Living past 100...

[Sriram]

Hi everyone,

Anyone want to live past 100...?! Here are the rules....

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p07xdbyb/four-japanese-rules-to-live-past-100

Speaking for myself, I don't want to live beyond 80.  Only 13 more years to go. Don't know what will actually happen, of course! 

Cheers.

Sriram

[Harrowby Hall]

Speaking for myself, I don't want to live beyond 80. 

You wait until you get there - you'll think differently.

If you are fit and healthy, and if you are able to afford to live as you wish, why put a limit on your length of life?

For some people 80 is the new 60.

[Roses]

As long as I am healthy mentally and physically, I would like to live as long as possible.

[Outrider]

I can't recall where I read it, but there was an article I saw earlier this year that suggested - in the developed world, at least - that although we were incrementally increasing the average lifespan still, we hadn't significantly improved the age at which we become infirm for the last twenty years, resulting in people spending longer in care and dependency before they die.

I won't know for sure until I get there, really, I think it's one of those areas in life where the reality of it being actually there probably alters your thinking but from where I sit now:  I don't think I want to spend years being spoon-fed and cleaned up, that's not a dignified or rewarding life.  I know that not all care is that extreme, but I'm also not sure at what point the lack of self-dependency would become an issue.

O.

[Nearly Sane]

As the multitude that is me, I am aware that some of the constituent parts of me think that at some stage they will reach a point where George Sanders suicide note will apply:


'Dear World, I am leaving because I am bored. I feel I have lived long enough. I am leaving you with your worries in this sweet cesspool. Good luck.'

[ekim]

...... or perhaps your boredom will resolved by spending your years along the lines of 'Elizabeth is Missing'. 

[Nearly Sane]

...... or perhaps your boredom will resolved by spending your years along the lines of 'Elizabeth is Missing'.

My father spent the last two years of his life slowly dissolving as we watched. Once in a lucid time he wrote a scrawled note to my mother on a piece of paper ripped from medication he was on to help deal with some of the affects of the strokes that were exacerbating his dementia. In it he asked for forgiveness for what he was doing when he was not lucid, he had some perception of it as through a glass, darkly. When he died, it was a relief for everyone. I think in part Sanders boredom was the thought of that slow dissolution.

[Udayana]

Whatever anyone, healthy or not, might want, there is no right of choice in how to go in most countries.

People should be demanding such a right.

[ekim]

My father spent the last two years of his life slowly dissolving as we watched. Once in a lucid time he wrote a scrawled note to my mother on a piece of paper ripped from medication he was on to help deal with some of the affects of the strokes that were exacerbating his dementia. In it he asked for forgiveness for what he was doing when he was not lucid, he had some perception of it as through a glass, darkly. When he died, it was a relief for everyone. I think in part Sanders boredom was the thought of that slow dissolution.

Yes, this seems to be an increasingly familiar story.  I suppose that in the past, before the vast closures of mental hospitals,  there was less publicity of such end of life stories.

[Nearly Sane]

Yes, this seems to be an increasingly familiar story.  I suppose that in the past, before the vast closures of mental hospitals,  there was less publicity of such end of life stories.

I think it's more that people live longer, I doubt that my father would have been in a mental asylum in the past as he wouldn't have been seen as a danger to himself.

[Steve H]

The Bible says that the normal life-span is 70, or 80 if you're lucky, and that hasn't really changed since.

[Nearly Sane]

The Bible says that the normal life-span is 70, or 80 if you're lucky, and that hasn't really changed since.

That's not life expectancy though

[Roses]

A French woman is the oldest person whose age can be verified, she was 122 when she died.

[Steve H]

That's not life expectancy though

Life expectancy figures can be very misleading. If they are based on average length of life, the average is pulled down by those who die in infancy and early childhood, which even today in the rich West is a significant factor, since a proportion of children will die early of genetic conditions. If, however, you make it out of your teens, your life expectancy, if you are fit, is much higher. In the past, of course, infant and child mortality was much higher, so when you read, as I have just done having googled, that life expectancy in 1800 was 40, that has to be taken into account. If you were 20 in 1800, and reasonably fit, you could expect to live to a reasonable age. Now, life-expectancy is 77 for men, and 81 for women, but if a man makes it to 77, he is not about to hand in his dinner-pail necessarily: the very fact of having made it to that age is itself a positive factor in weghing up life expectancy, so his life-expectancy then will probably be another few years. (I don't know whether the figures of 77 and 81 for today are adjusted to take account of infant deaths.)

[Outrider]

The Bible says that the normal life-span is 70, or 80 if you're lucky, and that hasn't really changed since.

The Bible also says that grasshoppers have four legs, so.... as a biology text-book it's at least 'questionable'.

O.

[Nearly Sane]

Life expectancy figures can be very misleading. If they are based on average length of life, the average is pulled down by those who die in infancy and early childhood, which even today in the rich West is a significant factor, since a proportion of children will die early of genetic conditions. If, however, you make it out of your teens, your life expectancy, if you are fit, is much higher. In the past, of course, infant and child mortality was much higher, so when you read, as I have just done having googled, that life expectancy in 1800 was 40, that has to be taken into account. If you were 20 in 1800, and reasonably fit, you could expect to live to a reasonable age. Now, life-expectancy is 77 for men, and 81 for women, but if a man makes it to 77, he is not about to hand in his dinner-pail necessarily: the very fact of having made it to that age is itself a positive factor in weghing up life expectancy, so his life-expectancy then will probably be another few years. (I don't know whether the figures of 77 and 81 for today are adjusted to take account of infant deaths.)

Yes, agree with all of this. My point was the three score and ten idea was a sort of maximum rather than an average. Anyway one other thing is the question of quality of life and one stat that's scary is that between 2 constituencies in and around Glasgow, the difference in average expected healthy years for men is 23 years.

[Christine]

My intention is to try to ensure I have enough money to be able to go to Switzerland to die with dignity once life becomes burdensome.  Obviously my plans may be scuppered by another few years of Tory rule, I might have to blow my death-with-dignity-savings on a small loaf before I'm infirm, but that's my goal.  I've thought of other exit strategies in extremis, but of course all of those would possibly affect other people badly.  Age is not relevant to my plans.

 

[Nearly Sane]

A French woman is the oldest person whose age can be verified, she was 122 when she died.

Which was always cited by 1 BBC poster as a reason why the Bible was wrong as it contravened Genesis 6:3 'Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

[Udayana]

Life expectancy figures can be very misleading. If they are based on average length of life, the average is pulled down by those who die in infancy and early childhood, which even today in the rich West is a significant factor, since a proportion of children will die early of genetic conditions. If, however, you make it out of your teens, your life expectancy, if you are fit, is much higher. In the past, of course, infant and child mortality was much higher, so when you read, as I have just done having googled, that life expectancy in 1800 was 40, that has to be taken into account. If you were 20 in 1800, and reasonably fit, you could expect to live to a reasonable age. Now, life-expectancy is 77 for men, and 81 for women, but if a man makes it to 77, he is not about to hand in his dinner-pail necessarily: the very fact of having made it to that age is itself a positive factor in weghing up life expectancy, so his life-expectancy then will probably be another few years. (I don't know whether the figures of 77 and 81 for today are adjusted to take account of infant deaths.)

Those are life-expectancy figure from birth I think. Try http://www.riskprediction.org.uk/index_lifeexp.php
for expectancy from a given age (in the UK).

[Roses]

Which was always cited by 1 BBC poster as a reason why the Bible was wrong as it contravened Genesis 6:3 'Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

Another wrong statement made by the not so good book, many Biblical characters supposedly lived a lot longer, old Methuselah was getting on for 1000 when he popped his clogs, like as if!

[Steve H]

Those are life-expectancy figure from birth I think. Try http://www.riskprediction.org.uk/index_lifeexp.php
for expectancy from a given age (in the UK).

According to that, I casn expect to make it to 84. Sorry, everyone: you'll have to put up with me for another 16 years.

[Nearly Sane]

Another wrong statement made by the not so good book, many Biblical characters supposedly lived a lot longer, old Methuselah was getting on for 1000 when he popped his clogs, like as if!

This proclamation came after all those old geezers

[SusanDoris]

I can assure anyone who's interested that being fit, able to walk without pain, breathe without wheezing,, and able to live independently is absolutely worth aiming for. Start thinking about and doing the correct eating and moving years before.

Don't think that, just because your heart may not want to let you walk briskly, you should stay at home. Get out there and start slowly, taking a few moments rest here and there, and you'll find that you'll become able after a while to keep going for further than you thought. 

Fortunately, I have quite  a few friends locally, and others who live too far away to see more than very occasionally, but I do not want to be the last to go. In view of my heart - the new valve is now six and a half years old - I don't think this will happen, but I'll certainly try to make the most of my time until then.

[Sriram]

You wait until you get there - you'll think differently.

If you are fit and healthy, and if you are able to afford to live as you wish, why put a limit on your length of life?

For some people 80 is the new 60.

The survival instinct will probably keep doing its job even at 80 and beyond.....but lot depends on ones view of life.  If we think of Life as a one time 'gift by chance' we would probably want to live as long as possible and make the most of it. 

But I don't think that way. I am actually waiting to move on to the next stage.  'Been there done that'. I feel quite fulfilled and satisfied. Ready to go any minute. 

I don't want to prolong my life unnecessarily. I have at least half a dozen relatives who are 90 and beyond. All of them are fairly healthy and walking around...but I personally find it pointless.   

80 years should be enough, I think...though what my Higher Self (Unconscious mind..Common Consciousness...Paramatma...whatever) will decide, I have no idea. 

[SusanDoris]

The survival instinct will probably keep doing its job even at 80 and beyond.....but lot depends on ones view of life.  If we think of Life as a one time 'gift by chance' we would probably want to live as long as possible and make the most of it. 

But I don't think that way. I am actually waiting to move on to the next stage. 

every moment spent thinking or believing that there is another life to go to, something where you will be aware etc, is a moment of this life which you could have spent learning a new fact about the brain and how it works, helping the realistic, scientific world to educate believers in mythical, entirely faith beliefs, and to learn that if they understand the difference between fact and not fact, then they will have a far greater appreciation and understanding of the brain they have had since birth and use it in more fulfilling and creative ways.

'Been there done that'. I feel quite fulfilled and satisfied. Ready to go any minute. 

A light-hearted statement and I have a similar outlook and feeling now, but  my acceptance of my going is an understanding that that is the way of life and death and that memory of me will fade into the past as it should.

I don't want to prolong my life unnecessarily. I have at least half a dozen relatives who are 90 and beyond. All of them are fairly healthy and walking around...but I personally find it pointless.   
80 years should be enough, I think...though what my Higher Self (Unconscious mind..Common Consciousness...Paramatma...whatever) will decide, I have no idea.  :-

Well, that's not surprising! There is of course zero evidence for any 'higher self, some sort of 'mind' *out there somewhere* and it is self-delusion to believe there is. Yes, I would not have been annoyed if I had not reached 80 - it is only because of medical knowledge and practice that I have nearly reached 84.