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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. eGrC0 [SH
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more -G<$wh9~3
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in 1LTl=tS#
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? Sb=cWn P
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your Xg |_
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it s 2t'jIB
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. gf `uC0
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would 8U8l
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make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to Ol4 )*/oZ
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow Gld|w=qr
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- G
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terms with your passing away. RW!D! ~
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave n>F1G
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you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their $42C4I*E
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine ;eznONNF
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last.
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Robert Rowland Smith ;m{*iKL6{
