Contemporary society experiences unprecedented longevity, a phenomenon that has challenged traditional perceptions of aging and life purpose.
This was the central reflection presented by the historian Leandro Karnal during his participation in the program CNN Vital Signs this Saturday (22).
Karnal highlighted the existence of the so -called “Blue Zones”, regions such as Okinawa Island, Sardenha, Icária Island, Costa Rica and Loma Linda in California, where it is common to find centenary people. The historian has raised a crucial question: “What to do with this life that comes in front of us?”
The subjectivity of time and age
The philosopher Mário Sérgio Cortella, at the age of 71, brought a personal perspective to the debate. He shared that he does not feel as elderly as his father appeared to be before he died at age 61.
“This means that this extension of life, it also happens from a subjective point of view,” said Cortella, noting that the internal perception of vital time also changed.
Karnal, in turn, reflected on how social rules do not always follow this new reality. He mentioned that at age 60 he was entitled to the preferred line, even maintaining an active routine that includes daily races of eight kilometers.
The discussion also addressed how previous generations stared at aging. Karnal recalled his grandmother, who at 45 was already presenting himself as a “matron”, always dressed in black and with a more limited life prospect. This contrast highlights how society has evolved in its understanding and expectations about aging.
Karnal and Cortella’s comments illuminate a significant transformation in society: the extension of life not only in physical terms, but also in the way people perceive themselves and are perceived at different stages of life.
This new longevity has challenges and opportunities, inviting a deep reflection on how to better enjoy the additional years of life that science and social advances have provided us.
