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Unit9HowtoGrowOldBertrandA.Russell1.Inspiteofthetitle,thisarticlewillreallybeonhownottogrowold,which,atmytimeoflife,isamuchmoreimportantsubject.Myfirstadvicewouldbe,tochooseyourancestorscarefully.Althoughbothmyparentsdiedyoung,Ihavedonewellinthisrespectasregardsmyotherancestors.Mymaternalgrandfather,itistrue,wascutoffintheflowerofhisyouthattheageofsixty-seven,butmyotherthreegrandparentsalllivedtobeovereighty.OfremoterancestorsIcanonlydiscoveronewhodidnotlivetoagreatage,andhediedofadiseasewhichisnowrare,namely,havinghisheadcutoff.Agreat-grandmotherofmine,whowasafriendofGibbon,livedtotheageofninety-two,andtoherlastdayremainedaterrortoallherdescendants.Mymaternalgrandmother,afterhavingninechildrenwhosurvived,onewhodiedininfancy,andmanymiscarriages,assoonasshebecameawidowdevotedherselftowomen’shighereducation.ShewasoneofthefoundersofGirtonCollege,andworkedhardatopeningthemedicalprofessiontowomen.SheusedtorelatehowshemetinItalyanelderlygentlemanwhowaslookingverysad.Sheinquiredthecauseofhismelancholyandhesaidthathehadjustpartedfromhistwograndchildren.“Goodgracious,”sheexclaimed,“Ihaveseventy-twograndchildren,andifIweresadeachtimeIpartedfromoneofthem,Ishouldhaveadismalexistence!”“Madresnaturale,”hereplied.Butspeakingasoneoftheseventy-two,Ipreferherrecipe.Aftertheageofeightyshefoundshehadsomedifficultyingettingtosleep,soshehabituallyspentthehoursfrommidnightto3a.m.inreadingpopularscience.Idonotbelievethatsheeverhadtimetonoticethatshewasgrowingold.This,Ithink,istheproperrecipeforremainingyoung.Ifyouhavewideandkeeninterestsandactivitiesinwhichyoucanstillbeeffective,youwillhavenoreasontothinkaboutthemerelystatisticalfactofthenumberofyearsyouhavealreadylived,stilllessoftheprobablebrevityofyourfuture.2.Asregardshealth,IhavenothingusefultosaysinceIhavelittleexperienceofillness.IeatanddrinkwhateverIlike,andsleepwhenIcannotkeepawake.Ineverdoanythingwhateveronthegroundthatitisgoodforhealth,thoughinactualfactthethingsIlikedoingaremostlywholesome.3.Psychologicallytherearetwodangerstobeguardedagainstinoldage.Oneoftheseisundueabsorptioninthepast.Itdoesnotdotoliveinmemories,inregretsforthegoodolddays,orinsadnessaboutfriendswhoaredead.One’sthoughtsmustbedirectedtothefuture,andtothingsaboutwhichthereissomethingtobedone.Thisisnotalwayseasy;one’sownpastisagraduallyincreasingweight.Itiseasytothinktooneselfthatone’semotionsusedtobemorevividthantheyare,andone’smindmorekeen.Ifthisistrueitshouldbeforgotten,andifitisforgottenitwillprobablynotbetrue.4.Theotherthingtobeavoidedisclingingtoyouthinthehopeofsuckingvigourfromitsvitality.Whenyourchildrenaregrownuptheywanttolivetheirownlives,andifyoucontinuetobeasinterestedinthemasyouwerewhentheywereyoung,youarelikelytobecomeaburdentothem,unlesstheyareunusuallycallous.Idonotmeanthatoneshouldbewithoutinterestinthem,butone’sinterestshouldbecontemplativeand,ifpossible,philanthropic,butnotundulyemotional.Animalsbecomeindifferenttotheiryoungassoonastheiryoungcanlookafterthemselves,buthumanbeings,owingtothelengthofinfancy,findthisdifficult.5.Ithinkthatasuccessfuloldageiseasiestforthosewhohavestrongimpersonalinterestsinvolvingappropriateactivities.Itisinthisspherethatlongexperienceisreallyfruitful,anditisinthisspherethatthewisdombornofexperiencecanbeexercisedwithoutbeingoppressive.Itisnousetellinggrown-upchildrennottomakemistakes,bothbecausetheywillnotbelieveyou,andbecausemistakesareanessentialpartofeducation.Butifyouareoneofthosewhoareincapableofimpersonalinterests,youmayfindthatyourlifewillbeemptyunlessyouconcernyourselfwithyourchildrenandgrandchildren.Inthatcaseyoumustrealisethatwhileyoucanstillrenderthemmaterialservices,suchasgivingthemanallowanceorknittingthemjumpers,youmustnotexpectthattheywillenjoyyourcompany.6.Someoldpeopleareoppressedbythefearofdeath.Intheyoungthereisajustificationforthisfeeling.Youngmenwhohavereasontofearthattheywillbekilledinbattlemayjustifiablyfeelbitterinthethoughtthattheyhavebeencheatedofthebestthingsthatlifehastooffer.Butinanoldmanwhohasknownhumanjoysandsorrows,andhasachievedwhateverworkitwasinhimtodo,thefearofdeathissomewhatabjectandignoble.Thebestwaytoovercomeit—soatleastitseemstome—istomakeyourinterestsgraduallywiderandmoreimpersonal,untilbitbybitthewallsoftheegorecede,andyourlifebecomesincreasinglymergedintheuniversallife.Anindividualhumanexistenceshouldbelikeariver—smallatfirst,narrowlycontainedwithinitsbanks,andrushingpassionatelypastrocksandoverwaterfalls.Graduallytherivergrowswider,thebanksrecede,thewatersflowmorequietly,andintheend,withoutanyvisiblebreak,theybecomemergedinthesea,andpainlesslylosetheirindividualbeing.Themanwho,inoldage,canseehislifeinthisway,willnotsufferfromthefearofdeath,sincethethingshecaresforwillcontinue.Andif,withthedecayofvitality,wearinessincreases,thethoughtofrestwillnotbeunwelcome.Ishouldwishtodiewhilestillatwork,knowingthatotherswillcarryonwhatIcannolongerdo,andcontentinthethoughtthatwhatwaspossiblehasbeendone.1.与本文的标题相反，本文真正要谈的是如何才能不老，在我这个年纪，这才是更为重要的主题。我的第一条忠告是，选准了祖先再投胎。尽管我双亲都是英年早逝，我选择的其他祖先还是不错的。诚然，我的外祖父在67岁正值盛年的时候去世，但另外3位祖辈都活到了80多岁。更前的