Immortality, but it's you or them

[Satosuke]

No. True immortality would drive you insane.

 

[Zinaxos]

I just asked my mum if i could sacrifice her, she said yes. One down, four to go.

 

[Silent Anima]

Reminds me of the Philosopher's Stone from FullMetal Alchemist. The sacrifice of people's lives in order for you to gain great power (in this case immortality).

OT: I wouldn't chose immortality because the people whos lives are on the line are people who mean something to me and vice versa, but tbh if these were any 5 random people whom I don't know then I would say yes.

 

[Sansha]

Yep. I live for myself not others.

The problem with this being the spell wouldn't work because they don't mean anything to you.

 

[SecretAlienMan]

I wouldn't do it. And if someone accepts the deal they'll probably get run over by a bus a week later. Karma's a *****.

 

[Polarity27]

If anyone is interested in something very like this idea in fiction form, C.S. Friedman's "Feast of Souls" has a world where magic requires life force. Witches do small spells and die young, using their own life force to power them. Magisters do greater magic, and kill another person every so often to power their magic. It's an interesting take on the idea, I think (though not her best series), and has a magister as the (very, very grey) protagonist.

Would I? No way in hell. Immortality scares me, to be honest. How long before you start looking at people around you the same way a human would look at ants?

 

[lacktheknack]

Derp no. Do you SERIOUSLY want that many lives on your conscience FOREVER?! (...Or until you inevitably commit suicide?)

 

[skywalkerlion]

For starters: Hell to the no on the first question

Bonus 1: No.
Bonus 2: ..no.
Bonus 3: A better offer, but no thanks.

As hard as it is to believe (I'd call bullshit if someone else said this), I care much much more about my family then I care about myself. Therefore, I'd rather live a normal life then sacrifice them than live forever and accomplish absolutely nothing. Live isn't that amazing once you take it away, is my stance. Not that I don't value life.

 

[conmag9]

Nah, that sounds pretty damned evil. I'll hold out for biological longevity enhancements. There's been interesting research in that area.

I'm willing to go fairly far for immortality, but murder isn't going to happen (especially with the implied soul-destruction, which I wouldn't wish on the worst person in the world).

 

[ranasan]

Joke mode: Well, lucky me! I've got five siblings!

Reality: I'd chicken out... I want to live forever but I couldn't take the lives of my friends and family. I would spend a long time trying to find a loophole in the deal to exploit.

 

[Master_Fubar23]

For everything? I'd do it. Nothing can kill me and the benefit of having no fear can lead to great things. Also for the whole package for using hate would be perferible. If I didn't have enough people to use I'd just go out and piss some people of to the point of hatred. Although ultimatly if you live forever you'll out live all your loved ones and mourn them anyways so would it be better to lose them now or later???

 

[Johnny Impact]

You've essentially plagiarized the concept of Vampire: I live forever, but woe is me, for when I was new-made I lost control and ate my girlfriend/father/whoever. I can never have human connections, and the memory of what I've done will haunt me until the end of time.

My answer is no. I belong to one of those weird families where not only do we all get along, we all like each other pretty well. I don't really have any friends so I'd be giving up everyone who means anything to me.

As for the "people you hate" version, let me start a list of names...........

 

[Thundero13]

Ouch, I feel like a terrible person for this but I really don't know... I feel like I should be sure that I wouldn't do this but... ich, I don't think I would do this, no.

 

[Peteron]

No, that would be highly immoral. Also, immortality is useless to me. I have no desire to live forever, watching as we progress to become even larger tools. I am more than happy with my natural lifespan. Anyway, who the hell would want to kill off 5 loved ones? I would bite the Warlock's face.

 

[Berithil]

Even if it was people I didn't know, I still wouldn't do it. First off, my life's not more valuable than five other people. And second, I would hate to be immortal. Maybe a hundred years or two but eventually I would get world weary. Then it would be miserable. You would also have to witness the passing of all you love eventually.

 

[Jake0fTrades]

I don't think I'd be able to live with myself knowing that I'm responsible for the deaths of five innocents people, friends no less.

 

[Cerrida]

What's the point of living forever if the people you loved the most are gone? I wouldn't take immortality in any case. Sure, living an extra thousand years would be incredible; think of the progress I'd be able to see! But I wouldn't be able to take living young and healthy while everyone around me died. Forming relationships would be impossible because the thought of them dying would weigh too heavily on me. Here's an interesting perspective from the lady who wrote Frankenstein:
http://www.rc.umd.edu/editions/mws/immortal/mort.txt

 

[UnendingLight]

The purpose of immortality is to preserve life.

I would not start that off by ending the lives of 5 innocent people.

Unless you find a way to create new life from nothing (not just saving lives) then you can never truly repay the debt of killing those 5 people.

 

[KoalaKid]

I want to be immortal, but I still wouldn't do that.

 

[Jedoro]

Sure, give me the chance to visit, acquire possession of, and torture 50 rapists, serial killers, people like that. I assure you, what I'd do would be plenty enough to make them hate me.