The Trouble With Immortality

When one acquires an indefinite lifespan, it is necessary to assume identities throughout the years. In order to take full advantage of these identities, one should stick with them as long as possible. In order to avoid suspicion, then, it becomes necessary to appear to age within each identity. Oh, sure, you can always be the guy that everyone points to and remarks how good he looks for his age, and wonders how he can stay so active, but eventually, if you're running around like a 20 year old while people you've known for 40 years are entering nursing homes, people will start to talk. So one must appear to age. Makeup can help, but the main factor is a sort of pantomime acting, an attempt to mimic the accumulation of injuries, diseases and general deterioration of the body that accompanies old age. And this is where the problems start. Immortality being in large part an act of will, and therefore reflective of mental state, it is possible to lose that mental state through play-acting at old age. The routine of pretending to be sickly and frail makes one sickly and frail. Many have discovered the secret to immortality, only to lose it in this way.