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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. DnvJx!#R
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more lc>)7UF
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in ^wPKqu)^
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? v+U (
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Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your @P#uH5U
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it b }S}OW2
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. Q}FD u,
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would 2
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make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to i# $9>X
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow 0* < gGC
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- |={><0
terms with your passing away. + 5H9mk
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave ( mz5vzyw
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their Nr=ud QA{
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine _+g5;S5
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. mt3j- Mw
Robert Rowland Smith }$!bD
