I think there is also an assumption (which may be disproved in the next few decades) that chronic illnesses will be cured or treatable before aging is cured or treatable. Life without the damage of aging has been such a fantasy for so long (for as long as people have been aware of aging and death, I'm sure) that it's a little weird to know that not only might it happen, and not only might it happen in some of our lifetimes, but it might happen before we've cured everything else.
But I imagine that suicide durring the long stretches of life would be frowned upon as an inability to
I hope not. And I think it is going to (have to) be a large area of research in the coming decades. Some of us are going to have big problems adjusting to longer lifespans when it happens, and some of us are going to have a terrible time with survivor guilt. I think it's important to get out ahead of it and make sure 1.) people have freedom to choose, and 2.) people have a way of evaluating and communicating that they really are fulfilled and ready to end it, and not just going through a down cycle. (A friend thinks we can develop a "stasis" where people can opt out for a period of time and then wake up to learn all about the new world that has developed.)