Stomper, 70, explains why he has ‘no desire’ to live past 100
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A 70-year-old Stomper says he has no desire to live beyond 100 years old, despite suggestions that lifespans could continue increasing in the future.
Writing in response to a Straits Times commentary about preparing for a future where living to 120 could become commonplace, Stomper Francis questioned whether a longer life is necessarily a better one.
“Seriously, would you want to live till 120?” he asked, after reading the May 27 article.
The Stomper said that while medical advances may help people live longer, there are challenges that come with extreme longevity.
“You’d outlive your children, probably your grandchildren. That’s a grief most humans aren’t built to carry,” he said.
“Your body, no matter how well maintained, will have wear. Joints, eyes, ears — something will fail.”
Focusing on quality of life over lifespan
Singapore’s overall life expectancy at birth is 83.5 years, but Francis believes the focus should not be on lifespan alone.
“The real question isn’t ‘80 or 120?’” he said. “It’s ‘What kind of 80 or 120-year-old do I want to be?’”
He added that simply extending life without improving health could mean spending more years coping with conditions such as dementia, arthritis or heart disease.
“A longer life requires significantly more savings,” he said, noting that outliving retirement funds or facing rising healthcare costs could place additional stress on older people.
Francis also reflected on his own ageing.
“If I consider how I was at 40, then 50, then 60 and 70, and compare it to what I may feel like at 75, I can very well project my condition when I reach 80, 85 and possibly 90 and above,” he said.
“But now at 70, the projected runway is short.”
The Stomper said he hopes to live long enough to enjoy life and remain healthy, but not indefinitely.
“I have absolutely no desire to live past 100 or even reach 100,” he said.
“I hope and pray I pass away painlessly and without any fuss, quietly in my sleep, and don’t become a problem for my children and family.”
For Francis, the issue is less about the number of years lived and more about the quality of those years.
“For everything and everyone, there is a season,” he said.
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