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Originally Posted by Sam988  About "Nearly losing one's own life or that of a close family member can wake one up for a while." I didn't really get what you mean about being "waken up". Being waken up from what? |
Being woken up from routine, having to reassess what one is doing and make sure that it matters. After working over the summer in an area where as a group my coworkers and I witnessed driveby shootings once or twice per week, I became more picky about how (and where) I spent my time.
And yes, as I mentioned in my earlier post, I'd prefer to be youthful for as long as I care to, perhaps a few millenia or more. Likely if there were an "afterlife" and I really needed to die my higher self would just have me get in an accident and my "backup" would be mysteriously erased, so staying alive beyond my time needn't be a concern.
Some of the experiences I've had hint at supernatural aspects to life (or maybe there's simply more to nature than we yet realize), and it could prove useful to have more time to explore that. Living for thousands of years could be a novel experience in itself.
As for the possibility of radically extended lifespan/immortality, barely a century ago it was considered impossible for humans to fly, but technology has since made it possible. Over the next few decades I expect technology could have a significant effect on lifespan as well, as caloric restriction already has.