I wonder why it is
that human beings have this desire to live on and on and on. Why are we as
individuals and as a society always striving to extend human life? If we are
not trying to do it medically, we are trying to do it via some religious belief
system, either by means of eternal life or reincarnation.
Almost every day on
the news we hear of some breakthrough that will extend human life, or of some
new avenue of research with this goal in mind.
It seems to me that for human beings to live longer and longer is not
good for this planet or for society. The planet can barely sustain the human
population today. Extending our lifespan will only lead to further increases in
that population. With what consequences? Younger generations are already
struggling financially to support an aging population. How will society cope
with an even more top heavy age structure?
Yet the drive to
extend the human lifespan rolls on relentlessly, without any consideration of
these broader consequences. We are like an addict, who knows that their drug of
choice is doing them irreparable harm, but goes on using anyway because of the
perceived short term gain. In fact, selfish, short term gain seems to be what
ultimately drives our society.
I am happy to go on
living as long as I am reasonably healthy and happy. For each of us, the point
at which this ceases to be the case will differ. However, I do not want to be
sustained in life by taking dozens of pills a day. I do not want to be
continuously rebuilt when I start to break down. Death is a natural and
essential part of life. I don’t fear it, and I don’t perceive it as an enemy
that needs to be defeated. I don’t necessarily welcome it either. But I do
recognise its necessity, and I will not surrender to that selfish and
egocentric drive that demands that I
go on forever. I reject the promises and assurances of both medical science and
religion. I will die. I should die. When the time comes, younger
people with new ideas should and will replace me. I hope, when that time comes,
that I will have done a reasonable job, that I will have made my contribution.
I will finish this
piece with two “ifs”.
If, when I grow older
and my health begins to fail, I too try desperately to cling on to life at any
cost, it will be because I have succumbed to fear and that terribly strong egocentric
drive that haunts us. Or else it will be because I perceive myself to have
failed in some way and want a chance to do better.
If science is going to continue this pursuit of
extending human life, we as a society cannot ignore the broader consequences of
this for the planet and for society. We need to be willing to tackle courageously
the problems that this brings about. At the moment, we are too deeply buried in
denial.
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