“While you live, while you may, become good.” – Marcus Aurelius
It seems that the subject of immortality has entered my world over the past couple of months. First, I watched a Netflix documentary, Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, which narrates the bizarre experiment that Bryan Johnson, a tech millionaire, is conducting to extend his life. It’s quite disturbing, in my opinion, but also intriguing. I definitely recommend watching it, as it’s sometimes useful to understand where people’s thoughts lie regarding immortality.
Then, I encountered the subject again while reading Bittersweet by Susan Cain. In her book, she discusses an immortality project and a group of people who celebrate RAADfest—Revolution Against Aging and Death. By the way, the admission options for 2025 RAADfest are $727 for general admission and $2,997 for VIP admission. According to Fast Company, there were about 1,000 people in attendance in 2018—that’s a lot of money if you do the math.
Just when I thought I was done reading about immortality, I came across a news article discussing The Rise of the Superhuman, which reported on the efforts of certain individuals to achieve eternal life. The article highlighted Bryan Johnson—the Netflix guy—and even Elon Musk, who founded Neuralink. Neuralink is working on a brain-computer interface (BCI) designed to transmit signals directly between biological brains and silicon chips. A chip implanted in a human brain—now that is a great topic for an article in itself.
What struck me about the news article was that the one immediately following it was about U.S. foreign policy.
Naturally, my mind made the connection between the pursuit of immortality and the foreign and domestic policies of the United States and other governments worldwide. This has taken me on a philosophical journey—something new for me. My question, though I’m sure it will evolve, is:
Is immortality the answer to our common good?
Today, my goal is simply to lay out some thoughts on this topic and get my brain moving. Of course, I’m not a philosopher, but after spending time reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Letters from a Stoic by Seneca, and Enchiridion by Epictetus, I’ve begun to appreciate philosophy and its role. So, I figured it was worth spending some time pondering this subject—because, why not?
Let’s start with the human enhancement article, which describes how the wealthy and investment funds are pushing this idea forward.
The article begins with Christian Angermayer, a German billionaire who, according to the report, had a revelation while tripping on hallucinogenic mushrooms: he realized he had a personal mission to help humanity improve itself. He contributed to a $101 million fund supporting scientific initiatives to slow aging and is backing the Enhanced Games—a competition where athletes can win $1 million for breaking world records using performance-enhancing substances.1
The same article reported that Bryan Johnson spends $2 million a year trying to stay young. His regimen includes waking up at 5 AM, taking 100 pills daily, ceasing to eat after 11 AM, and going to bed at 8:30 PM. He even sleeps alone for optimal rest.2 I’m not sure I want to spend the rest of my live doing this daily routine.
As for Elon Musk, the article discusses Neuralink’s goals, which extend beyond helping people with disabilities to enhancing cognitive abilities by connecting human brains with artificial intelligence.3
These wealthy individuals are pouring billions of dollars into the quest for immortality.
The second article I read explores U.S. foreign policy regarding Russia and suggests a growing alignment in global geopolitics. I won’t go into the details, but it describes how the U.S. asserts its influence over its sphere, citing examples such as trade relations with Canada and control over the Panama Canal. Regarding Russia, it highlights the ongoing conflict with Ukraine and the broader spread of Russian right-wing movements across Europe.4 Of course, similar geopolitical tensions exist worldwide, from Congo and Venezuela to Israel, Palestine, China, Turkey, and Yemen. This is not just a U.S.-Russia issue—it is, in my opinion, a human issue rooted in a lack of virtues.
After reading these two articles and observing global events, I started questioning whether immortality is truly desirable.
History has shown us that many so-called advancements made in the name of humanity have been repurposed for personal gain and the consolidation of power. We don’t have to look far to find examples of leaders who claimed to act for the greater good, only to use their power to oppress others.
I’m starting to think that we should accept our mortality and make the most of the time we have—loving our families, supporting our communities, working toward peace, and defending human rights and freedoms.
Should the vast wealth invested in the pursuit of immortality instead be directed toward improving lives—feeding the hungry, providing shelter, creating jobs, providing affordable healthcare services? Wouldn’t it be better to ensure that children at least have a chance to reach adulthood rather than chasing an unattainable dream?
Do we really want dictators and oppressive leaders to live forever, continuing to erode democracy and society as we know it? Do we want to live forever just to witness perpetual chaos? Or does the certainty of human mortality give us hope that change will eventually come?
I’m at peace with mortality—and that gives me hope.
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