h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"A man should be moderately wise, but not overwise, lest he know his fate in advance. The man whose mind is most free of care does not know his fate in advance."

I think that there's a profound truth in that. Prescience would remove from us the need to adapt to unforeseen circumstances, to adapt to sudden change and find new ways of thinking and acting. In facing that challenge lies the secret, I suspect, of a full and satisfying life, even when the thought of such changes ahead is very unsettling.

But we like to have at least some fixed points in life, some waymarks along our path. It used to be the case that pretty well the only things we could be absolutely sure of were death and taxes. Even those would seem to be in a state of flux now. The human genome is mapped and our genetic blueprint beginning to yield its secrets to researchers. Maybe before long we'll all be able to give Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged a run for his money. And Lord Levy, multi-millionaire fundraiser and unelected representative for the Government, has managed to get his annual tax bill down to about five grand. Can't be bad. On that basis, my own tax bill next year should be around the seventy-five quid mark. Excellent.

And yet the more I think about it, the more I find it easier to believe that death will disappear from human experience before taxes. Call me cynical, but there it is. As a constant beacon for life's journey it's not quite the comfort I hoped for, but... well, beggars can't be choosers, now can they?