Anatole drank a potion that enabled him to live forever. If offered such a potion, would you drink it? Why or why not?
Absolutely not. Or at least āabsolutely notā if my body has to age like Anatoleās did. In the first chapter he is described as a tourist, his physical body shows the wear and tear of age and travel Thereās an old song that Walter Brennan sang that my Mom used to sing:
The sun comes up and the sun goes down
The hands on the clock keep a-goinā 'round
I just get up and itās time to lay down
Life gets tee-jus, donāt it, hmm
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No way! Life is hard enough living a regular lifespan. I donāt know why billionaires are pouring so much money into living longer. It doesnāt seem like Anatole was excited to live forever either, though it is curious that he said he could still die for example if eaten by tigers like the king. Sounds like he could decide to end things but doesnāt have the guts to do it if he has to choose.
Nope! I enjoy my current life, but seeing those I love go would just be too hard. I wanted to read more about his long, long journey, though.
I would not want to live forever. Watching love ones and friends die would be hard, as watching all the changes in the world, good and bad.
Well it sure would be interesting, but it seemed like Anatoleās body was still aging. If you could stay as you were in your 20s or 30s, it might be worthwhile, but as many have said, youād have to make new friends and keep moving, because everyone would wonder why you donāt change; as well as dealing with the pain of losing loved ones. Makes me think of that movie, āThe Age of Adalineā..
No way. This life is hard enough , to live longer and see all my loved one and family leave this world would be too much.
As I donāt relish leaving this earth, I would hate to live forever. Being the one left behind when loved ones and friends pass on wouldnāt be something I would enjoy doing. A good example today, is I have been losing people that have been important in my life almost every week due to old age or disease. With loss, one has to face how to move on without these key people.
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I would not drink a potion that promised me immortality. As fascinating as it would be to witness the progress, discoveries and transformations that the distant future might hold, the thought of living on while everyone I love inevitably disappeared would be an unbearable price to pay. There is also the unsettling question of what immortality might mean for an aging body.
More than that, I believe our mortality is part of what gives life its meaning. Knowing that our time is finite makes our choices matter, our relationships precious and ordinary moments far more significant. There is something profound about knowing that we cannot keep everything forever.
If I knew I had an eternity ahead of me, I suspect much of lifeās urgencyāand perhaps even its wonderāwould disappear. It is the knowledge that time is limited that makes us appreciate the time we have.
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Yikes, no way! Anatoleās physical body seemed to be aging so that would be difficult as time went onward. As others said I would miss family and friends and because I continued to live, I might need to keep moving. Then as you make new friends, you could only tell them portions of your life otherwise it would reveal your age.
Also, as the book indicated you never know what are the intentions of actions, so I am sure there are other reasons why not to drink a magical potion!
No, not looking for immortality. I agree with all the reasons that have been given here. Do any of you remember reading Tuck Everlasting, an old middle-grade book?
Donāt think so. Would not care to see what happens in the future. Would much rather see what Heaven has to offer!
I would not choose to drink such a potion unless there was enough for my most cherished loved ones to also drink. An eternal life without them would be a miserable life.
I think all of us have a fear of dying and so the thought of āanother optionā is of course interesting. But the realities of this once thought about more deeply make me highly unlikely to want to ālive foreverā. The aging procrss, the loss of friends and loved ones and more. Anatole did not seem enamored with the thgouth of living forever either.
Nopel! Especially if Iād keep getting older. Iām 76 now and old age is not for sissies.
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One may be tempted to drink such a potion but it would be a grave mistake. Over time, everyone you knew and everyone who ever knew you would no longer be there leaving a void. My mother lived to 100, by which time all her friends and relations, apart from her children, had passed leaving a void in her life. I recall her telling me of a conversation she had with her brother as the aged and relations died. āMakes me wonder who will be next,ā said her brother. āMakes me wonder who will be last,ā replied my mother. After one has passed and everyone who knew them has passed, we fade away from worldly memory. I beleive that is how it is and how it should be.
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I wouldnāt drink such a potion. Even if I were guaranteed good healthā¦as others have mentioned, it would be too hard to see all your loved ones grow old and die. Also, itās knowing the time we have is finite that encourages us (hopefully) to live a good, full life!
I would not like to outlive my loved ones. This book reminded me of Tuck Everlasting, another book that shows the downside to immortality.
No I would not drink a potion to live forever. If everything stayed the same,(body and soul) life would get boring, wouldnāt it?. If life would continue as it does now, with body changes, world changes, good or bad, lI still would not like to live forever. Experiencing the loss of my love ones and dear friends is a task hard to face.
No. I think of all the things Iāve learned in my life is that ince is enough