THE DAUNTING inevitability of death is easily something that constantly resides in the back of our mind. To escape this fatal fear, technology tycoons and billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Larry Page, or Peter Thiel, have been making astronomical investments in Altos Labs’[1] anti-aging research, which reprograms human stem cells to restore one’s body for extended life[2]. What if immortality actually comes within reach? The Yonsei Annals interviewed Yonseians on whether they would be happy living an eternal life.

Choi Dong-yong (Lecturer, Yonsei Univ.)

   “Though I wish to prolong my healthy, youthful days, I want to avoid living forever. In fact, the very moment a person feels bored with life is a reliable indicator that shows his or her life is not going well. Among several factors that affect your well-being, boredom is an experience which drastically decreases a person’s level of happiness. Since I can already imagine my boredom with eternal life, I would respectfully decline the generous offer which allows me to live eternally. Everyone has different preferences, tendencies, and dispositions that keeps one’s life going. Other people might derive endless joy, pleasure, and happiness from their eternal lives. Unfortunately, I am not that kind of person.”

Kim Hyo-jeong (Soph., UIC, Comparative Literature & Culture)

   “Even if people might think they have good reasons to live eternally, I think those might be overrated. I do not want to see what the future holds. Nowadays, wealth polarization is getting worse, and we are witnessing the environment slowly being destroyed to the point of no return. With these odds, is there much to expect from the future? The pandemic has shown how small and helpless human life is in front of the destructive forces of nature. Of course, in order to prevent the worst, we make efforts to prevent a depressing future. However, I believe the continuous advancement in technology and its repercussions are inescapable. While it may be a distant one, I am skeptical about facing whatever is ahead of us.”

Park Si-eun (Jr., Dept. of Philosophy)

   “From what I know so far, we tend to cherish things that end. Compared to a teddy bear, I would take better care of a plant, since without me it would eventually die. It goes the same regarding friendship and love. Somehow, I know that there is an end to something but I remain oblivious about when the end will arrive. This feeling makes me care more about those around me. Perhaps in the future where immortality is taken for granted, no one will ever know the meaning of ‘Better late than never.’ They would ask, “What does ‘never’ mean after all?”

Neda Cerniauskaite (Jr., UIC, Sustainable Development & Cooperation)

   “The idea of living an eternal life makes me wonder: what about our loved ones who would leave this world? And how long can a person enjoy simple pleasures such as love, traveling or good food when given unlimited time? How would societal division happen between those who chose to remain vulnerable against human destiny and those who chose immortality? These questions make me doubtful about the attractiveness of eternal life. Death makes people appreciate the small pleasures of their lives. Prolonged life does sound amazing—to be given more time. However, eternal life is too complex, and I don’t believe that human beings are capable of handling the gravity of such an unnatural concept and will be unable to fully enjoy its consequences.”

Sankarshana V (Sr., Dept. of Computer Science Engineering)

   “I would love to be immortal, provided there was a good environment for me to live in. I don’t think I would like to live in a world like Mad Max forever. I would like to have an eternal life because I believe there is so much we still can learn about, since there is so much yet to be discovered. Not just about the cosmos, but also about our environment or about undiscovered technology. And once such knowledge becomes available to humans, I would want to start inhabiting other planets just as Elon Musk aims to do. It would be best if my loved ones could also be by my side but knowing that a completely new field of science must be close at hand, there is definitely a charm of being immortal.”

Salomé Camille Blume (Sr., UIC, International Studies & Justice and Civil Leadership)

   “What makes life beautiful is the people whom I can share my happiness with. If I alone am granted eternal life and cannot spend that time with my loved ones, then it would be worthless. What is the point of being alive and enjoying things alone when no one is there for you?

   The fragility of human life gives me a sense of urgency when it comes to making decisions in life. Without it, I would probably lose both my ambition and motivation. Although I would surely find those extra decades useful to accomplishing my goals, I would eventually lose myself in that endless cycle. A similar example would be when one has an inexhaustible amount of wealth; one might forget the value of money. Likewise, we would forget the value of every day we get to spend on this earth.”

[1] Altos Labs: A biotechnology startup designed to study anti-aging by reprogramming human cells

[2] MIT Technology Review