weariness of such life could take a great toll on me. The natural order of things should be maintained and let immortality be left to the only immortal one. When stripped of the quality of mortality, I consider one gets to lose their humanity, becoming nothing more than a living, walking, ageless individual in human clothing.