For as long as humans have existed, the thought of death has been feared by all. Some people have dreamed of escaping it. Ancient myths told of fountains of youth and certain rituals one can do to keep them in good health; today, there are hundreds of thousands of billion dollar companies producing products like ‘anti aging drugs’, and ‘organ regeneration’. The idea of living forever feels like the ultimate prize – but what would it really cost us?
If no one died, where would we all live? Our planet is already straining under the pressures of climate change, global warming, and even already, overpopulation. A world of immortals could result in inequality over who controls food, water, and land. Unless space colonisation, and the potential of life on Mars becomes a reality, the Earth itself could become one of the first victims of eternal life.
New generations introduce fresh ideas, new technologies, and new inventions. If the same people lived forever, would society remain the same? Would our increasing change just plateau? Power, wealth, and political control could remain the hands of a small group indefinitely, leaving younger voices unheard and forgotten. Death, as painful as it is, clears space for change – without it, progress itself may slow, or even stop altogether.
Eternal life is often imagined as a gift, or freedom; but it may become a burden and buffer for change. Loved ones who choose to not live forever – or those that can’t afford the new technology – would still inevitably die, leaving younger voices behind again and again. Immortality might bring loneliness and there is no cure for that.
Inevitably, the new idea of being able to live forever will come at a cost. So if we really think about it, are we paying for inequality, because only people with money will be able to afford this new invention? If only wealthy people could afford it, the gap between the rich and poor would widen into an unbridgeable canyon. There could be a clear divide of mortals and immortals, with the “biological elite” taking over and dominating society for centuries, in ways we can hardly imagine.
Much of what gives life urgency – ambition, love, creativity – comes from knowing our time is limited. Deadlines force us to act in the moment or faster in general. Mortality gives us perspective of the meaning of life. If we had forever, would we still value moments, relationships and achievements in the same way? Perhaps immortality will not make life richer, but emptier and futile.
The dream of eternal life is as old as humanity itself, but the hidden costs are humongous: strain on the planet, frozen societies, deeper inequality, and even the loss of meaning of life. Maybe what we truly need is not to live forever, but to make the time we already have more just, more sustainable, and live it to our fullest.
