If you could be reborn forever, would you want to? (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by CapuccinoCoretto@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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Inspired by this article about a jellyfish that doesn't die of old age, injury or poor conditions, it just reverts back to a juvenile state and is reborn genetically identical. If you could be reborn, as you, would you want to?

Edit: Just the physical you, genetic and presumably epigenetic, no memory.

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[-] CapuccinoCoretto@lemmy.world 2 points 22 hours ago

Really? My memories in someone else's body isn't me either. There is the biological me at birth, then the conscious me of experience and memory. I think they both play a part of the older you, but being reborn as baby you is still literally the original "you" at this point.

[-] Identikit@leminal.space 6 points 20 hours ago

This pulls in the philosophy of what makes someone “themselves” - is it memory, body, or “soul”. Technically, twins look the same so body could be ruled out that way but I do understand what you mean. I also tend to think of body as a vehicle in this life and not me, just like a car I got given in life. I didn’t choose my body, it’s just what I got given. My personality though - my morals, my believes, etc… that I do consider myself and who “I” am. An argument could be made that as you “craft” your personality or you - it is similar to working out and crafting your body into “you” but some people can’t do that with the cards they were dealt - so I’ll digress.

I just dig the philosophical conversation to be had here.

this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2026

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