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title: Is It Possible to Live Forever? How to Live a Long, Healthy Life
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# Is It Possible to Live Forever? How to Live a Long, Healthy Life

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## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ

### Definition

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### The seven newsletters

| Newsletter | Covers | Frequency |
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| Metric | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 |
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| Publishing since | 1923 | TIME |

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### FAQ

#### What newsletters does TIME publish?

TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers.

#### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to?

It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters.

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#### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter?

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### Sources

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by 

[Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/)


## Eric Barker


May 22, 2014 4:01 AM UTC

by 

[Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/)


## Eric Barker


May 22, 2014 4:01 AM UTC

So is it possible to live forever?

**The person with the longest confirmed lifespan is** [**Jeanne Clement**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne%5FCalment)**. She lived to be 122 and died in 1997.**

Imagining living that long almost makes your head hurt.

**This lady** [**_met Vincent Van Gogh_**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne%5FCalment#Early%5Flife)**_._** **In person. For real. And was around to see the internet too.**

Imagine your retirement age and middle age being the same thing.

She was still riding her bicycle everywhere until 100\. Lived on her own until 110.

**And there’s pretty much no way you’re gonna live that long.** Drink wheatgrass shots and do yoga until you’re a human pretzel, but nope.


People who live past 95 don’t have healthier habits than you or I do – in fact, Clement [smoked until she was 117](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne%5FCalment#Health%5Fand%5Flifestyle). These people just have [amazing genes](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/08/is-it-lifestyle-or-genetics-that-will-get-you/):

After getting genetic testing done by [23andme](http://bit.ly/1d7P354), I found out I have two [genes](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/09/mutant-powers/)associated with longevity. Hooray for me. But will they get me past 125?

Looks like a big “No.” **Though the average human lifespan keeps going up, the latest research says the limit doesn’t seem to budge at all.**

Matt Ridley, author of [The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006O4227U/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006O4227U&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20), notes recent findings that human lifespan [may have a hard stop around 125:](http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/why-are-there-so-few-people-over-115-years-of-age.aspx)

We might have genetic limits… But what if we can change our genetics?

## Mean Genes

**By manipulating the genes of a worm, Cynthia Kenyon was able to increase its lifespan — by** **_ten times._** 

And she didn’t just add more crappy years at the end. She extended the young, healthy years.

Is this something we can do for humans? One day, possibly. I’d love to see Hallmark cards that say “Happy 800th birthday!”


**But what would that really be like?**

We can’t be sure but look at stories throughout history and, man, trying to live forever never works out well. Try to cheat death and you’ll regret it.

[Dorian Gray](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0084AXZK0/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0084AXZK0&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20), [Gilgamesh](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003P9XHZ8/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003P9XHZ8&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20), [Frankenstein](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0084BN44Q/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0084BN44Q&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20)… Throw in [Blade Runner](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008M4MB8K/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008M4MB8K&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20), too. These arenot success stories.

Via [When I’m 164: The New Science of Radical Life Extension, and What Happens If It Succeeds](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008XB16ME/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008XB16ME&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20):

And outside of fiction, remember that Clement lady I mentioned? Her husband died in 1942… _but she lived another 55 years_.

**In fact, she lived long enough to see her daughter and grandson die before she did.** That’s no fun.

And in our hearts, we all know this. **When you survey people about how long they want to live, what do they say?**

Via [When I’m 164: The New Science of Radical Life Extension, and What Happens If It Succeeds](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008XB16ME/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008XB16ME&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20):

We don’t want to live forever. We want to live a good life. How can we do that?

## What We Can Do

[Louis CK](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/09/how-to-live-a-happy-life/) knows what it’s like to get older:

**Yes, super genetics mean you’ll be around to smoke at 117 — but what about for the rest of us?**

How you feel right now is a [half decent way to determine](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-how-you-feel-right-now-tell-you-how-long) whether you’ll die in the next 30 years.

Aging is inevitable. But when you “_get old_” can vary dramatically.

**After age 40, your chronological age is actually a poor predictor of how “old” you are.**

Via [Counterclockwise: My Year of Hypnosis, Hormones, Dark Chocolate, and Other Adventures in the World of Anti-aging](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AFU623O/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AFU623O&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20):

Be a little vain: People who look young for their age [live longer.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/people-who-look-young-for-their-age-live-long) Making an effort to [look young](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-looking-young-help-you-stay-young) and [act young](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-living-like-youre-young-prevent-aging) can help you stay young.

Older people with [positive perceptions](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/wsjcom-attitudes-toward-aging-can-affect-how) of aging [lived 7.5 years longer](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-your-attitude-on-one-thing-add-years-to-y).

What else can you do to extend your life while improving the quality?

## 

## 1) Relationships Are The Most Important Thing

There is a single question that best predicts whether you’ll be alive at age 80:

**_“Is there someone in your life whom you would feel comfortable phoning at four in the morning to tell your troubles to?”_**


Via [Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439190763/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1439190763):

Cynthia Kenyon admits to dramatically changing her diet due to the results of her research. She now consistently [eats low carb](http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.0020012):

But the results of the [Terman study](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452297702/tag=spacforrent-20) seem to say [you should be a little more concerned about your friends than your body](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/12/have-we-got-it-all-wrong-about-what-it-takes/):

Want to make your life better? This study shows it’s your relationships that can determine whether or not you succeed.

Via [The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study:](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452297702/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20)

The [Grant Study](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A4NF904/tag=spacforrent-20) found that “the capacity to love and be loved was the single strength most clearly associated with subjective well-being at age eighty.”

Via [Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439190763/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1439190763):

The leader of the [study](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A4NF904/tag=spacforrent-20) said the main thing he learned from the research was:

## 2) Be A Good Person

It wasn’t getting help from others that conferred a long life. It was _giving_ help.


Via [The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study:](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452297702/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20)

The good do not die young, as the old saying goes. In fact, they live longer.

Via [The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study:](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452297702/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20)

## 3) Get Your Act Together

Was there a personality trait that was tied to a long, healthy life? Yes. [**Conscientiousness**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/11/personality-trait-determine-future/)**.**

Via [The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452297702/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0452297702)

Truly fascinating: after a heart attack, conscientious people were not only more likely to recover because they were better about taking their meds but **_conscientiousness was a better predictor of improvement than the medication itself_**_._

Conscientious people who took a placebo did better than the less conscientious who got the real medication:

Via [The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452297702/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0452297702)


## 4) Stress Isn’t Always A Bad Thing

Don’t avoid all stress. [You need some stress](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/12/have-we-got-it-all-wrong-about-what-it-takes/). Research shows those who work the hardest live the longest:

[Retirement, on the other hand, will kill you](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2010/03/is-retirement-lethal/). And you need a moderate level of arousal [to perform at your best](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerkes%E2%80%93Dodson%5Flaw):

## 5) Want To Live A Long Time? Make Yourself Happy.

We associate health with having to do things that make us unhappy: don’t eat that, go jogging, etc.

The research shows a fascinating link between what it takes to live a long life and what it takes to have a happy life.

Via [The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study:](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452297702/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20)

For example, those trying to improve their happiness are advised to do the following things:

[Laugh](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-comedy-better-than-vitamins) a [lot](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-laughter-save-your-life?). Be [happy](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-happier-people-live-longer?). Be [optimistic](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-optimism-associated-with-better-health). Have [lots](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-sex-prevent-heart-attacks) [of](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-most-wonderful-way-a-man-might-be-a) [good](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-having-sex-more-effective-than-a-flu-shot) [sex](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-orgasms-make-you-live-longer). Get enough [sleep](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/why-do-some-people-get-sick-so-often-and-othe). Stay [out of debt](https://time.com/nextadvisor/loans/debt-settlement-plans/). [Forgive](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-easiest-thing-you-can-do-to-dramati).

We may not be able to live forever, but we can live well.

**Join 45K+ readers.** Get a free weekly update via email [here](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD).


Related posts:

[What 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/what-10-things-should-you-do-every-day-to-imp/)

[What do people regret the most before they die?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/12/what-do-people-regret-the-most-before-they-di/)

[What five things can make sure you never stop growing and learning?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/11/never-stop-growing-learning/)

_This piece originally appeared on_ [_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/)_._

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