ERIC KIM

Why Live Forever?

Why are we so afraid of dying? Why live forever? And how can we conquer the fear of death?

Audio: Why Live Forever?

Why live forever?

First of all, why live forever? What’s the difference between living 80 years, 90 years, 100 years, 110 years, 120 years, 300 years, or 3,000 years?

Certainly there’s really not much of a difference. Sure — the longer you live, the more experiences you can accumulate, the more you can do, create, and witness. But why? For what? Towards what ends?

One (or two) great works is all you need.

  1. Homer and the Iliad and Odyssey. Or even if Homer just wrote Iliad, that’s enough!
  2. Thucydides and the history of the Peloponnesian War.
  3. Lucretius and on the nature of things.

You don’t need much. Just one great work is all you need for life.

How long is long enough?

Nietzsche says 70 years is sufficient for a full life. He might be right.

If you’re 70 or above 70, all of life is upside for you!

Personally I aspire to become 120 years old in excellent health. I’m 32 now, so I got around 88 years to go. And truth be told, I feel like I’ve only truly lived a decade of free living. So almost 9 more solid life times I have to live.

I desire to continue creating, thinking, and building monuments for future generations of humanity. I want many children and to spread my genes and to spread myself, and continue myself.

But ultimately my fate — even this I cannot decide, nor should I decide.

Memento mori. Life is beautiful!

ERIC

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