And indeed, most surveys show people become happier as they enter old age – probably because we need no longer strive and compete, and have come to accept our lot, whatever it might be, until our bodies become too much of a burden and nuisance and start to dominate our lives to the exclusion of everything else. But despite the evidence in front of our eyes – that our bodies are wearing out, or that they are starting to be invaded by cancer – the wish to go on living remains as intense as ever.
