Won't we then live in constant fear of accidents and avoid all risks? Won't we have to give up a lot of things?
It may well be that in an ageless society we will act more mindfully in many areas of life and take better care of our environment, so that we can still inhabit a world worth living in even in the distant future. In the medium term, this development could lead politicians to pass laws that require more responsible behavior toward the world around us or punish irresponsible behavior more severely. At the moment, many people do not fear the consequences of their climate-damaging behavior because they think they will not live to see them anyway. That would change with the victory over aging.
However, it is very unlikely that we will end up in a society in which, out of fear, we virtually isolate ourselves every day from all kinds of risks, or in which everything that could be dangerous in any way is prohibited.
First, as soon as comprehensive damage repair therapies are available that can fully regenerate the body, people could even lead a much unhealthier lifestyle than in an aging society without any problems, since they would no longer have as much to consider with regard to their health. The misconception that we would have to give up all potentially harmful things or activities for healthy life extension even has its own name - the "crème brûlée error" 1. If machines are maintained and repaired thoroughly enough, it does not matter if they wear out more in between - the repairs just have to be done more often. So after the victory over aging, people could often eat unhealthily; they would then simply have to use the therapies earlier and more often than others. Second, for activities that involve a risk to the physical integrity of the person doing them, there are always two options: a) not doing the activity and b) making it less risky through technology. We can see the latter, among other things, in the current development of autonomous vehicles. Agelessness will therefore tend to make such developments happen faster, rather than lead to nobody leaving the house anymore just to avoid having an accident.
- de Grey ADNJ. Physical resilience and aging: correcting the Tithonus error and the crème brûlée error. In: Prem S. Fry and Corey L. M. Keyes (eds.): New Frontiers in Resilient Aging: Life-Strengths and Well-Being in Late Life. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2010, ISBN 978-0-521-50985-5.