[JJSR Highlights] Do We Really Want to Be Immortal?

Immortality may be within the human race’s grasp, but is it really what we want? [Associated Press: Bryan Archway]

If humans become immortal, do you think we will still be awestruck at the jaw-dropping miracles of our planet? [Associated Press: Getty Images]

When we are asked what we would wish for if we were granted a wish, many of us would immediately say immortality. Throughout history, even during the prehistoric times, humans have tried to find ways to live forever in order to grant themselves an immortal life. Humans have always thought, maybe even unintentionally, that immortality is good and corresponds to infinite happiness and bliss. Living a life in which one never dies and remains unscathed no matter what one goes through, or practically being invincible is what we have always wanted.

Sabrina Mo, Grade 8 Portola Middle School

Until now, I’ve always agreed with others when they have said something along the lines of, “Don’t you desperately want to be immortal?” or “If we were immortal, we would always be happy and would have an exciting life because we would always be going on daring adventures we would never consider attempting in our not-so-invincible lifetime.” However, if we sit still for a moment and really think about what being an immortal would feel like, we may reconsider. Do we really want live forever and ever and never be able to die?

For a moment, being an immortal and the thought of never getting hurt no matter what may bring us happiness, but what happens when that sense of bliss vanishes? Although immortality could help everyone live a stress-free life without the fear of getting hurt or dying, it doesn’t ensure that we will be happy forever. As humans, we feel a rollercoaster of emotions, each corresponding to a certain situation. There are times when we feel like we are on the top of the world and other times when we feel like never getting out of bed. No matter how much we hate feeling melancholy or stressed, these emotions are what help us realize how happy and blissful we feel when we accomplish or experience something.

However, as we live for an infinite amount of time, we may realize that we no longer feel emotions we, as mortal humans, feel today. We would never have to feel stressed or afraid of anything because we know we are immortal. As for the experiences and accomplishments that make us feel proud and blissful today, they would never make our immortal selves feel the same way. This is because our immortal selves would have experienced and accomplished everything countless times. We, as immortals, would never be able to experience the awe we experience today when we hear the birds chirping as the sun rises or when we are standing on top of the tallest mountain, overlooking the luscious green beneath us.

As I thought about this, I realized that immortality isn’t as perfect and ideal as we first envisioned it to be. No matter how great it may seem at a first glance with its promise of being invincible and never dying, we may later find out that immortality may bring us emotionless and barren lives. Yes, we may be breathing and walking, but that’s really all we would be doing: just physically living while we experience something for the millionth time. We will never be able to have our eyes light up again, whether it be while experiencing the most thrilling adventures or just seeing a person we have missed.

Our world most definitely has space for immediate and necessary improvements, but is one of the improvements really immortality? Is living forever, experiencing something again countless of times, and having no meaning or value of time really what we portray as perfect? In other words, do we really want to be immortal?