For me, it was disease. I got Long Covid 3 years ago, it was very bad with breathing difficulties for about 7 months. Thought I was going to die, never experienced anything like it in my life. Still not recovered fully. In fact I think I’m experiencing progressive neurodegeneration because of it. This was the spark that lit my fire about living as long as possible. I mean, I was curious about life extension before that, but not really serious. I remember watching the movie “The Fountain” with Hugh Jackman and that was pretty cool, that kinda got me on the road to this. But yeah, it was facing my death that made me truly want to live beyond natural limits.
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I didn’t really like my life ever since I was a kid which got me dreaming a future where I could be truly happy for once. As long as one is alive, there is a chance to achieve that goal → I need to pursue a longer life, possibly even an indefinite lifespan.
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The best quote that sums it up for me.
“I want to see what happens.”
I’m a futurist. What has happened already in my lifetime is amazing. I want the world to amaze me even more.
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I partied hard, got sick, and now this is my mid-life crisis.
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Beth
#5
Argh on your long covid… so sorry!!!
And @Virilius that is sad but also beautiful at the same time. Here’s to hope, and I hope things have improved for you.
With my unlucky CVD and neurodegenerative disease genes, my hope is really only to live as long and healthy as most of my peers. I’d consider that a huge win!
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I want to outlive my pets… the idea of dying before them haunts me! They are old enough now that I think I will succeeded!
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That’s a large part of it for me. I need to know what happens. The world is crazy, keeps getting crazier.
Also ill health sucks so I want to stay healthy.
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LaraPo
#7
I don’t believe that immortality is achievable, but healthier longer life is. Survival instinct brought me here. We’ll do anything to survive.
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I’ve never been interested in immortality.
Increasing health span, sure I can get behind that because it makes a difference today and until my pine box is ready. QOL matters. Immortality, not so much.
I do not see any science on the immediate horizon that suggests immortality is possible. All I see is a lot of hype, “don’t die” being one of the bigger hype trains. It’s a good slogan for business though 
We have a max of 120 years and until I see a fix for elastin, cancer, and a significant number of other rate limiting afflictions, there is no possibility of immortality in my life time.
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KarlT
#9
Agreed. At least not in our lifetime. I hope others don’t realistically expect that.
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LaraPo
#10
I agree most ppl don’t take it literally.
Theres one theory called Big Bounce hypothesis, which suggests that the universe undergoes cycles of expansion and contraction rather than having a single beginning and end. According to this model, the universe could collapse in a Big Crunch, where gravity eventually reverses the expansion, causing everything to contract into a singularity. Then, a new Bog Bang could occur, leading to another cycle of expansion.
Some variations of this theory propose that each cycle would unfold in exactly the same way, meaning that all events—including the formation of galaxies, planets, and even life—would repeat identically, which could mean that we had exactly this conversation infinite number of times in the past and will have it again in the future infinite number of times. In a sense, if we accept the theory, we are already immortal.
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RTHR
#11
About two years ago, I read an article about Sam Altman taking Metformin, immediately I realized longevity is a trending & feasible practice.
I started digging almost every meds and supplement I can buy 
I’m not trying to get immortality or even live to 150 years old, I just want to live healthier for the rest of my life, and maintain my physical state as long as possible.
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The latest scientific theories disprove the 'Big Crunch theory. The universe is continually expanding until total heat death is reached.
RTHR
#13
I mean I totally agree with you!
I need more time to find the real self-image, to find the life I like
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LaraPo
#14
They disproved it today but may accept it back tomorrow. It happens all the time It’s my only hope for immortality! 
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It seems many do expect that and those that are expecting that, are being fed by those who are getting paid to support that expectation.
Immortality or LEV (LoL) it is being “sold” as something that can happen in the next 4 to 5 years. Those selling it are reaping the financial benefits
Ray Kurzweil, a futurist and computer scientist known for his accurate technological forecasts, predicts that we will achieve LEV by 2029. Kurzweil’s optimism stems from the exponential pace of innovation
Books, seminars, Youtube videos, useless experiments that don’t move the needle (except in worms, mice, etc) None of those things address the fundamentals of human longevity/aging biology in a meaningful way.
Yes those things, (worms, mice, etc) can be used to filter out some harm before human testing and, put research in a more tenable path for more “conventional” medicine and even then the failure rate is spectacularly high when it moves to humans.
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The Wheel of Time comes to mind
One of the best book series I’ve read not the best TV show but still entertaining.
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Not interested in immortality, just median lifespan
I have some infirmities, light ckd, battling recurrent sibo, 6’4, cancer in the family etc…, high gluten sensitivity, light smoker with a western diet.
My large stack, and the homer hitters like rapa, sirt 6, high dose melatonin, high dose acarbose, jardiance, telmisartan 80, high dose statins keeping my ldl below 50, and many others is here to keep me at a median lifespan now that I’m in my mid 40s.
I often compare what would be worse, if my stack was too ineffective or too effective… Not sure I want to be bumbling deep into my 80s
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Among all the responses, not one person identified “fear of death” – the annihilation or extinction of my personal consciousness – as a justifiable reason for wanting to prolong life. Not one person identified existential anxiety. Has anybody read Ernest Becker’s “The Denial of Death”?
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Actually, I think there’s a good chance we’re living in a matrixesque simulation. Which would be great if we can replay our lives… Or try again.
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Kyle
#20
I wouldn’t say I’m interested in immortality so much as making sure that I age better than my parents did. It’s hard to watch someone age poorly and require significant 24/7 help to do even the most basic of tasks. That’s really the driving factor behind my interest in rapamycin and other longevity techniques.
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