There is a whole subculture of people who apparently want to live forever.
They want to solve aging. They want to reverse time, trick God, and somehow become immortal here on earth. Bryan Johnson — otherwise known as “Don’t Die” — is a pre-eminent example. Of course, it’s absurd. It’s not going to happen. And if it ever did happen, you wouldn’t want to be a part of it anyway.
I have long thought that the great explorers who sailed over the horizon would never have done it if they were atheists who believed in nothing of the afterlife.
Okay, well maybe they don’t really want to live forever. Maybe they just want to live as long as possible. That seems reasonable, I guess. Who doesn’t want to live a nice, long life?
Spiritual disorder
I don’t know, I am not so sure their thing is that simple. They seem spiritually disordered, obsessed, neurotic, and unhappy. What’s the deal with these people who are obsessed with life extension?
I can’t say for certain. I don’t know all their life stories or how they got to where they are today. But it’s not too difficult to make some general inferences based on the movement — if that’s what you want to call it — and our current era.
Setting aside all concerns about inflation and the housing market, there are significant numbers of people living very comfortable lives in America. Lives that are far more comfortable than the lives our recent ancestors enjoyed.
There are people with a lot of time on their hands, a lot of money in their wallets, and more often than not no children to take care of. These are the people who want to live forever. Without question, the neurotic obsession of life extension seems to be primarily a quirk of the childless individual with lots of disposable income.
Health monasticism
Instead of diving into adventuring, traveling, or enjoying the finer things in life with all their disposable income, they decide to become health monks.
They swear off everything that might possibly reduce their time on earth. Everything tasty is an enemy. Anything enjoyable is detestable. Every activity that might shave a few minutes off one’s life must go. It’s not worth the risk. They stick to crazed schedules that revolve primarily around exercise. Their sleep is monitored nightly in a manner that would rival the capabilities of the most advanced ICU. Their passion is maximum protection, life extension at all costs.
It sounds terrible. And what’s the point? If you don’t have any kids, why is it that you are so obsessed with living forever? Why exactly do you want to stay here on this earth for as long as humanly possible when everyone you know and love is going to be gone?
Long and empty
There is obviously a spiritual crisis going on. Lack of religiosity. Lack of confidence in the afterlife. That’s another one of the common traits found among the life-extenders; very few seem terribly religious. Most are atheist or agnostic at best. I’m sure there are religious life-extenders here or there. But in general terms, God doesn’t play so much of a role in the life-extension movement.
It makes perfect sense. If this is all there is, you are going to want to extend it as long as humanly — and maybe even inhumanly — possible.
It even comports nicely with the childlessness. You would think the parent would be obsessed with living as long as possible. But that’s not the case. When you have children, there is a story of you here on earth that continues after you are gone. You are doing something deep by having them, something that goes beyond just you and your life.
It sounds strange at first, but parents are more ready for death than the childless individual who is passionate about life-extension.
I have long thought that the great explorers who sailed over the horizon would never have done it if they were atheists who believed in nothing of the afterlife.
In theory, you could make the argument that atheism leads to greater striving in this life because it’s the only one you have. But it just doesn’t seem to be the case at scale. It seems clear that without a faith of something beyond this life or without children to raise, people turn inward and become fearful. They cling to whatever tiny shred of existence they have. They try to live forever.
Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you are not going to live forever.
The information
You are going to die. I am going to die. We’re all going to die. We will be put in the ground and rest in peace. Nothing we can do will avoid that fate.
We can try to eat decent food and limit what we drink. We can do our best to avoid killing ourselves in some stupid accident. And we can can try to follow our doctor’s suggestions so that we can live well for as long as we are given here on earth. But we are not going to live forever.
The animating spirit of the obsessive and neurotic life-extender is ultimately one of cowering fear. In truth, that’s their greatest sin.
The life-extension thing isn’t associated with more vital life. It doesn’t exhibit a zest of living. It’s more akin to keeping toys in their packages, collecting dust on a tall shelf, just so you can possibly sell them for a small profit one day. Preservation for nothing.
It’s not healthy no matter what they say. And the truth is, it’s death that gives our life meaning. There is no art without death. Without mortality, there can be no great expression of the human heart. Death makes life meaningful.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to a simple question. What’s the point of living forever if you are too afraid to really live right now?
O.w. root, Lifestyle, Life extension, Byran johnson, Health, Men’s style