KaylaHuynh

3/27/15
Mr.Freudigmann
4thHour
ImmortalityEssay
Ifgiventhechoice,wouldyouchooseimmortality?Well,nowyoumightbeable
tochoosesoon.Scientistshavediscoveredthattheturritopsisnutricula,alsoknownas
theimmortaljellyfish,isabletochangeitsoldcellsbacktoitsyouthcells,whichmeans
thejellyfishisbasicallyjustturningbacktime.Scientiststhinkthatbytestingonthese
jellyfishesandlookingfartherintoit,theymightdiscoverhowtomakehumansimmortal.
However,somepeopledonotthinkthatscientistshouldexperimentandtrytomake
immortalityhappen,andIamoneofthosepeople.Scientistsshouldnotpursuethe
possibilityofhumanimmortality,foritwouldcauseprisontimetoworthlessorpossibly
cruel,itwouldaffectourpsychologicalhealth,andcauseyoutolosevalueinlife.
Firstofall,ifimmortalityweretohappen,prisontimewouldbeabsolutelyuseless
oritcanbecomereallybrutal(Fauen).Letssaythatsomeonekillsaperson,andis
given40years.Thatmightseembadnow,butimagineifthepersonwereimmortal.40
yearsisnothingifyouareimmortal.Ifimmortalityweretohappen,therewouldbearise
incrimes,becausepeoplearethennotpressuredanymoretonotdocrimessotheywill
notgotojailandwasteyearsoftheirlivesinprison.Instead,ifpeopleweretobe
immortal,theycouldbeevengivenatleastasentenceofthousandyearsorevenmore

(Debate),ifthecrimewasextremelybad.Thatseemslikesuchacruelpunishment,
havingtositinacellformorethanahundredyears.
Second,immortalitywouldcauseblowstoourpsychologicalhealth(Adams).If
everyoneweretobeimmortal,thatdoesnotmeanthatyoucannotdie,itjustmeans
youcanliveonforeverifyouwerenottogetintoanysortofdeathcausingaccident.
Duetothis,ifeveryonewerestillimmortal,deathbyaccidentwouldbefairlyrare,and
wouldcausemuchmoregriefthanifwewerenottobeimmortal.Moralpeopleknow
thatdeathwilleventuallycome,andmostcometotermswithifitifalovedonepasses
awayduetoanaccident.Giventhateveryoneisimmortal,itwouldbemuchharderfor
peopletoacceptdeathiftheyweretobeimmortal.Forexample,yourspousediesina
caraccident,andsinceyouareimmortal,youhavetolivetherestofyourlonglife
withoutthem.Thatcancauseproblems,especiallytotheemotionallyweakpeople.
Also,yourmindwouldbehundredsoreventhousandsofyearsold,whileyourbody
wouldremainatthesameage.Thiscanchangeyourmentalstate.Sinceyourmindis
soold,youcouldloseinterestineverything,fromreligiontotheyoungergeneration.
Yourementallyold,soyourbrainwouldgetcrammedwithalltheinfoyouhave
enduredthepasthundredyears.Yourmemorywoulddeteriorate,andyoucouldget
diseasesthattheelderlycouldget,likeAlzheimer's(Tonte).
Third,withimmortality,peoplecouldlosethevalueinlife(Fauen).Thereare
manypeoplewhosaylifeisshort,soliveyourstothefullest!orsomethingsimilarto
that.Nonetheless,immortalpeopledonothaveshortlives,thusmeaningtheydont
havetorushandlivetheirlifetothefullest,becausetheyhaveallthetimeintheworld.

Thiscouldmeanthatpeoplestartbecominglazy.Insteadofworkingreallyhardforthe
jobtheywant,theycantakeasmuchtimeastheyneed.Also,majoreventsinlifewould
notbesoworthwhile(Fauen).Someone,onceagain,hasallthetimeintheworldtoget
thatawesomejob,togovisitanothercountry,todosomethingdaring,etc.Lifewouldnt
besomuchfunanymoreifeveryonehassomuchtimetodosomething.
Thepeoplewhoareforimmortalitysaythatifsinceyouliveforalongtime,and
possiblyforever,youcansaveupsomuchmoneyfromworkingyourjob(Coombes).
Also,ifyougetsickofthatjob,youcanstopdoingthatjob.Youhavealotoftime,so
youcanquitthatoneparticularjobyouarenotinterestedinanymore,gobackto
college,andthengetthejobyouwant.Yes,youcouldpossiblygetricherifyouwereto
beimmoral,butonlytherichwouldgetricher.Thepoorwouldgetevenpoorer(Fauen).
Therewouldbeahugesocialdividebetweentherichandthepoorifimmoralitywereto
happen.Therichwillbeforeverrich,andthepoorwillbeforeverpoor.Withoutmoney,
howarethepoorsupposedtoaffordschoolingandgetajobthatwillpaythemwell?
Theycantjustswitchjobs,becausetheycantaffordcollege.Also,ifthepoorhavelow
payingjobs,theycantexactlysaveupalotofmoneybecausesincetheeconomyis
growing,thericharegettingmoremoneyandsuch,andthatcouldcausethepriceof
things,likeclothes,andothernecessitiestogoup.Therefor,immortalityisnottheright
thingtodo.
Inconclusion,scientistsshouldnotattempttofindthekeytoimmorality.
Immortalitywillleadtotimeinprisonbecominguselessorsadistic,itcouldleadto
mentalproblems,anditcouldmakeeveryoneslivesnotworthwhileiftheywere

immortalinsteadofmoral.Asonecansee,therearemanyconstoimmorality.
Immortalitywouldonlycausemuchmoreproblemsratherthanprovideushumans
solutions,andscientistsshouldnotpushforimmoralitytohappen.

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