On Change And Mortality

In fiction which deals with societies of immortal or semi-immortal beings who are interacting with mortal humans, I've often come across the assertion (by the immortals) that mortals are more creative and/or their societies change a lot because they are aware of their mortality, and therefore of their limited time, and thus hurry up and make changes.

Thinking about this, after hearing it repeatedly, I think it is a mistaken assertion.

Because mortals aren't really aware of their mortality. When you're young, you behave as if you're going to live forever -- which is often why youths do such reckless things. When you're much older, yes, mortality starts looming... but it isn't as if the creative changes of mortal societies are all done by the old in fear of their looming mortality. On the contrary, the old tend to cling to the status-quo.

Which, I think, is the key. ( Read more... )