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What would you do to make your life better if you discovered you were immortal? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 4 days ago by crazyminner@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

36 comments fedilink hide all child comments

There are some caveats though. You are immortal but what this actually means is that you are unable to do anything that would probabilistically lead to your death.

So, for example, if you were more probable to die getting into a car than walking, you would choose to walk. But only if choosing to walk was more probable than the probability of you surviving after getting into a car.

It's kind of confusing, but essentially You have no choice if something is about to kill you, but if you plan far enough ahead, the probability of you choosing to do or not to do something versus the probability of your survivability can potentially win out.

So given this version of immortality, what would you plan to do to benefit yourself in some way?

I've already thought about potentially hooking up some kind of lottery Number machine to a guillotine in order to win the lottery but it turns out that the probability of you not making this machine is more likely than making the machine and surviving so you just never end up making the machine.

In order to get an idea of where I'm coming from, here's a video that explains a bit aboabout quantum immortality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTZZUjnrbF8

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[–] Stovetop@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I'm not sure I understand the question. If the premise is that you become physically incapable of doing any action that introduces greater risk than some alternative, which isn't even a guarantee of "immortality" as described, then it's basically a life not lived at all. The safest option would always be to go nowhere, do nothing, speak to no one.

Imagine living life as if everything was covered in California Prop 65 labels saying "This action can expose you to risks which are known to future you to cause premature demise or other bodily harm." It sounds awful, I'd never take that bet.

[–] crazyminner@lemmy.ml 1 points 4 days ago (2 children)

It doesn't just affect decisions you make, but also all things around you. Decisions others make and events that happen. Everything is acting on probability, you just only exist in the universes where.. well.. you exist.

The shitty thing is in this scenario you don't get to choose the option to be immortal or not, you just are. You get as much choice in the matter as how much choice you have in being born, that is to say, none.

[–] Stovetop@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

It sounds like you have no agency either way, then, which still sounds like a bad deal to me. I'd rather die at 40 living a life of my choosing than live to 400 with essentially no free will.

[–] crazyminner@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The questions wasn't if it was a bad deal, you are already immortal. I was just trying to get some ideas on what could be done to make ones life better given these parameters.

[–] Stovetop@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Ending it as quickly and painlessly as possible then, I guess. I stick by the opinion that a life without agency and with no means to obtain it isn't really living at all.

[–] crazyminner@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 days ago

Not an option unfortunately... Immortal is immortal :(

[–] CrabAndBroom@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

My first thought was to set up a bunch of long-term investments, since you can reasonably assume that you'll live a long life. But then also, being rich might increase the odds of you being kidnapped or killed, so it might just tank whatever you choose to invest in.

Maybe you could somehow get a job testing roller coasters. Once you're in there you have no power to decide anything, so perhaps the universe will make the builders construct the safest possible roller coaster. OR, you could be a food taster for someone rich and powerful. The universe wouldn't let you eat anything that's poisoned, or it would just ensure that no food gets poisoned in the first place!

[–] crazyminner@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 days ago

If you wanted to be tied forever to capitalism then yeah making a lot of money would let you live with it forever. Your survival becomes linked to lots of money meaning something. Careful what you wish for though.