How Old Is Too Old?

You're very close to a tipping point surely? Agreed that a heady number of you hold on to the idea that 'life is just too short', or even to the view that 'if only I could live forever', but isn't the number-count of you enthusiasts surely going down? You may be close to being the last generation that thinks like this. It's the causes of this change that are interesting isn't it? Of course the causes run deeper than the bloomin' obvious one of an extended old-age distracted by the disgusting discomforts of some 'managed' illness. Being out of breath, or dealing with permanent constipation, or being distracted by a permanent dull ache - disgusting and unacceptable situations that obviously make you feel that life, thank you, is quite long enough as it is. But allow for some fast advances in medicine, remove then these unfortunates from the equation - and surely still you are very close to moving from a hearty 'Gosh-darn I wish I had a few more years in me' to a thoughtful 'You know what? I'll soon be done here.'

Illness and discomfort aside, surely many of you now are beginning to realise that what, one hundred years is it, is really quite enough for you? And aren't the reasons for this, several? Doesn't experience eventually force you to face the actual limits of your own skills (you're really not going to be famous in your chosen field one day); force you to notice that people are not on the edge of their seats because you have something interesting or something entertaining to say; force (some of) you men to face the fact that your sex-drive is, yes, dependent upon the person but also is dependent upon a youthful partner; force (some of) you women to face the fact that your sex-enjoyment is comprehensively influenced by what's going on in your minds, some drama that's going on in your minds, let's be honest about it, some contrived drama and don't contrived dramas get so very difficult to nourish once you're in your fifties and have repeated them all these years? 

Doesn't experience force you to face the fact that it is the new that is fantastic, your new talents, your new emotions, and new knowledge, it is the new that is something really quite wonderful, and that there really is not much 'new' after your fiftieth birthday passes by almost uncelebrated? I see no way round it either.

That there is a limit to the number of years you can enjoy, a limit set by who you are, is perhaps a surprise if it's true. So how long is long enough? You are going to be able to extend life - that is for certain. But how long do most of you really want to live?