那边在那里讲老了呀读书的呀,就又让我想起死这件事情。这些混在一起想的时候,我的贪心就会如潮水般的涨。所幸不常如此。不然活着的日子都拿来想死,岂不白活。上一次想不死的时候花了半宿想永生的状态,这是当时的结论 (after much of rambling)。现在看看,想法大致没有变,不长进啊 --
It seems to me that all the excitement and frustration about life is because that we only have limited time on this earth. If we could live forever, there would be no urgency in anything; there would be infinite possibilities. On the other hand, unless we would also have infinite capabilities, we would not be able to realize all the possibilities. Perhaps time would allow us to develop infinite capabilities. After all, time would be on our side. We could take as long as we wish to think, to learn, and to sharpen our skills. There would be no question of "what if".
There are two models of eternal life. In the first model, one could take multiple paths in life, sequentially, equivalent of living in infinite time. In the second model, one could live parallel lives simultaneously, equivalent of living in infinite space. Other modes are combinations of the two. The first model would also mean that one might never get to a particular path. So the second model may sound more appealing. Now the question becomes, if we could live any life we wanted at any time, if we knew we could live any life we wanted at any time, would it still be interesting? Would we really want to live still? Wouldn't it be rather disappointing? Wouldn't it take away all the hope? There would be nothing that we miss; there would be no longing. Without death, life would have no meaning. Is it true?
Searching for meaning drives me; searching for knowledge excites me. If there would be no meaning to pursuit, would the pursuit of knowledge alone exciting enough? There would be infinite amount of new knowledge, new ideas. It is true that one would have plenty of time to learn them, but are infinities all the same? I think not - I would never be able to catch up even though theoretically I should be. This provides a hope of excitement yet comes with it is frustration. The frustration however would not be quite the same as what I have in this life. My frustration in this life is about impossibility. The frustration in an eternal life would be that everything is possible if one keeps going yet one can only reach certain possibilities in infinity, which means that one has to keep trying forever. That is the trap of eternity. Would the second model, where one could live infinite number of parallel lives, then be better? What this model implies is that one could exhaust all possibilities instantaneously. Then, what's the point of living longer any more?
In both models, instead of happiness, I think one would fall into eternal fatigue and boredom. The only way to escape the boredom would be to die. Death, in the sense of terminating it all - the only impossibility in an eternal life - therefore, gives one hope. It seems that I have now convinced myself, theoretically, that death is a wonderful thing! It gives hope in an eternal life; it gives meaning in a temporal life. As mush as I don't want to die, I don't want to live forever either!
- posted on 05/12/2006
Need more clarifications...
Are we talking about eternal life for you only (or for whoever participated in your dream game only), or for everone on earth? Coz there is a big difference here.
Also, would we have illness or other physical sufferings in this eternal life? That makes a lot of difference too.
I am not quite sure about the "parallel lives", does it mean you get to be whoever you want to be without effort, or does it mean I have to work two jobs to support my two lives? :) - Re: Eternal happiness or eternal boredom?posted on 05/12/2006
Birth and death enclose a man in a sort of parenthesis of the present. And the brackets at the beginning and end of life are still impenetrable.
....death continues to confront us with its blank wall.
Death spares none.
Quotations from Joseph Bayly The Last Thing We Talk About - posted on 05/15/2006
Susan wrote:
Need more clarifications...
Are we talking about eternal life for you only (or for whoever participated in your dream game only), or for everone on earth? Coz there is a big difference here.
哈哈,抱歉,做梦的时候比较自私,只想自己来着 :) 不过一个人的永生和所有人的永生有本质的区别么,特别是如果永生允许有 parallel lives 的话? 我想我想象的boredom不是来自孤独,而是来自无限的自由和无穷的可能性。当然,我用一个人的有限想无限,充其量是井底蛙。
Also, would we have illness or other physical sufferings in this eternal life? That makes a lot of difference too.
Possible, if that's what one wishes to experience; otherwise, skip to the next "life".
I am not quite sure about the "parallel lives", does it mean you get to be whoever you want to be without effort, or does it mean I have to work two jobs to support my two lives? :)
Aha, I can see you're getting greedy here :) I would say "Either way, as you wish, my dear Susan". - RE: Eternal happiness or eternal boredom?posted on 05/28/2012
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