Regeneration: Would you do it?

[TheScottishMexican42]

Let's talk regeneration for a bit, as in the concept from Doctor Who.

For anyone unaware, Regeneration in Doctor Who is triggered when a time lord is critically injured and nearing death. The process results in the user healing to perfect condition (mostly), but it results in a new body, face and personality. Memories and morals are still in tact however. The amount of times it can be done is very debatable, but many say 13 times.

Here's are two videos of the process. The 9th Regeneration, which was more positive.
And the 10th, which was more negative.

Obviously this is a Scifi concept, but imagine it was perfectly possible.

Imagine tomorrow you woke up, and you found humans could regenerate. Completely save themselves from certain death, but would you do it to save your life? Remember, the process can be cancelled, resulting in a normal death.

You obviously survive your death, but you've also lost your face and identity, your personality might be vastly different as well. New body may lead to new possibilities, however. Maybe your new body is better than your last.
Also take into account the circumstances of your would-be death.
To make it interesting, let's say your aging isn't slowed. You age like a normal person.

Would you regenerate if given the chance to?

Edit: Ok, let's change it a bit. Imagine it's you and only you who could do it. Would you?

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I don't know about regenerating. Probably not. Even so this lets me pose the question I've always thought about asking - how do people get invested in Doctor Who so much if every regeneration is a complete reboot of the character, mentally and physically? That kind of limits any emotional or bonding arcs doesn't it?

 

[Gwen Utopia]

I don't know... The Doctor version seems like you become a comepletely new person so in a way I'd die regardless if I'm regenerating or not.
Also, what would happen with stuff such debts and bills? I can't imagine they'd be wiped..

I gotta say though, that clip doesn't really portray regeneration in a positiv light. Out of all the doctors, the tenth had much grimmer view on it compared to the for example the ninth.

I don't know about regenerating. Probably not. Even so this lets me pose the question I've always thought about asking - how do people get invested in Doctor Who so much if every regeneration is a complete reboot of the character, mentally and physically? That kind of limits any emotional or bonding arcs doesn't it?

Each incarnation usually gets a couple of seasons to grow with the audience. I actually like the regeneration because it keeps an incarnation from outstaying it's welcome.

 

[Keoul]

Nope, no thank you. Infact, The Doctor tells you why you shouldn't.
Just the first 30 ish seconds explains it.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

Totally, as far as I know I don't have to change the way I look... at the very least I can choose what I'll regenerate into if I focus hard enough and do it voluntarily (it's what everything seems to point to). As for the personality changes, they seem to be a mixed bag. Some Time Lords like the Doctor have undergone both big and relatively minor changes in nature, but others like Romana seemed fairly consistent.

I don't know about regenerating. Probably not. Even so this lets me pose the question I've always thought about asking - how do people get invested in Doctor Who so much if every regeneration is a complete reboot of the character, mentally and physically? That kind of limits any emotional or bonding arcs doesn't it?

Well the big joke around the New Who fandom is that the new Doctor is always disliked at first because of the fondness of his predecessor. And thus the Regeneration Cycle exists:

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Each incarnation usually gets a couple of seasons to grow with the audience. I actually like the regeneration because it keeps an incarnation from outstaying it's welcome.

Well the big joke around the New Who fandom is that the new Doctor is always disliked at first because of the fondness of his predecessor

I dunno, I never felt the lead character of a TV show "outstayed its welcome". I mean if I like a show chances are it's because of its lead. I couldn't imagine watching Twin Peaks with a new Dale Cooper every few seasons (imagining a world where there was more than 2 seasons). And I wouldn't pick up the 3rd season of Sherlock if he returned with a different face/actor.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

Each incarnation usually gets a couple of seasons to grow with the audience. I actually like the regeneration because it keeps an incarnation from outstaying it's welcome.

Well the big joke around the New Who fandom is that the new Doctor is always disliked at first because of the fondness of his predecessor

I dunno, I never felt the lead character of a TV show "outstayed its welcome". I mean if I like a show chances are it's because of its lead. I couldn't imagine watching Twin Peaks with a new Dale Cooper every few seasons (imagining a world where there was more than 2 seasons). And I wouldn't pick up the 3rd season of Sherlock if he returned with a different face/actor.

I suppose it's because you're warned from the off that this will happen, you understand the nature of the character and that they will inevitably change. Once you've got that down, it just becomes part of the show. All Doctors have the same intrinsic qualities as each other, they just provide their own added flair.

 

[TheScottishMexican42]

Another thing to note by the way is that it's not guaranteed to work. It might not save you from drowning for example.

 

[Asita]

Regenerate just for the heck of it?


Regenerate when mortally wounded and dying? No reason not to. It's not like I've got anything to lose, after all.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Each incarnation usually gets a couple of seasons to grow with the audience. I actually like the regeneration because it keeps an incarnation from outstaying it's welcome.

Well the big joke around the New Who fandom is that the new Doctor is always disliked at first because of the fondness of his predecessor

I dunno, I never felt the lead character of a TV show "outstayed its welcome". I mean if I like a show chances are it's because of its lead. I couldn't imagine watching Twin Peaks with a new Dale Cooper every few seasons (imagining a world where there was more than 2 seasons). And I wouldn't pick up the 3rd season of Sherlock if he returned with a different face/actor.

I suppose it's because you're warned from the off that this will happen, you understand the nature of the character and that they will inevitably change. Once you've got that down, it just becomes part of the show. All Doctors have the same intrinsic qualities as each other, they just provide their own added flair.

To add to this, it's less a totally different personality, more the same character filtered through a different actor -- like, for example, the different variations on James Bond. At his core, the Doctor is always the same person, but the new actor brings a new spin. The changes in personality even tend to make sense, at least in the new series. Eccleston's doctor was in a bad place emotionally, after having committed genocide against two intelligent species, one of which was his own, in order to save the universe. Over his tenure he started to heal emotionally, something that carried over through Tennant, and then eventually giving us the much happier, lighter-hearted (though still dangerous if cornered) doctor that is (soon to be was) Smith.

I may not have described that the best way possible, but hopefully it gives you an idea of how it works in practice.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

I may not have described that the best way possible, but hopefully it gives you an idea of how it works in practice.

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/08/not-some-new-man-the-hidden-pattern-behind-the-doctors-regenerations

This article (it's a year old by now, I realise) sheds some light on the way the Doctor has evolved. Whether it's through the TV series or otherwise, the new Doctor has almost always had a reflection on the experiences of his previous incarnations and that just adds to the charm!

 

[Angelous Wang]

I am my current conciousness, if you change/alter my conciousness I die and new alternate version of me replaces old me.

That is my view anyway.

So as far as I see it regeneration would not save me, it would just allow another me to continue on after me.

So I die ether way, the only question is do a want another me running around continuing on my legacy as it were ... eh why not? Provided I was going to die anyway.

 

[DEAD34345]

It doesn't seem worthwhile to me. If the new version of "me" has a different mind, I've not really regenerated at all, I've just died and some new guy has spontaneously appeared where I used to be. I suppose I might do it if I felt this new version of me was needed for some reason, but otherwise I probably wouldn't bother. It also seems kind of unfair to bring a new life into the world that misses out on its entire childhood, and which is expected to take on all of the responsibilities of a dead man it has never even met.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Regeneration doesn't so much involve physical death as it does psychic death - the term here referring to the psyche, the mind. My body might define some part of who I am and I suspect you could shift a few personality traits around and still come up with something that would qualify as "me" - but shift both my body and my personality and you lose what makes me who I happen to be.

You get someone else who's got my memories, and their own take on said memories. In a way it's like someone's found your memoirs and is judging them, moulding their own life accordingly.

So I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't, because it would still be a form of death, and it would leave me open to pretty harsh judgments from someone who has no business nosing around in my memories.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

Let's talk regeneration for a bit, as in the concept from Doctor Who.

You obviously survive your death, but you've also lost your face and identity, your personality might be vastly different as well. New body may lead to new possibilities, however. Maybe your new body is better than your last.
Also take into account the circumstances of your would-be death.
To make it interesting, let's say your aging isn't slowed. You age like a normal person.

Would you regenerate if given the chance to?

You had me at "survive your death".

Also, considering that (when the Doctor doesn't get himself killed) each regeneration can live for centuries with only mild aging (see the 11th Doctor who added 200+ years to the Doctor's total age), you also get semi-eternal youth (if you regenerated into a young body, which it is implied is within your will power to do) on the package.

So yes. I might not always like my new face or personality, but at least I get to keep having both of those things.

I don't know about regenerating. Probably not. Even so this lets me pose the question I've always thought about asking - how do people get invested in Doctor Who so much if every regeneration is a complete reboot of the character, mentally and physically? That kind of limits any emotional or bonding arcs doesn't it?

Well, no matter the body, there are certain elements to the Doctor's character that never change. You could say that the core of his personality remains the same - it is only the details that change.

 

[Zeldias]

Nope, just based on principle: I hate Doctor Who.

 

[spartan231490]

I would regenerate, yes. You say aging isn't slowed, if this means I regenerate at the same age, then I probably wouldn't regenerate once I got to like 60ish. I want to live well, not just live. I mean, you talk about changing your appearance or personality as a bad thing, but appearance is pretty superficial, and changes as you get older. Also, since your new personality is your new personality, you're not going to dislike your new personality, it's just gonna be you. Unless you became like, super-good and regretted past decisions, there's no downside.

 

[Skeleon]

Memory-continuity is probably the most important aspect to preserving "me", even if my personality may change to an extent.
So, yes, I'd try it.

 

[Jadak]

Umm... Yes.. Why wouldn't I?

Die or not die? Tough call. It's sure as hell not worse than death. And big deal if it were, if you regenerate and decide you hate the new you, kill yourself and problem solved. Sure as hell worth trying.