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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. tv{.iM|V c
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more (l,o UBRr
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in +Oscy-;
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? _aGdC8 %[
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your ?|/}~ nj7
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it ",+uvJT1O
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. i_@RWka<
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would z~_\onC
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to 5 6R , +sN
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow b(VU{cf2d
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- a]k&$
terms with your passing away. S ] &->5"
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave %!S
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their ^/uGcz|.
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine ig, |3(
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. Y ^G3<.B
Robert Rowland Smith y{sA[ "
