May 6th, 2005
It's the Getting Old That Gets Old
Some good old-fashioned common sense on healthy life extension is put forward by the Speculist crew:
Chances are you'll still be in no hurry to die if 100 years from now life is still rewarding. You may still feel the same in 1000 years. This is also an answer to those who might not want life extension. De Grey is not arguing for mandatory immortality. He's arguing against mandatory age-related death....
It's not life that gets old. It's the getting old that gets old.
People are funny creatures; too many of them think that they'll get bored with a life that is a few decades longer than the current standard. But I know from experience that I can get bored in a matter of a few minutes, an hour tops, if I really put my mind to it - as could anyone else. So if you can accept the possibility of an interesting and rewarding life of 80 years, why not one of 150? Or 1000?
I am not sure if that is the most significant problem. I would think one of the biggest would be can I afford to live that long. If we expand our current number of employment years then we also are going to expand our number of retirement years. The cost of health care would be factor.
I've addressed that very issue at more length elsewhere here:
https://www.fightaging.org/archives/000151.php
As have others; the structure of retirement will change as life is longer. It will become a decades-long holiday, or the gap you take between thirty-year careers. As Aubrey de Grey says, "retirement benefits are for frail people, and there won't be any frail people."
now that ive hit 61 yrs,i feel like ive raised my kids but im still working not that i want too! they tell me that people are living longer. well thats fine, but how do they feel? im only working so that i may have health care. i would quit on a dime if i didnt have to pay for that. and on a depressing note i feel like its all down hill now. i only have death to look forward to. yes, i have grandkids but its just not the same. does anyone else feel this way or am i an exception?
thanks