The Journey of an Immortal: Reflections on Immortality and the Digital Age
Imagine a world where you have found out that you are immortal and will not age past 30. It sounds like the beginning of a thrilling adventure, doesn’t it? However, in the modern digital age, such a discovery would pose a multitude of challenges that might make your journey more daunting than you initially thought.
Securing Resources and Building Wealth
For my part, I would plan to secure resources and assets that would allow me to live off the grid. I would attempt to form a corporation that could own and manage the land and property I need. This corporation would handle the yearly taxes and maintenance, ensuring that my assets remain safe and functional.
Securing wealth is the first and foremost step. Once I have built a solid foundation, I would then focus on research into what makes me immortal. This knowledge could potentially lead to groundbreaking discoveries, such as making Mars habitable for human life. However, for now, the focus is on securing my position and assets.
Adapting to the Modern World
In the real world, life as an immortal becomes more about adaptation and survival. The most probable scenario is being scrutinized and constantly poked and prodded in a laboratory. Research institutions and governments would be suspicious of such an anomaly. One Quora answer mentioned that immortals would need to be on the move, changing locations and identities every 10 years to avoid arousing suspicion.
Affected individuals might have to register as alcoholics, use health insurance creatively, and constantly change their lifestyles. Another interesting consideration is the digital age, which makes it more difficult to keep up with such evasions. As someone living in the modern world, I would need to lower my online footprint and maintain a digital shadow that believably charts a life of aging.
Exploring Fictional Approaches to Immortality
Fictional works often provide insights into how immortals might handle such a situation. In movies like Age of Adaline, the protagonist must navigate the challenges of living forever while maintaining her youthful appearance. Another intriguing example is Highlander, where the protagonist's life becomes a quest for immortality, often met with violence and tragedy.
Gulliver's Travels provides an interesting twist on the concept. The main character, in search of immortality, discovers that those who cheat death live lives devoid of true knowledge or insight. Vandal Savage from DC Comics is another complex example. While he achieves immortality, his methods ultimately lead to the destruction of the world.
New Amsterdam offers a more hopeful perspective. Through the protagonist's journey, one might find that immortality does not mean the end of life. Instead, it could mean a life of exploration, growth, and even contributing to the betterment of the world, as the main character watched the transformation of New York City from its early days to its modern form.
Living forever does not necessarily mean living in a world devoid of joy or purpose. It presents a unique opportunity to explore the vast possibilities life offers. In the face of the stark challenges posed by the modern world, one must adapt, evolve, and find ways to thrive in this new era.
While the idea of immortality is exciting, the practicalities of life in the digital age make it a complex and nuanced journey. What matters most is not just the extension of life but the quality and purpose of that life.