Thank you for writing this and the extensive discussion. It is sad to see folks succumb to what I would call the “easy niche” allure. That’s a growing niche these days, telling folks stories they’d like to hear ... I could go on about this. Aging is real... talk to serious folks experiencing aging. Can we do better in extending what Sinclair and others call ‘youthspan’? Sure. Real world data suggests there are adaptations to be had... yes, accumulating genetic errors & decay of organ function efficiency are real.
Thank you for the comment Elan! I agree. Sadly people just want to hear about how people are living healthy into old age, and turn away from looking at the suffering going on. So, people like Coughlin with polyannish views on aging are celebrated while those speaking up about all of the suffering and problems of aging are seen as cranky "complainers" and looked down upon, shunned, and ignored.
Great post, Dan! Thanks for taking on Dr. Coughlin. Sadly, he isn't alone. Rahm Emanuel's brother Ezekiel is a self-proclaimed bioethicist who wrote a now-famous article for the Atlantic called "Why I Hope to Die at 75" (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/10/why-i-hope-to-die-at-75/379329/). I thought that article was the pinnacle of irrationality, but Coughlin's bizarre view is a contender. And this view is sadly true of other biomedical fields where problems are hard and people are failing to solve them. This attitude of "don't cure, destigmatize" is also becoming popular in regard to mental diseases and disorders. The biomedical sciences have fared so poorly in treating mental illnesses that it has become trendy to accuse scientists of "medicalizing" mental illness, and to promote destigmatization (rather than cure) of even serious mental dysfunction.
Hey Preston, great to have you here and thank you for the very interesting comments.
Regarding Ezekiel Emanuel, I have no problem with anyone who wishes to forgo longevity treatments. I just ask that they respect the fact that many people do want to live longer and they recognize that longevity biomedicine can massively reduce healthcare expenditures (something Emanuel seems completely blind to). Emanuel has suggested that many people over age 75 have lives that are no longer worth living. I don't think you can get more ageist than that. His outlook is also profoundly pessimistic and cynical. If everyone adopted his attitude medical progress would come screeching to a halt.
You make an excellent point about mental health conditions. When writing this article I was reminded of the "Hearing Voices" movement which basically says "actually having schizophrenia is always perfectly OK for both the individual and society".
Addressing the unfair bias and discrimination and raising awareness about (and addressing) important health issues are not mutually exclusive!
When Emanuel wrote this piece he was 56 yo. The average life expectancy of a 55 yo (LE55) in his demographic (college educated, white, male, etc.), is about another 27 years (about 82 years total). It is especially bizarre to desire to be less than average for the most essential feature and function of a living organism--life itself! Many people live to well over 90, and when these healthy, slowly aging people are 75 yo they are living full and meaningful lives. Hans Bethe was still publishing when he was over 90, and last I heard, Jack Strominger is still running his research lab at Harvard at age 97. Why not aspire to be above average in length of life and fulfillment? One can only conclude that despite his college education, his study of bioethics as a career, and other advantages of his circumstances, Emanuel simply has no idea what he is talking about.
Thank you for writing this and the extensive discussion. It is sad to see folks succumb to what I would call the “easy niche” allure. That’s a growing niche these days, telling folks stories they’d like to hear ... I could go on about this. Aging is real... talk to serious folks experiencing aging. Can we do better in extending what Sinclair and others call ‘youthspan’? Sure. Real world data suggests there are adaptations to be had... yes, accumulating genetic errors & decay of organ function efficiency are real.
Thank you for the comment Elan! I agree. Sadly people just want to hear about how people are living healthy into old age, and turn away from looking at the suffering going on. So, people like Coughlin with polyannish views on aging are celebrated while those speaking up about all of the suffering and problems of aging are seen as cranky "complainers" and looked down upon, shunned, and ignored.
Great post, Dan! Thanks for taking on Dr. Coughlin. Sadly, he isn't alone. Rahm Emanuel's brother Ezekiel is a self-proclaimed bioethicist who wrote a now-famous article for the Atlantic called "Why I Hope to Die at 75" (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/10/why-i-hope-to-die-at-75/379329/). I thought that article was the pinnacle of irrationality, but Coughlin's bizarre view is a contender. And this view is sadly true of other biomedical fields where problems are hard and people are failing to solve them. This attitude of "don't cure, destigmatize" is also becoming popular in regard to mental diseases and disorders. The biomedical sciences have fared so poorly in treating mental illnesses that it has become trendy to accuse scientists of "medicalizing" mental illness, and to promote destigmatization (rather than cure) of even serious mental dysfunction.
Hey Preston, great to have you here and thank you for the very interesting comments.
Regarding Ezekiel Emanuel, I have no problem with anyone who wishes to forgo longevity treatments. I just ask that they respect the fact that many people do want to live longer and they recognize that longevity biomedicine can massively reduce healthcare expenditures (something Emanuel seems completely blind to). Emanuel has suggested that many people over age 75 have lives that are no longer worth living. I don't think you can get more ageist than that. His outlook is also profoundly pessimistic and cynical. If everyone adopted his attitude medical progress would come screeching to a halt.
You make an excellent point about mental health conditions. When writing this article I was reminded of the "Hearing Voices" movement which basically says "actually having schizophrenia is always perfectly OK for both the individual and society".
Addressing the unfair bias and discrimination and raising awareness about (and addressing) important health issues are not mutually exclusive!
When Emanuel wrote this piece he was 56 yo. The average life expectancy of a 55 yo (LE55) in his demographic (college educated, white, male, etc.), is about another 27 years (about 82 years total). It is especially bizarre to desire to be less than average for the most essential feature and function of a living organism--life itself! Many people live to well over 90, and when these healthy, slowly aging people are 75 yo they are living full and meaningful lives. Hans Bethe was still publishing when he was over 90, and last I heard, Jack Strominger is still running his research lab at Harvard at age 97. Why not aspire to be above average in length of life and fulfillment? One can only conclude that despite his college education, his study of bioethics as a career, and other advantages of his circumstances, Emanuel simply has no idea what he is talking about.
Yes, or he's dealing with at least mild mental illness quite frankly.
Aging deniers are as obviously deluded as, for example, climate change deniers, and potentially as dangerous.