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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. yx|iZhK0:}
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more Z4/D 38_
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in VrRF2(Kn?
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? E \/[hT
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your L/
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hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it _$AM =?P &
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. Kb+SssF
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would w|&lRo@1
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to GxzO|vFQ
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow hY
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means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- 2ul
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terms with your passing away. *S*49Hq7c
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave 4ekwmw (ox
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their m)L50ot:/
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine nBk&+SN
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. 4E.9CjN1>
Robert Rowland Smith q~9- A+n
