Ageing: the quest for eternal life
Everybody ages and death comes at the end of all life. But there seems now to be proliferating ideas about how to extend life and prolong vitality. After around 200,000 years on Earth you might have thought humans had accepted death as an inevitable part of life. But still there persists this idea that eternal life is achievable. Is there any grounding in this idea and if so, is it something worth investing in?
When considering ageing, it can be easy to look to the end of our lives with terror at the inevitable lack of mobility, grey hair and vulnerability that most of us will have to face. Even I look to elderly members of my own family with a certain fear that one day I too will share their difficulty moving around, and be looked down on by the youth of that time. We are therefore faced with a conundrum: it seems that on the one hand, life may not be worth prolonging if it only lengthens our ill-health and dependence; then again, maybe with extended life will come an increased quality of life for the elderly.
Is life worth prolonging?
It is estimated that two-fifths of national spending in the UK goes towards caring for the elderly. An increase in life expectancy may only worsen this issue by creating a larger number of old people to spend the NHS budget on, which could leave high priority patients at the end of longer and longer waiting lists. That’s before we even consider the lives of those bed-ridden hospital dwellers, who could be living (potentially painful) lives without much to occupy them. Many could find themselves facing corrosive boredom and intense feelings of isolation and depression, even more so than many elderly people already face.
This may paint a grim picture of extended life, but of course there are many benefits that could be drawn from the gain of even a few extra years. The other side of the argument is that with extended life could come a zest for new experiences in old age. Already there is evidence to suggest that, post- “midlife crisis,” many older people are finding a new interest in the world around them, re-engaging with others and often finding new hobbies and occupations to fill their final years. Plus, it’s no secret that there is a fair number of jolly elderly people out there, suggesting that instead of sinking into bitterness and depression, older people may receive generous payments from the bank of happiness; perhaps the coming of old age distils a lifetime of happy memories into a generally more positive and accepting outlook. Therefore, it’s reasonable to think that extending life would only create opportunities to make more happy memories, as great grandchildren and great great grandchildren grow up before your eyes.
So extended life is overall a benefit right? Maybe, but of course there’s still the possibility that in these extended years, suffering may ensue as bodies become more and more tired. There also still remains the argument that some things in nature should be left untouched, and perhaps death is one of them.
I think that, while it may be very positive to be able to appreciate our elderly relatives for a greater period of time, sometimes true appreciation of life only comes from a realization of its finite nature. I found this to be true quite recently after attending the funeral of a late elderly member of my own family, an event which made me realize how much that person had meant to me, and evoked happy memories of my time with them. At the crux of this is a feeling which is probably more valuable than any miracle life extension: the feeling that it is important to appreciate people while they’re around and give them the respect that they deserve as human beings, regardless of their age. And when the inevitable comes, learning acceptance of death as a part of life, and supporting others in accepting the same, is more fulfilling than the quest for eternal life will ever be.
