Primage Pillars - #2: Try To Avoid Dying
This is very important
Over the coming weeks, I’m laying out the 10 Primage Pillars as a manifesto for the project and our developing community.
Here’s where to go for the archive so far, if you missed the launch and Pillar #1.
Anyway, let’s get into Pillar #2…
When teacher and engineer Bob Weighton celebrated his 111th birthday as the world’s oldest man, he was asked about the secret to his longevity. He said simply, “I try to avoid dying”.
Typical wry British humour, you might say. But I am an admirer of the bleedin’ obvious, given we do have a natural tendency to overcomplicate things, so let’s explore what’s involved with “avoiding dying”.
Firstly, not all deaths are equal. Some are quite painful. Some are described as “unexpected”. After some, you’ll hear, well, he had a good innings. Others may trigger lengthy court cases and jail sentences.
But one thing characterises all deaths: it’s the end of the road for the dyer.
Neil DeGrasse Tyson was once asked what he thought happens after you die, and he said, everything. Everything that was going to happen anyway will continue to happen. It’s just that you’re no longer involved.
And the essence of Primage is to stay involved, and for as long as possible.
So you can plan your death avoidance strategies with a clear focus, I’ve broken down Demise Triggers into three categories:
1: Illness
2: Injury
3: Avolition
Don’t worry if you haven’t heard that third word before. All will be explained.
Demise Trigger #1: Illness
“Don’t let us get sick”, as Warren Zevon memorably sang. There’s nothing worse than something inside you curtailing your ability to live your life to the full.
Your physical health dictates how you experience the world, and how you’re able to interact with people, places and experiences.
Here are a few ideas that’ll keep you unsick for as long as possible:
Eat properly: this is the biggie. You are literally what you eat. Every cell in your body is built on the cells from the stuff you stuff in your face.
I’m no nutritionist, but I consume best practice from people who are.
BAD - Ultra-Processed Food - don’t eat anything with its picture on the box.
BAD - Too much of one thing - your gut welcomes a wide variety of good food
BAD - Snacking - eating 1-3 times a day gives your digestion time to rest
BAD - Eating late - Many studies suggest a 6-8 hour feeding window is optimal
BAD - Dead animals and their various fluids - OK, I’m a vegan, so I would say that
BAD - Alcohol. Call me a killjoy, but it’s a deadly poison. Practice having fun sober
BAD - Cigarettes…lol, of course. And don’t get me started on vaping.
GOOD - Lots of fruit & veg, preferably organic to avoid pesticides and other junk
GOOD - Rice, pulses, beans, nuts, seeds, grains…mmm, crunchy
GOOD - Stop before you’re full. Portion sizes are way too big in the modern world
GOOD - 3-4 cups of quality coffee each day - it’s a superfood!
GOOD - Plenty of water. Have a jug/bottle on your desk to prompt hydration
Pro Tip - Use the Yuka app to scan barcodes on everything before you buy. It’s a gamechanger.
Move around. A lot.
I’ve had a bunch of PTs over the years, and they all agree on one thing - move your ass.
Some headlines:
Get sweaty. Get out of breath. 3 times a week is just fine.
Lift weights. Resistance training is the king of all physical fitness.
Focus on legs as well as arms and chest. Falling over kills millions of people.
Rest to recover. You’re not training for the Olympics. Unless you literally are.
Sit at your desk in one-hours stints, if you must. Then get up and wiggle around.
Sleep 7-8 hours a night. Calm, deep unbroken shut-eye is the ultimate goal.
Stretch to stay flexible and upright. Poor posture is ugly and dangerous.
You know all that though, right? If you don’t, talk to your AI agent of choice. It’s all out there.
Stay clear of sickly people
This is short and sweet - decline invitations to hang out with anyone coughing and spluttering, or otherwise infectious. Wait till they get better.
Demise Trigger #2: Injury
If you don’t want your loved ones to read words like tragic, freak or fatal in your obituary, it’s a good idea to stay clear of trouble.
Here are some standards I live by:
FIGHTING: Just don’t. The only way to handle physical conflict is to run away, fast. Impromptu aggression in others is so hard to navigate, so just get the hell out of their way.
ALCOHOL: Plunging to your death from a Benidorm balcony is not a good look. You won’t be remembered as a hero, and you’ll miss out on whatever you had planned for the rest of thereafter
TRANSPORT: Not all methods of motion are created equal in the survival stakes. In order of descending safety, commercial air travel is at the top, followed by trains, buses, ferries, cars, cycles and motorbikes. Presumably, hang-gliding and leaping off mountains in wing-suits are unclassified owing to everybody eventually dying if they do those things enough.
POISON: I’ve put this under “injury” as it seems to fit best. To avoid a toxic demise, follow reheating instructions on leftovers. Also, listen carefully to your spouse or partner if they say they wish you were dead. Bit dark, but there are usually clues.
FALLING: The leading cause of injury and death for over 65s is hitting the ground with something other than your two feet. As a dedicated Primager, you’ll want to stay upright, meaning lower body muscle strength is essential (see above), and don’t infest your house with those nasty rugs with curled-up edges.
Demise Trigger #3: Avolition
Here it is. That mysterious new word that makes me look kind of educated. Full disclosure - I only discovered it this week.
It’s definitely a leading cause of death, and something which 111-year old Bob Weighton understood only too well.
Avolition means a lack of interest, purpose and motivation. In its most extreme clinical diagnosis, sufferers state they don’t want to go on living.
Clearly, that’s the polar opposite of how we express ourselves as Primagers, so it’s worth taking a look at some avolition avoidance strategies.
PURPOSE: set goals, be clear on your reason for living, like you always have so far. Purposelessness is a leading cause of old-age decrepitude, and is one of our brand enemies here at Primage HQ.
SOCIALISE: Those lucky old long-lifers in the Blue Zones seem to universally retain strong social bonds. Loneliness and isolation shouldn’t be tolerated in a civilised society, and definitely not in the life of a Primager.
CREATE: Making stuff is so good for your mind. Writing, playing music, building buildings. Just keep doing anything with an end product where you sit back and say, I made that.
CONTRIBUTE: I volunteer for a couple of charities here in Gibraltar, and it’s so good for everyone involved. It keeps me grounded, humble (hate that word, but hey) and helps me realise I’m still useful, and probably always will be.
TEACH: Primagers are, by definition, experienced, wise and simply know things many others don’t yet. Mentoring, particularly young people, is a great way to light the candles in their lives without diminishing yours.
So that’s Pillar #2 of the Primage Project - Try To Avoid Dying.
Can you imagine making it to 112, like dear old Bob did?
I can.
Jonny
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Primage Soundbite Of The Week from Bob Weighton:
“I think laughter is extremely important.
“Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people taking themselves too seriously.”