From Gregory Stock’s The Book of Questions: What do you think would be hardest about living hundreds of years in a youthful state?

Hey everyone, it’s your favorite 150-year-old blogger here. Can you believe I still don’t have a single wrinkle on this baby-smooth face? It’s true – thanks to advanced anti-aging treatments, I’ve been able to maintain a youthful appearance and health for over a century now. Pretty crazy right?

I know many of you are curious about what it’s like to live such an extended lifespan so I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on what has been the most challenging part of living for hundreds of years.

In a word – boredom.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty awesome to be spry and energetic for way longer than the average human lifespan. I’ve been able to pursue so many passions, careers, and relationships that would normally need to be crammed into just a few decades. But after a while, once you’ve traveled the world a dozen times, learned 10 languages, married four wives (just kidding on that last one honey!), you start to run out of new experiences. The world just doesn’t change fast enough to keep life interesting forever.

Everything starts to feel repetitive. You make new friends only to attend their funerals decades later. Fashions and technology you thought were long gone make nostalgic comebacks. You’ve already read every good book, seen every good movie, heard every good song. Been there, done that times infinity.

Don’t even get me started on having to constantly adjust to new slang and youth culture every generation. Let me tell you, nothing makes you feel ancient faster than not understanding the words coming out of a teenager’s mouth. “On fleek”? “GOAT”? Might as well be a foreign language!

So in a nutshell, the biggest challenge of extreme longevity is the boredom that eventually sets in when you’ve basically experienced everything life has to offer. You have to get really creative to keep finding new hobbies, challenges, and sources of meaning.

Of course, I try to focus on the positives. It’s a privilege to live this long and watch history unfold firsthand. And I’ll never tire of spending time with loved ones, even if we’ve heard each other’s stories a million times.

What do you think would be the hardest part about living for hundreds of years? Let me know in the comments! I could use some fresh perspectives.