The only thing worse than death is living forever

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DaveC426913 said:
That's not quite the same thing as "one being". By definition, we are each individual beings.
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Is it less clear cut?
Doesn't the adage "No man is an island" ,if correct put an end to the concept of pure individualism?

I favour the idea that we all (probably) imagine ourselves to be individuals but that that is a mental construct that makes life easier to negotiate.


Totalitarian ideologies that seem to want to subsume the individual are also ,I think just imagined concepts and serve the interests of those who spread them.

The "truth" lies in the middle..
 
geordief said:
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Doesn't the adage "No man is an island" ,if correct put an end to the concept of pure individualism?
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No. That's a sociological term, not a biophysical one.

geordief said:
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I favour the idea that we all (probably) imagine ourselves to be individuals but that that is a mental construct that makes life easier to negotiate.
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We don't imagine it; we are individuals - that is how the word is defined.

You can certainly argue for some bond beyond living critters, but you'll have to invent your own term for it, and then demonstrate its mechanism.
 
DaveC426913 said:
No. That's a sociological term, not a biophysical one.


We don't imagine it; we are individuals - that is how the word is defined.

You can certainly argue for some bond beyond living critters, but you'll have to invent your own term for it, and then demonstrate its mechanism.
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I didn't find your "definition " argument helpful if it restricts us to one particular definition.

Can't one argue that the term "individual" is limited and that the reality is larger?

I can see your biophysical point and raise you with a "man is a social animal" (applies not just to mankind)

I was only thinking of "living critters" but would be unsurprised if the inanimate world could not be included if only in a far fetched , tenuous and unnecessary way.
 
DaveC426913 said:
So, if a definition of a word doesn't suit us, we just ... change the definition?

No. Just find and use the appropriate word.
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I often have a clearer idea of what I don't accept than of what I would put in its place.

It makes me very weak in adopting positions or standing my ground (or even making any headway in philosophical discussions or study).

I am long enough in the tooth to be a hopeless case in the medium term.

Definitions are a fascinating subject. I am happy enough to beat the retreat if I have used them incorrectly
 
The key is to talk about the concept not the semantics of the label.

What about living organisms would you say binds them together?
 
DaveC426913 said:
The key is to talk about the concept not the semantics of the label.

What about living organisms would you say binds them together?
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(1)Their origin and (2) their day to day connections.

We are all (sentient beings) connected by our origin at the birth of life (our DNA and what was its precursor) and some of us also have day to day transactions with each other.

Those that do not are still linked by this genesis all those millions of years in the past.

It may be a "one time" link but we all share it. (it may be fairly inconsequential also )

Now ,I agree that there is also a separation that accounts for a much greater part of our various identities . We have left that "mother ship" at the dawn of life on Earth or wherever it came from and are creating our own future.
 
Bowser said:
The explanation I like is that all life comes from the same source, one being experiencing itself as many beings. It's not only logical but also observable. As for the soul, I think that is people confusing their person for the true essence at the core of each individual. When you die, your history and your individual story dies with you.
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Have you had a spiritual experience? I won't ask you to explain it.
 
If I had the choice, I would opt to live forever. Why not? I have pretty much always enjoyed life & would expect to continue to do so if immortal.

As an atheist, I expect oblivion which is not a pleasant thought compared to the myth of some form of post death awareness.

I would not expect to have trouble making new friends, if all my current friends & relatives perished or departed to some distant land.​

I envy those theists who expect some form of post death awareness which I consider mythology and a scam originated by shamans called priests, rabbis, or ministers.

I suppose that some clergy are sincere, but believe most are are just making a living by catering to (preying on) the beliefs of their followers. It seems to be an easy way to make a living if you can find a suitable post. It is surely easier than a lot of other jobs.



































































wah
 
Dinosaur said:
If I had the choice, I would opt to live forever. Why not? I have pretty much always enjoyed life & would expect to continue to do so if immortal.

I would not expect to have trouble making new friends, if all my current friends & relatives perished or departed to some distant land.
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Woud you choose to live forever wit-out the option to choose to die... just in case all you'r rosy predictions about eternity turn out to be wrong :eek:





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Immortal Jellyfish
The good news is that you can be immortal. The bad news is that you have to become a floating blob of jelly to do so. Scientists have discovered a jellyfish which can live forever.


immortal-jellyfish-e1504520997856.jpg


Turritopsis dohrnii is now officially known as the only immortal creature. The secret to eternal life, as it turns out, is not just living a really, really long time. It’s all about maturity, or rather, the lack of it. The immortal jellyfish (as it is better known popularly) propagate and then, faced with the normal career path of dying, they opt instead to revert to a sexually immature stage.
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https://immortal-jellyfish.com/

Does anybody want to experience their puberty over and over again forever?
 
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