I suspect since the beginning of time man has sought out ways to defeat his mortality and since that time morbidity has been a major obstacle in making it a utopian dream. Also being able to financially sustain a long life fits in. another factor is if you are the last of a family or group of friends. Suddenly your all alone finding that you can't relate to younger family members, friends etc.
Genetics plays a major role. however as one poster wrote if you want to shorten your life "smoke". I agree Six guys that i worked with died just before or at 65 because they were life time smokers. I suppose other bad habits also contribute.
From a personal standpoint I am fascinated by events, technology, etc going on in the world and the thought that I might miss a great invention or significant event in my childrens' lives causes some dissonance
Bottom line is while we can prolong life a bit we really have little control over our demise even if we live an exemplary life following all the rules
but I am going to do my best because life is such a precious gift
|