When do you want to die?

[Lallapalalable]

My grandfather is quite old in reference to myself. He was in his thirties when my mother was born, and my parents were about the same age when I was born*, putting him in his eighties now. He's deaf, can hardly walk even with a walker, has lost control over most controllable body functions, and is displaying signs of alzheimer's and dementia. He is no longer able to live alone, and takes more medicine per day than all the drugs Ive ever done. Frankly, I never want to get to this point. Once the mind starts going, I see the quality of life as exponentially deteriorating. If it costs more to keep me alive and going than the average person makes I no longer see my contribution to society, then I have become a burden. True or not, that's how I will feel.

So, I devised a little scale, judged by contemporary average lifespans and the ailments that accompany certain age groups with my genetics: Any time before I am 70, I will not be ready for it, 70-80 I would probably be able to accept it, after 80 I will welcome it, and if I ever hit 90 I will be begging for it.

However, medical advancements at the current pace will probably shift the actual ages by the time I get to them, so I could very well be working yet when Im 76 and not the slightest bit down on my age.


Edit: spelling and grammar mistakes that I am proud of everyone for not pointing out like it mattered.

 

[Anachronous Rex]

I'd be happy to live to several hundred, provided my health held up... that's the real clincher though, isn't it?

I'd say given my family history probably about 90, after which my people seem to suffer some severe quality of life reductions. Although medical advancement in the intervening years may push that back a decade or two, if not more. Wouldn't want to sell myself short, especially as so many brilliant people seem to be working quite hard to keep my ass in good health.

 

[Prolescum]

I think if I reached that level of incapacity, I'd want to have it ended whether by age or plain ol' crappy genes. However, I may not feel the same at that time...

If I may, I'd like to point to a couple of people as examples of octogenarians who still live full, active lives.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Forsyth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Elizabeth_II

 

[Thomas Doubting]

There are people who are fitter in their 90s than others are in their 60s so you can't really generalize that..
What i like to remember is something i read about the eskimos, not sure if that is still tradition.. when seniors get too to be of any use and to really enjoy their life old, they are being brought to a water hole, get some fur and something to eat and whatever they need to be comfortable for a while, then they wait for a bear to pass by and feast on them, that way their existence is ended "naturally", they give something back to nature and don't extend their life "unnecessarily".

Not sure how i could arrange something like that for myself, but i really like the idea of me making my existence valuable for a last time before before or in death.. instead of being stuck in a bed humiliating myself over and over again and being a burden to society and my closest ones..
But who knows, maybe i get lucky enough to get shot by some religious extremist or hit by a car (again) before i have to think about that much more :lol:

 

[Lallapalalable]

I'd be happy to live to several hundred, provided my health held up... that's the real clincher though, isn't it?

Exactly. Hell, if I ever freed a genie my first wish would be immortality. However, for the time being I know I am going to die someday, and I dont want my last days to be spent in an infantile state of helplessness.

 

[Thomas Doubting]

Exactly. Hell, if I ever freed a genie my first wish would be immortality. However, for the time being I know I am going to die someday, and I dont want my last days to be spent in an infantile state of helplessness.

First things first, i would wish for another 1000 wishes :lol: i am sure i would screw the first few (hundred) wishes up, immortality might sound good at first but that alone won't make you happy.. more the complete opposite.
Besides, the nothingness is waiting, the world changes too fast.. i don't think i would enjoy seeing the world in year 3000 if i have to wait for it to happen.. a quick spontaneous look into the future might be interesting though.

 

[kenandkids]

When do you want to die?

When I'm done living...

 

[ImprobableJoe]

...after you.

 

[Lallapalalable]

...after you.

Good luck old man.

 

[kenandkids]

...after you.

I'm pretty ambivalent. My goal is to explore and know everything before I die. Since I know that isn't possible, I'll settle for whatever I can know and explore before I die. Tomorrow or one hundred years from now, my goal will be incomplete. I won't seek death, but hey... if it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen.

 

[televator]

As much as I'd like to stick around and see how the human races progresses, I'd like to die before it becomes too painful, agonizing, and undignified to stay alive. Fuck if wanna end up medicated out of my mind and unable to wipe my own ass....no offense to anyone here I hope.

 

[)O( Hytegia )O(]

Timeframe be damned.

Live while you live, then die and be done with it.
If I can die knowing that I did everything I could to help everyone I could, and lived a life worth living, then that's all I need.

 

[Andiferous]

Before or immediately after I get really sick. Enough said.

 

[Pulsar]

On June 11, 2077.
I'll have turned 100 the day before, and I'm planning one hell of a party!

 

[impiku]

When I'm fucking sad, which is now.

 

[Andiferous]

Just try to remember that it isn't terminal.

 

[Thomas Doubting]

Just try to remember that it isn't terminal.

guess you are talking about being sad.. because.. well death sure is 0_o

 

[Andiferous]

Of course it is, but not necessarily to the dead person. :/

I speak of depression not being permanent or terminal.

 

[Thomas Doubting]

Of course it is, but not necessarily to the dead person. :/

I speak of depression not being permanent or terminal.

Heh, of course you do! That was just a pathetic attempt to be funny, sorry, the kitty could use some cheering up apparently but not sure if such a topic is the right place for that.

 

[Andiferous]