"As we explored before, if you want to, the odds are excellent that you'll live to see 100. If you're under 40, live in the developed world, have decent genes, take reasonable care of your health, and don't have some unlucky accident, you can probably choose now to be healthy, hale and alert into your 100s (possibly decades longer). Babies born today in wealthy countries may well routinely live to 120, many medical demographers think.

Time magazine has a pretty good article on How to live to be 100, including a much-abbreviated version of the various actuarial quizes out there which claim to predict how long you're likely to live. The complete text should be available online next week." 

[WorldChanging: Another World Is Here - Living to be 100 ... or more]

Could have huge implications of these environmental, technological and genetic changes not just on demographics but also on the very structure of social institutions like marriage, religion, family, community.   On our expectations from relationships and affinities, work, time, money, leisure, recreation and retirement.  On products and services that might address this longer life expectancy. On basic goals and values of love, fidelity, independence, achievement, success, creativity, beauty, pleasure, health, peace and harmony.

I also did the quiz with a little bit of dread - after all i don't live in the 'developed' world.  But was surprised at my life expectancy - a healthy 93.6 years.  I know i am fortunate - and counting my blessings !

It also made me think, at a personal level, of how having the chance to live to that age (if you believe in these things of course) may make a person change expectations, desires and the way they plan their future.  Do we now begin to plan for the next 40 years as opposed to the next 20 years? What paths for happiness and growth may we choose?

Is exciting, challenging and a little scary too when you start building scenarios in your mind ! 

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