S. Jay Olshansky Quotes

Powerful S. Jay Olshansky for Daily Growth

About S. Jay Olshansky

S. Jay Olshansky, born on August 13, 1954, is an American professor of anthropology and human aging at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. Known for his groundbreaking research in longevity and life extension, he has become a prominent voice in gerontology and bioethics. Born in New York City, Olshansky grew up with an early interest in natural history, sparked by visits to the American Museum of Natural History. This fascination led him to study biology at Queens College, City University of New York, where he earned his B.S. degree in 1976. He furthered his studies at Columbia University, earning a Ph.D. in anthropology in 1981. Olshansky's professional journey began at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he worked as an assistant professor of pathobiological sciences until 1987. He then moved to the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where he has been ever since. His most notable work is the "Denver Statement," published in 1994 with a team of scientists, which proposed that human beings can realistically expect to live to 120 years of age. In 2003, he co-authored "The Longevity Genes" with Bruce Carnes, delving into the genetics of aging. His latest book, "The Quest for Immortality: Science at the Frontier of Time," explores the history and future of life extension research. Olshansky's work has been influential in shaping our understanding of human longevity and the potential for extending the human lifespan through scientific advancements. His innovative research continues to challenge conventional wisdom about aging and spark discussions on bioethics, particularly concerning the pursuit of immortality.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come."

This quote suggests that death is not an annihilation or extinction, but rather a transition from one phase of existence to another. It implies that just as the day breaks when the night ends, so does life continue beyond physical death into a new, spiritual dawn. Essentially, it's saying that death is not the end; it's merely the conclusion of our earthly journey.


"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age."

This quote by S. Jay Olshansky suggests that maintaining a youthful spirit involves living an honest life, savoring the experience of eating, and being discreet about one's actual age to maintain a sense of vitality and freshness in social settings. In essence, it implies that by embracing truth, mindfulness, and a touch of playfulness, one can preserve a youthful outlook on life.


"To be 70 years young is sometimes far more comfortable than being 40 years old."

The quote suggests that reaching the age of 70 can bring a sense of comfort, possibly due to wisdom gained over time or the maturity and acceptance that come with aging. This might contrast with the potential stresses, uncertainties, or pressures often associated with being in one's 40s. It implies that an older age can be perceived as advantageous or more fulfilling compared to a seemingly challenging middle age.


"Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from the effects of aging."

The quote suggests that the emotional experience of love can help mitigate the negative impacts of aging. While age may weaken one's physical condition, love can provide emotional support and resilience that can potentially lessen the harsh effects of aging on a person's psyche or well-being. In essence, love acts as a protective factor against the deteriorating effects of time on a person's emotional health.


"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon."

The quote suggests that people might live longer if healthy foods like green vegetables had a taste or aroma similar to that of indulgent, unhealthy foods such as bacon. It humorously highlights the challenge many people face in maintaining a balanced diet due to the perceived pleasure associated with less nutritious options. In essence, it underscores the importance of making healthy choices enjoyable while also acknowledging that taste can significantly impact our food choices and lifestyles.


Growing new limbs, copying internal organs like a Xerox machine, exponential increases in computing power, better eyes and ears - I could read stories like this endlessly.

- S. Jay Olshansky

New, Endlessly, Limbs, Exponential

We have grown accustomed to the wonders of clean water, indoor plumbing, laser surgery, genetic engineering, artificial joints, replacement body parts, and the much longer lives that accompany them. Yet we should remember that the vast majority of humans ever born died before the age of 10 from an infectious disease.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Before, Joints, Infectious, Accompany

The last thing you ever want to do is extend the period of frailty and disability and make people unhealthy for a longer time period. So lifespan extension in and of itself should not be the goal of medicine, nor should it be the goal of public health, nor should it be the goal of aging science.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Disability, Extension, Nor, Extend

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

Life, Longer, Period, Extend

Reducing caloric intake is the only proven method of extending life. If caloric intake is reduced to 20 percent below maintenance, you can extend your lifespan considerably.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Method, Below, Considerably, Extend

Older people may have always existed throughout history, but they were rare.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Always, May, Were, Older People

The field of ageing research is full of characters. We have hucksters claiming that cures for ageing can be bought and sold; prophetic seers, their hands extended for money, warning that immortality is nigh; and would-be Nobelists working methodically in laboratories in search of a pill to slow ageing.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Hands, Immortality, Cures, Claiming

The fact is that nothing in gerontology even comes close to fulfilling the promise of dramatically extended lifespan, in spite of bold claims to the contrary that by now should sound familiar.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Fact, Sound, Nothing, Claims

Once you avoid the things that accelerate aging like smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, and excessive sun exposure, you've done about as much as you can to influence your aging process.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Alcohol, Process, Like, Consumption

Physical immortality is seductive. The ancient Hindus sought it; the Greek physician Galen from the 2nd Century A.D. and the Arabic philosopher/physician Avicenna from the 11th Century A.D. believed in it.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Immortality, Greek, Sought, Hindus

The only control we have over the duration of our life is to shorten it, and we do that all the time.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Over, Only, Shorten, Duration

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 days, and we humans have 29,000 days. Recognizing that the duration is limited, and aging is inevitable, focus the attention on enhancing the quality of the days you have.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Focus, Recognizing, Our, Duration

If you can slow the biological process of aging, even a minor slowdown in the rate at which we age yields improvements in virtually every condition of frailty and disability and mortality that we see at later ages.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Process, Which, Minor, Frailty

Someone will eventually succeed in this hunt for a longevity pill, and when they do, one of the greatest advances in the history of medicine will have been achieved.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Will, Been, Hunt, Longevity

The vast majority of studies say anti-aging supplements don't work.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Work, Studies, Vast Majority, Supplements

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 adopting harmful behavioral habits that shorten their life.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Medical, Habits, Sure, Harmful

Ageing is very rare. We only see it in humans and laboratory animals and in zoo animals and in our pets. Basically, organisms that are protected from the external world. Once you create that protection, you live long enough to see ageing.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Protection, Very, Pets, External

Researchers have been looking for biomarkers of age for a long time and have failed. People sell tests out there to measure your biological age, and none of them work. There's no evidence that you can measure biological age with any reliability.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Evidence, Been, Researchers, Biological

There is no empirical evidence to suggest that ageing in humans has been modified by any means, nor is there evidence that it is even possible to measure biological age. And nothing has been demonstrated to be true when it comes to anti-ageing medicines.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Been, Ageing, Means, Biological

Exercise is roughly equivalent to an oil lube and a filter for a car. You don't have to do it, but when you do, it makes the car run a lot better.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Exercise, Makes, Equivalent, Filter

The bodies we have are not made for extended use. We must cope with accumulated DNA damage, cell damage, muscle atrophy, bone loss, decreased muscle mass, and joints worn out from overuse during a lifetime of bipedal locomotion. It might have worked great for prehistoric humans, but it wreaks havoc on our knees and hips.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Use, Damage, Bodies, Cope

Exercise is roughly the only equivalent of a fountain of youth that exists today, and it's free to everyone.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Fountain, Equivalent, Roughly

In Genesis 6:3, it says man can live to be 120, but there is no scientific basis for it.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Man, Scientific, Basis, Genesis

While eliminating smallpox and curtailing cholera added decades of life to vast populations, cures for the chronic diseases of old age cannot have the same effect on life expectancy. A cure for cancer would be miraculous and welcome, but it would lead to only a three-year increase in life expectancy at birth.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Cure, Cures, Added, Chronic

In the developed world, we live 30 years longer, on average, than our ancestors born a century ago, but the price we pay for those added years is the rise of chronic diseases.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Born, Average, Added, Chronic

Fixing obesity is going to require a change in our modern relationship with food. I'm hopeful that we begin to see a turnaround in this childhood obesity epidemic.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Childhood, Going, Fixing, Turnaround

Our concepts of aging really should be blurring because there are plenty of people who make it to older ages who aren't really any different in many ways than people who are decades younger.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Younger, Plenty, Many, Decades

Do we really want to continue to push out the envelope of survival only to see other things crop up that we may not like?

- S. Jay Olshansky

Other, Like, May, Envelope

Find a way to get a full-body massage every day.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Every Day, Find, Get, Massage

Once DNA acquires the ability to persist forever, the carriers become disposable. Essentially, our bodies are designed to last long enough to reproduce.

- S. Jay Olshansky

Enough, Last, Bodies, Reproduce

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