Top 10 Negative Consequences of Immortality
Being immortal is something plenty of us probably wished at some point. But here's the question: if you were granted the opportunity to be immortal, would you take it? Living forever may be desirable for a lot of people, but if you think twice, immortality comes with a handful yet significant issues to deal with. There's a reason why some people consider it a curse, and why death gives us significant meaning to live. Therefore, it would be a bit wiser to consider these consequences before making such a choice of a lifetime. This list gives 10 main examples of those consequences that should be considered.
Mental health issues are certainly a problem that's a bit overlooked when considering immortality. There are still some risks that are important to consider, with schizophrenia and depression being of major concern, or even Alzheimer's/dementia, assuming you either became immortal at an old age or your body still ages to a physically old state but can't advance further beyond this limit.
Certain genetic traits also play a role in the chances of getting various mental health issues. If you happen to suffer from dementia even after being immortal, you're in for an eternal mental hell.
One of the most important things to consider if immortality does not come with invulnerability is that diseases can still impact immortal people and can be fatal (assuming an immortal person is still susceptible to diseases).
There are also sicknesses that can hinder a person's quality of life for years or decades. Take that in hand with new types of diseases emerging in the future (bioterrorism is a major factor to consider as technology improves over time).
Long COVID may be a good recent example, but it is also important to note similar certain diseases (including future ones) that may impact you for centuries on end. Genetic diseases and other autoimmune diseases are also major concerns as they cannot be cured.
This also assumes that you are the only immortal person living on this planet. This is not only considering losing your whole family and other loved ones but the rest of humanity.
Imagine a world where you would be the only one to survive through immortality while humanity becomes extinct by natural or artificial means. It's an eternally long trip through battling that feeling, considering that humans are meant for each other and you have no one to rely on.
If we are counting natural disasters, landslides, avalanches, or sinkholes are some of the biggest concerns to be aware of. There have been cases of sinkholes swallowing people, but it's a very rare occurrence.
Let's say you're living in a remote place and a deep sinkhole opens up around where you are standing. Assuming no one is there to rescue you and your body is immune to hunger and thirst, there's no guarantee that you may be stuck for thousands of years.
This may also apply if a person happens to be buried under an avalanche.
Specifically, life imprisonment without parole. There is a lot of documented history where people have been falsely convicted to prison, including life imprisonment, and even sentenced to death.
Let's say in the bizarre case that someone accuses you of a false crime, and that results in you being jailed without the possibility of parole. There's a chance the jury may acquit you from false charges and you receive the "get out of jail free" card later on, but there's always a tiny chance that it may never happen.
Nonetheless, being confined in prison for centuries is something you wouldn't even wish on your worst enemy, considering the enormous effects of boredom that you'll have to endure.
Perhaps one of the most obvious consequences you may expect if you were to be immortal. In the short term, being immortal may be a desirable choice and may benefit you as it seems.
Later on, in the next few hundred years or even a thousand years, you may find almost everything boring and that you are no longer interested in newer subjects, let alone things you may consider most entertaining, which is a major contributor to procrastination.
In our lives, we usually get bored for days, weeks, or even months, but being immortal would amplify that effect to decades or even centuries to the point that even the most effective coping method doesn't work for you.
Assuming that you are the only immortal one on the planet, it's also essential to remain low profile if you are a privacy-oriented person. One way or another, someone would notice your birthdate a few hundred years later, which would be widely recognizable to the point that you would be scrutinized by government authorities, as you may be seen as a useful asset for research purposes.
Worse, you may be treated as a lab rat and be subject to risky or even fatal experiments. On the other hand, you'll be famous around the world, which may seem good but detrimental to your privacy for those who prefer living a confidential lifestyle.
Assuming that you are the only immortal on this planet, another obvious consequence is tied with boredom and loneliness. However, seeing your loved ones die adds much more to the feeling of loneliness.
On the flip side, it's possible to have your great-great-great-great-great, etc., grandchildren look up to you as an ancestor, which can add a very positive feeling. Note that this item is focusing on family members or relatives whom you consider the closest.
If anything, immortality would be the perfect excuse to not do certain important priorities nor to get out of your comfort zone. Given that we all procrastinate from time to time, you would probably procrastinate for years, if not decades. No, make that centuries even.
Maybe that is good in the short term, but you'll miss many opportunities in that span, especially if they tend to happen one time. Oh hey, how about we go to Paris next week? Not in a million years, literally.
Although we don't know much about the brain, it is finite, therefore memory may also be finite, but it is capable of storing a myriad of events in a lifetime. The brain consists of billions of neurons, which can conjure up a memory of our life via patterns that are virtually unlimited.
Repetition plays a major factor in an active memory, which can last a very long time if consistently maintained. Eventually, as you live for a few centuries, you may completely forget almost everything that happened in your first century.
This may not be much of a problem if you keep a journal practically documenting all the events that happened in your life.