If you could take a pill to stop aging or extend your life by 200 years, would you? Multiple stories about biohacking and anti-aging research are in the news. It made me think that might be the most horrible thing to happen to a person or society. People can barely save for retirement or an emergency fund, how would you even be able to afford a 100-year retirement? Would anybody retire?
Will your friends and family be able to afford the magic anti-aging pill or treatment? Odds are they will not, which means SOME of your best and closes friends and family will die while you live on. What is the best age to lock in for eternity, 29, or maybe 39?
The fact that we have an expiration date means we HAVE to take risks NOW! There’s a concept in management called Parkinson’s law, ”Work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion”. Basically, you would never be motivated to finish anything because you know there’s time. No set end date for your life or tasks. You could waste a year in bed watching TV, but would it matter? Should the drug have productivity requirements? Only those that contribute to society could take it. So only “essential workers” would get it? Do you want to just watch TV and play video games? Sorry kid! No soup for you!
It’s not the cure for aging we need, it’s the cure for fear. The fear of embarrassment, fear of starting something new, fear of taking a risk, fear of pushing limits, and fear of getting uncomfortable or hurt. We don’t need more excuses to put things on hold. Would you put everything off or would you take action? Just wait until next year, the weather is better, or you have more money. You would always be putting things off! What’s the rush!?!? It’s like that quote from Jurrasic park,
Dr. Ian Malcolm: “Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
Jurrasic Park
Think about when you lost someone close and how it forces you to re-evaluate your life. Death is a reminder, a wake-up call to those barely living to get moving! Will your actions right now be alive time or dead time? Every choice you make is a vote for the person you want to be. Cure for aging, no I’m good. Cure for fear, sign me up!
Patrick is an ultrarunner and coach from Philadelphia who loves documenting his running career. His mission is to provide useful tips and tricks to assist others along their ultra journey. You can find his coaching services at https://ultraruncoach.com.
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Memento mori ?
I just read this in the AM in The Untethered Soul, but I think it sums it up best.
“You fear death because you crave life. You fear death because you think there’s something to get that you haven’t experienced yet. Many people feel that death will take something away from them. The wise person realizes that death is constantly giving them something. Death is giving meaning to your life. You’re the one who throws your life away; you waste every second of it. You get in your car, drive from here to there, and you don’t see anything. You’re not even there. You’re busy thinking about what you’re going to do next. You’re a month ahead of yourself, or even a year. You’re not living life; you’re living mind. So it is you who throws your life away, not death.”
I am debating getting the Endless Endurance skeleton on my right calf as my memento mori. What do you think?