Just to qualify this question – this is not asking you to live out eternity in a reality of diapers, ill health and dementia but rather living forever in a robust and youthful manner for as long as you desire.
This question was posed to readers of a popular monthly magazine of its global readership and the results were worth a second look. Seventeen nations in total participated in the survey and one hundred fifty people from each country were asked to respond.
Surprisingly most of those questioned seemed fine with having a pre determined expiration date while living here. Even those from younger generations did not choose immortality as a prime objective. More than half of those surveyed who were under age forty five from seven countries including America, said they choose not to live forever. Younger folks in Brazil though had a desire for a longer shelf life. Surprisingly those living in the Philippines wanted to live forever while in China, every older contributor chose not to live on indefinitely.
It would have never occurred to someone that the one country looking positively toward an extended existence would be Brazil of all places. Some seventy two percent of Brazilians want to live on indefinitely, women at sixty six percent while seventy seven percent of men wished for immortality, in that order.
In terms of waning to live forever, the Russians came in last at only thirty six percent craving immortality. When the data was observed in more detail it clearly displayed women with a much less enthusiastic outlook toward endless life spans with a convincing seventy three percent of them saying no to longevity. While only fifty five percent of men given that question answered the same.
When studying the results from each nation the outcome seemed to be consistently similar in many countries. Strangely, the women folk in these countries are pessimistic toward extending life span beyond what is God given far more than men. The countries where the converse was apparent were China, Singapore, Spain, India and Turkey.
An observer of these stats would not be blamed for feeling unsettled by these results. The question of living forever for some reason seems like a no brainer for many. There is some reason for optimism though. Forty percent of the nations surveyed, the inhabitants wanted to live on immortally. This is overall a pretty good number of people. It seems that if the survey were conducted several generations in the past the outcome would have been even more pessimistic.
As time progresses now there seems to be a trend toward immortality and longevity. Simply watching news programs or reading news magazines and dailies would convince one of that with coverage of anti aging services and products, preventative medicine and longevity therapies front and center. It all lends itself to a shift in attitudes toward aging and growing old.
Time may be an enemy in some circumstances but not in this case. As the older population stubborn in its ways and beliefs passes on, new generation with thoughts of immortality replaces it.
The same hold true for the extension of life. Those who hold firm to living a life destined for ill health and eventual death will depart having met their objective and be replaced by likeminded immortalists intent on discovering unending contentment and great health enabling us to do something with our extended existence. Perhaps the survey should be taken once more in a few years time.
Sat, Oct 31, 2009
Immortality, Longevity