Bomarc:
Being aware of how many days it takes for my wife and I to recover from a vacation which is only six/seven time zones away (only narrowbody flying with my job), and what guys need who return from days in the Pacific (or India via Europe) you will probably live much longer and better than many pilots who stay many years on widebodies.
I would rather fly many years (and already have) on a two-pilot jet with no automation than fly a 7-12 hour leg for more money. Quite often our enroute times are only 45-60 minutes, whether near unpredictably bad weather or not. Many flights are much shorter. By the way, our 747 FEs have always earned much more than our hardest-working/lowest-paid narrowbody FOs who often fly 5-7 intense legs per duty period in old jets. A number have left the company by choice, or not returned, also by choice.
How can the extra money (sometimes not much more-if at all-flying a typical old DC-8 or DC-10/747...) make up for what peoples' bodies must deal with
?