I think they meant eternal life much more in the “I have no mouth, and I must scream” sense. Much has been said and written about the cruelty of immortality, s

I think they meant eternal life much more in the “I have no mouth, and I must scream” sense. Much has been said and written about the cruelty of immortality, since the myth of Sisyphus and probably before. “The Mortal Immortal” is a story about prolonging lifespan but not healthspan, and also not emotional fulfilment in life — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mortal_Immortal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mortal_Immortal. There are also TV shows (“Altered Carbon”, “Black Mirror” USS Callister and other episodes, “Twilight Zone”) and video games (“Nobody Wants to Die”) about it. What your parent comment speaks about (the vanity of endless life) is particularly explored in Bernard Williams’s “The Makropulos Affair”. Endless life could mean no regard for quality of life and endless trivial pursuits.