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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. / Ao.b|mm
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more ju4wU; Nu
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in Mko,((>I1
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? 6Q&i=!fQ
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your RB;2
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it 4{b/Nv :b
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. 0UGAc]!/RZ
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would pK'D( t
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to ha9 d z
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow zm4e+v-
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- Q8h=2YL
terms with your passing away. t+j dV
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave i e7TO{W
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their 3E>]6
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine y5Fgf3P@ju
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. PWfd<Yf!
Robert Rowland Smith ! \5)!B
