As living conditions get better and better, people's pursuit of longevity is getting higher and higher. Judging from the average life expectancy of the world's population, human life expectancy has been greatly improved.
Among them, Japan, as the country with the longest life expectancy in the world, maintains an average life expectancy of 80.5 years for men and 86.8 years for women, and the average life expectancy of the national population is 83.7 years.
Because of this, the "world's longest-lived old man" appeared in Japan, and she is 119-year-old Tanaka Riko.
Born in 1903, she is a truly long-lived and legendary old man.
As can be seen from Ritsuko Tanaka's profile, she lived through the five eras of Meiji, Taisho, Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa in Japan, and both world wars were encountered by her.
Some people will wonder: why did Ritsuko Tanaka live in such turbulent times and live so long? Definitely very good physical fitness.
In fact, Tanaka Riko's lifelong physique is really nothing to show off, because like all ordinary people, she has experienced a lot of pain, even blows.
As early as the age of 45, Ritsuko Tanaka was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
At that time, doctors directly asserted: eat something when you want, time is running out.
But no one expected that Tanaka Lizi magically escaped the "pursuit" of fate and finally got better completely. This is estimated to be incomprehensible to the outside world, so is it true that Heaven is also especially kind to her?
However, later Ritsuko Tanaka developed colorectal cancer.
Surgery, chemotherapy, all kinds of means are used. The result was once again surprising, and she actually escaped another disaster.
In addition to these two fatal cancers, what gallstones, headaches and brain fever and other diseases, it is not a lot.
Put it this way, Ritsuko Tanaka's physical fitness is no different from that of ordinary people.
Even, Riko Tanaka lost her young daughter in her youth, and witnessed the death of her son in her later years. In this life, it was a very wonderful walk, just like the name of the book she published: there are flowers and storms.
Ritsuko Tanaka has one of her biggest wishes, which is to live to be 120 years old.
Therefore, her famous saying is: "Don't give up on yourself, but try desperately to live." ”
Unfortunately, Riko Tanaka was disappointed, because on the 19th of last month, she completed her life at the age of 119 and 107 days.
As for why Ritsuko Tanaka died, the Japanese side has not yet given an answer.
The mystery of the cause of death is the end of Riko Tanaka, but for the 119-year-old, it should be acceptable for whatever reason, right?
Of course, once Riko Tanaka dies, the title of "the world's longest-lived old man" does not belong to Japan.
In France, a nun named Lucille Landon took over the honor because she was less than a year younger.
Born in 1904, Lucille Landon also lived through some of the world's most turbulent times, and it is a miracle in itself that she has survived to this day. So, as soon as Tanaka died, Guinness World Records published a post announcing that she had become the "longest-lived old man."
During the long years of Lucille's life, being a nun was certainly a very legendary affair.
At first, she worked as a housewife, but in 1936 she joined the Catholic Church.
After becoming a nun, Lucille was a missionary in a hospital in the central French city of Vichy, where she did not really move to a nursing home until her retirement in 1975.
So in such a long life, has Lucille ever experienced a catastrophe? The answer is the same: it was also on the brink of death.
For example, in 1918, when the Spanish flu broke out, everyone was at risk during those years. As a teenager, Lucille was really lucky to have escaped this disaster.
In 2019, when the new crown epidemic broke out, Lucille once again faced this global disaster epidemic.
At that time, 10 elderly people in the same nursing home as her died of illness.
In 2021, last year, Lucille was also infected. But she was not loved by the epidemic at all, only a little symptom, and soon got better.
When asked how she felt about the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, "I'm not afraid of COVID-19 because I'm not afraid of death."
How could an old man who had lived through the rule of 18 presidents be afraid of death?
Of course, Lucille has also experienced the death of relatives, such as her brother, who died as early as she was very young.
When the people around her slowly leave, it is impossible for her heart not to be stimulated and affected.
Moreover, Lucille has no advantage over Tanaka's physical health, because her eyesight has been declining since 2010. Now, her vision is close to blindness.
Probably because of this, Lucille has never been very light on death. Instead of praying for a long life, she wished she had died sooner.
On her birthday this year, Lucille received a handwritten letter from President Emmanuel Macron.
When asked what she was planning for this year, she said, "I'm not going to be here next year anyway." ”
This is not optimistic at all, but it is obviously the most optimistic psychology, and looking down on life and death is itself a secret of longevity, right? Lucille often puts this sentence on her lips: "I think I can live better in heaven, but the merciful God does not want me to go..."
You see, Lucille and Ritsuko Tanaka's pursuits are completely different, but they have reached the same level: they have lived an absolutely long life.
Does this mean that true longevity does not depend on what you experience or what kind of thoughts you have, but rather that it is the most favorable conditions to move forward psychologically.
Because whether it is Tanaka Or Lucille, they do not emphasize the strict self-discipline in life, what fitness, diet, that is the conditional rich people pay attention to things.
Characters like them who have experienced world wars are not too particular about material things, and fitness is not as practical as physical labor in reality.
Riko Tanaka usually eats three meals a day, which is ordinary.
And Lucille is the same, the daily normal, ordinary three meals are very real. But they all have a hobby, and that is that they like to eat some sweets.
Ritsuko Tanaka likes to eat cakes, drink canned coffee, and even drink drinks, especially Coke.
Lucille, on the other hand, likes to eat chocolate, then a glass of wine a day, and when she is happy, she will drink some whiskey, or brandy.
You see, what is the secret to longevity?
It is nothing more than a normal three meals a day, plus a small preference that makes you like and be happy.
To put it bluntly, if you want to live a long life, you have to let go of too many worries, too many ideas. Simplifying your life and filling your heart with peace is enough to put you on the path to longevity.