---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're not trying to make us live forever…"
description: "\"We're not trying to make us live forever; we're not trying to even make us live significantly longer. What we're trying to do is extend the period of h..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/s-jay-olshansky-11747_even_we-re-not-trying-to-make-us-live-forever_294683.jpg"
---

#  We're not trying to make us live forever; we're not trying…

![“We're not trying to make us live forever; we're not trying to even make us live significantly longer. What we're trying to do is extend the period of healthy life.” quote by S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/s-jay-olshansky-11747_even_we-re-not-trying-to-make-us-live-forever_294683.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/s-jay-olshansky-11747_even_we-re-not-trying-to-make-us-live-forever_294683.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/s-jay-olshansky-11747_even_we-re-not-trying-to-make-us-live-forever_294683.jpg)

> “We're not trying to make us live forever; we're not trying to even make us live significantly longer. What we're trying to do is extend the period of healthy life.”

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The goal is to lengthen healthy lifespan, not just total lifespan.

**In simple terms:** Focus on health, not just living longer.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize healthspan.

Themes

health longevity quality of life

Mood

optimistic thoughtful

Type

scientific motivational

When to use this quote

- aging research
- diet
- exercise
- medical policy
- clinical trials

Key Concepts

gerontology public health

Questions to Reflect On

- What habits improve healthspan?
- How can society support healthy aging?

A Different Perspective

Extending healthspan is costly and complex.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Healthy life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Live forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-forever/)

## Related quotes

> [I've been actively trying to extend my reach beyond WWE. I wanted to do some non-action related projects, stuff that will resonate with different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/i-ve-been-actively-trying-to-extend-my-reach-beyond-wwe-i-wanted-to/)

[John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/)

> [There is no failure except in no longer trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-failure-except-in-no-longer-trying/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The big thing for me is no longer is trying to impress people around me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-mcintyre/the-big-thing-for-me-is-no-longer-is-trying-to-impress-people-around/)

[Drew McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-mcintyre/)

> [The last thing you ever want to do is extend the period of frailty and disability and make people unhealthy for a longer time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/the-last-thing-you-ever-want-to-do-is-extend-the-period-of-frailty/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [Reducing caloric intake is the only proven method of extending life. If caloric intake is reduced to 20 percent below maintenance, you can extend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/reducing-caloric-intake-is-the-only-proven-method-of-extending-life/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [I want to have a long, healthy life as opposed to hanging it out there and taking these insane risks, you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-hart/i-want-to-have-a-long-healthy-life-as-opposed-to-hanging-it-out-there/)

[Carey Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-hart/)

> [When we started, I was delivering meals to people in Atlanta. We were a direct-care organization. And it was - people needed meals, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/when-we-started-i-was-delivering-meals-to-people-in-atlanta-we-were-a/)

[Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/)

> [“If we have no form of cognitive learning, our knowledge is empty with the absence of words in our mind for us to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saaif-alam/if-we-have-no-form-of-cognitive-learning-our-knowledge-is-empty-with/)

[Saaif Alam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saaif-alam/)

> [My secret to a long, healthy life is to always keep working. It keeps me busy and happy, and gives me a reason to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-heesters/my-secret-to-a-long-healthy-life-is-to-always-keep-working-it-keeps/)

Johannes Heesters

> [“Stories serve multiple purposes. At a basic level they are great entertainment, which is essential for living a happy and healthy life, but on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-f-wilson/stories-serve-multiple-purposes-at-a-basic-level-they-are-great/)

[Dean F. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-f-wilson/)

> [This is because fear and love are enemies. They come from two opposing kingdoms. Fear comes from the devil, who would like nothing more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-silk/this-is-because-fear-and-love-are-enemies-they-come-from-two-opposing/)

[Danny Silk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-silk/)

> [“Jesus Christ, the holy Saviour is the Great Physician of Souls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/jesus-christ-the-holy-saviour-is-the-great-physician-of-souls/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [The most serious problem facing humankind is climate change. All of these people breathing and burning our atmosphere has led to an extraordinarily dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nye/the-most-serious-problem-facing-humankind-is-climate-change-all-of/)

[Bill Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nye/)

> [History and Biology, not created the premise that friendships are necessary for a satisfying and healthy life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumar-anupam/history-and-biology-not-created-the-premise-that-friendships-are/)

[Kumar Anupam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumar-anupam/)

> [Our children are our future, and we should do everything within our power to protect them and show them how to live a healthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bel-edwards/our-children-are-our-future-and-we-should-do-everything-within-our/)

[John Bel Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bel-edwards/)

## More by S. Jay Olshansky

> [A lifetime of low calories has come naturally to the longest-lived people in the world... in the Japanese archipelago of Okinawa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/a-lifetime-of-low-calories-has-come-naturally-to-the-longest-lived/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [What we know for sure from our work and from others' is that mice have a life span of 1,000 days, dogs have 5,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/what-we-know-for-sure-from-our-work-and-from-others-is-that-mice-have/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [The modern rise of Alzheimer's Disease in the twentieth century is not a sign of failure. It's a sign of success. Success in living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/the-modern-rise-of-alzheimer-s-disease-in-the-twentieth-century-is/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [As soon as a handful of scientists come up with an intervention shown to influence aging in other species, they begin selling it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/as-soon-as-a-handful-of-scientists-come-up-with-an-intervention-shown/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [Reducing caloric intake is the only proven method of extending life. If caloric intake is reduced to 20 percent below maintenance, you can extend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/reducing-caloric-intake-is-the-only-proven-method-of-extending-life/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [I'm not sure the least educated members of the population are missing out on the advances in medical technology as much as they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/i-m-not-sure-the-least-educated-members-of-the-population-are-missing/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [Ageing is very rare. We only see it in humans and laboratory animals and in zoo animals and in our pets. Basically, organisms that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/ageing-is-very-rare-we-only-see-it-in-humans-and-laboratory-animals/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [People pushing the idea that everyone can live to be 100 are perpetuating a myth that goes all the way back to the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/people-pushing-the-idea-that-everyone-can-live-to-be-100-are/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [I have little doubt that gerontologists will eventually find a way to avoid, or more likely, delay, the unpleasantries of extended life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/i-have-little-doubt-that-gerontologists-will-eventually-find-a-way-to/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [Lifespan extension has never really been a goal of aging science, nor should it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/lifespan-extension-has-never-really-been-a-goal-of-aging-science-nor/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [Death is a zero sum game for which there is no cure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/death-is-a-zero-sum-game-for-which-there-is-no-cure/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [The Faustian trade of the 20th century was, we got 30 years of additional life, but in return we got heart disease, cancer, stroke,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/the-faustian-trade-of-the-20th-century-was-we-got-30-years-of/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [As long as humans have existed, we have always desired to live longer. Every society, every religion, every culture. Of course, they all failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/as-long-as-humans-have-existed-we-have-always-desired-to-live-longer/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [Do we really want to continue to push out the envelope of survival only to see other things crop up that we may not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/do-we-really-want-to-continue-to-push-out-the-envelope-of-survival/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

> [When you hit your 40s, you begin to take notice of the effects of aging because people that you know begin to die of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/when-you-hit-your-40s-you-begin-to-take-notice-of-the-effects-of/)

[S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

[Explore all 58 S. Jay Olshansky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/)

## More Even quotes

> [Most of the time, I get around perfectly well on my bike and public transportation, even in spite of the Bay Area's almost comically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/most-of-the-time-i-get-around-perfectly-well-on-my-bike-and-public/)

[Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/)

> [If you're a top 10 guy you should pay a top 10 guy or even a top 5 guy what he deserves, whether it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aljamain-sterling/if-you-re-a-top-10-guy-you-should-pay-a-top-10-guy-or-even-a-top-5/)

[Aljamain Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aljamain-sterling/)

> [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. I've never even thought about having another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/i-guess-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-anything-else-i-ve-never-even/)

[Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/)

> [Even after years of observing, a new picture of Uranus from Keck Observatory can stop me in my tracks and make me say, 'Wow!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-hammel/even-after-years-of-observing-a-new-picture-of-uranus-from-keck/)

[Heidi Hammel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-hammel/)

> [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/)

[Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/)

> [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/)

[Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/)

> [I love writing fiction and can do it anywhere - I once even missed a flight because I was so engrossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prue-leith/i-love-writing-fiction-and-can-do-it-anywhere-i-once-even-missed-a/)

[Prue Leith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prue-leith/)

> [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/)

[Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/)

> [Ninety-eight percent of the things that come out of my mouth are intended to be harmless or even charming. They're not ever intended to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/ninety-eight-percent-of-the-things-that-come-out-of-my-mouth-are/)

[Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/)

> [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/)

[Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/)

> [Like in nature, I like things which are based on a few simple principles, even though their manifestation can be very rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabiola-gianotti/like-in-nature-i-like-things-which-are-based-on-a-few-simple/)

[Fabiola Gianotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabiola-gianotti/)

> [You can't even tell, but a lot of the time your favourite rappers are wearing a bunch of fake jewellery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vic-mensa/you-can-t-even-tell-but-a-lot-of-the-time-your-favourite-rappers-are/)

[Vic Mensa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vic-mensa/)

> [Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/inspiration-comes-from-so-many-sources-music-other-fiction-the-non/)

[Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/)

> [I write the way you might arrange flowers. Not every try works, but each one launches another. Every constraint, even dullness, frees up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-powers/i-write-the-way-you-might-arrange-flowers-not-every-try-works-but/)

[Richard Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-powers/)

Browse all 8,987 Even quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We're not trying to make us live forever; we're not trying to even make us live significantly longer. What we're trying to do is extend the period of healthy life.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "S. Jay Olshansky"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/we-re-not-trying-to-make-us-live-forever-we-re-not-trying-to-even/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Even"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/we-re-not-trying-to-make-us-live-forever-we-re-not-trying-to-even/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/s-jay-olshansky-11747_even_we-re-not-trying-to-make-us-live-forever_294683.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/s-jay-olshansky-11747_even_we-re-not-trying-to-make-us-live-forever_294683.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0e/s-jay-olshansky-11747_even_we-re-not-trying-to-make-us-live-forever_294683.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We're not trying to make us live forever; we're not trying to even make us live significantly longer. What…” — S. Jay Olshansky",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "S. Jay Olshansky",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We're not trying to make us...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/we-re-not-trying-to-make-us-live-forever-we-re-not-trying-to-even/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/we-re-not-trying-to-make-us-live-forever-we-re-not-trying-to-even/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
