On the Perils of Longevity

I am reading The Correspondent by Virginia Evans and in one particular letter (the novel is all about letters), the protagonist describes a meeting with her aging ex-boss as unfulfilling because the man has lived long enough to lose most of his mental faculties.

She later says, and I’m not paraphrasing here since I don’t have the book handy, that God help her if she ever reaches the age of ninety.

It reminded me of Khushwant Singh, the prolific Indian author, who lived till 99. He once lamented on the unpleasantness of the whole situation. Almost all his friends were dead and there were times when he found the loneliness overwhelming.

Considering that we are in the age of peak health optimization and longevity desirability, thanks to a few billionaires and weirdos who’ve turned this whole movement into a cult, the fact that all the talk on longevity happens on stages and platforms crowded by people far too young to be bothered about it has always struck me as absurd.

Where are the perspectives of ninety and hundred year olds? What is it like to actually live that long and is it worth it?

Longevity as a societal goal may be a noble pursuit and we have steadily made progress. The average life expectancy in almost every nation has increased dramatically in the past few decades. But obsessing over it as an individual while life beckons at you to live it fully is like worrying about finishing hundred books while reading a book. Read the book!

In the movie Anand (1971), there’s lovely line that goes like this: Babu Moshai, zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahi. Translation: Dear sir, life should be big, not long.

As I grow old, I find myself increasing wanting to live it big. Surprisingly, that does require you to do some of the things that might help you live long as well. For instance, you can’t live big if you’re not healthy. So taking care of your health is a must. So is spending time with people who matter, forging deeper connections with people old and new, being a little more ambitious with your desire to learn and grow, not fussing about the time that is lost, and, most importantly, being fully attentive in the moment.

I suppose living it big could also help you live long with one added benefit: less regrets.