Opinion The secret to a long life? Those who lived one can’t tell you

Age, the ageing often say, is just a number. It is, perhaps, a form of consolation, this self-affirmation, as the inevitable ravages of life and time make their mark, and muscles, bones and even the mind begin to show signs of wear and tear. Maria Branyas Morera, at the age of 117, was the oldest person in the world till she died peacefully in her sleep last week in Spain. She had lived through two major pandemics — the Spanish Flu and Covid-19 — and witnessed two World Wars. And to everyone curious about the secret to her long life, she had told the Guinness Book of World Records, “order, tranquility, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity and staying away from toxic people”.

Self-preservation and a fear of death, ageing and irrelevance are perhaps at the core of complex living organisms. And while there is much to cherish and learn from the wisdom of elders, especially supercentenarians like Morera, they do not hold the secret to long life. Simply put, living beyond 110 — especially while retaining a modicum of physical and mental acuity — is so rare that there are no broadly applicable lessons to be drawn from people who cross that milestone. Some smoke, others swear that a glass or two of wine a day has kept them healthy. But there is no scientific evidence, no silver bullet, that guarantees longevity. As Morera herself put it, “I think longevity is also about being lucky.”

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But there is something more important than living long that people can learn from the elderly — living well. In an age where information is unlimited, the thing most people lack is perspective. At a time when the “good life” is so often about consumption and accumulation, envy and anger, the lesson from Maria Branyas Morera’s life is not about getting to 117 — it’s being happy along the way.