Long Life

The chase after longer life does not make any logical sense. It seems (conditioned - DA) that longer life should be regarded as some sort of competition. Any winner just dies anyway. Whether someone dies at 80, 90, 95, 100... cannot matter. The quality of life can be dire and the very gradual journey towards a natural death can foretell an extremely depressing existence. It does seem that the only purpose to continued existence (of any kind) is to wrest finance from these people. This could sound particularly macabre, but the living young can need as much care as the very old. Most in old age cannot contribute anything to the human condition. A growing elderly and less capable generation. And looked after by a growing generation of less capable young. Unemployment and benefits means less finance is entering the equation as the wealthy help the old and infirm to remove it. An entire generation that in a large part fails society, yet expects society to NOT fail them. The amount of finance being systematically removed far exceeds the amount added. Inevitably, society must collapse.

Once it has been bled dry

• Younger people are in another (smaller - DA) part those who can recover from illness and still lead a purposeful and productive existence.

If an old person remains alert until death supervenes and doesn't just fade away then perhaps there is an argument for existence. This is very personal argument only answerable by the individual. Even so, being alive just to be alive serves no individual any purpose, especially if unaware of being alive. The paradoxical life-sentence while awaiting death. Sitting around waiting to die is a very depressing option.

• It's interesting to speculate how attitudes would change if the concept of money and wealth didn't exist.

To be alive is to enjoy life. Too many end their own (otherwise healthy lives) since they see no purpose in continued existence.

Without exception, everybody WILL die. It's the prime certainty of life and there can be no doubt. The dead can have no concern about age and how long they existed. This can only be appreciated by the living. The dead individual remains dead.