Erik: In some ways, we humans are just objects, like houses or cars.
Olga: It’s a bit extreme.
Erik: Well houses get old, develop problems. Electrical appliances conk put, leaks appear, floors rot. After a series of these it becomes too expensive to fix them.
Olga: Yes, like cars. The electricals go, the suspension goes, the transmission. Scrap it.
Erik: Individuals sometimes call time themselves.
Olga: So you're saying scrap someone with too many health issues?
_________
Voice-over
A doctor might gently say to a patient, “Well, we aren’t getting any younger, are we.” Maybe soon an AI app will make the judgement on whether it’s worth intervening. But then, when multiple health issues co-occur, maybe we should remember someone like Henry Kissinger, who at 100 years old, who has difficulty walking, can still deliver sense on how China and the US need to responsibly deal with each other. A life of worth.
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