Paul Smith
 Experts say we'll soon be able to live to 120. Trouble is I can't find a single soul who says they want to be around that long. And this from an all-encompassing vox pop of, okay, about a dozen people, ranging from 33 to 94 years old.
Looking and feeling younger, now that's different. In an image-conscious society it's as common as - well - botox, collagen, liposuction and breast implants. They probably help those who need these props, but if predictions about aging are right, a whole lot more might be needed. Within the next two or three decades with advances in medical and related sciences, human lifespan will increase to an unprecedented length, according to one authority on aging. "Not only will it be relatively normal for people to live to 100, but also they may live to reach the 'natural cap' of about 120 years and up!" says Paul Hodge, Chairman of the Global Generations Policy Institute at Harvard University. That gives a whole new meaning to the old joke about living long enough to be a burden to one's children. Imagine celebrating your 120th with nonogenarian - or maybe even centenarian children? Some Super Centenarians with good health and all their marbles might enjoy it, but isn’t this looking at the issue from the wrong end of the argument? If life is about living then isn't it about the intensity and quality of experience - not its duration? Would we at 120 be bored witless and living out Shakespeare's line: 'life is as tedious as a twice told tale…?' |
