# Shortening your life for $1 million a year **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2014, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495 "2014-11-13T02:15:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/21 "2014-11-13T11:00:09Z")
Didn’t **Skald** do this a while back? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/22 "2014-11-13T11:04:19Z")
Without knowing what year or years I am losing, this deal is not sufficiently well-defined enough to accept or reject. Specifically, if I decide to take $1 million, does that mean that I: a) Age as I would have otherwise, but drop dead one year earlier? (IOW, if I had been going to live to 94, then I age as I otherwise would have until age 93, then die.) b) Move up the entire aging process by a year? (IOW, when I’m 61, I’ll be like I would have been at 62, when I’m 81, I’ll be like I otherwise would have been at 82, etc.) c) Age slightly more rapidly over the entire period? (IOW, if I would have otherwise died in 33 years, now I’ll die in 32 years, so I’ll age 33/32 faster than I otherwise would have.) or d) Something else? Because if (a), it’s a really good deal AFAIAC, because the end of the aging process sucks; if (b), forget it; if ©, I’d have to think about it, and if (d), who knows? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/23 "2014-11-13T13:34:05Z")
My bucket list is empty and I’m up to my ass in debt. I took 10 years. Settle all the debt, split the rest, get a divorce, spend the last few years travelling. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/24 "2014-11-13T15:46:42Z")
First, I love my life. It’s the only one I get and I only get it as long as I get it. That said, I’d take 10 million and hope that means I die at 70-80. If not, then that sort of sucks, but whatever. I would put that 10 million in trust funds and other financial vehicles for my wife and kids. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/25 "2014-11-13T16:42:22Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > Well, the poll didn’t say you’d lose the LAST year(s) of your life. What if you just skipped forward X number of years and still had the ugly dementia part anyway? Yeah, that’s my concern. Out of the four members of my family who lived past 100, three of them were in full possession of their faculties when they died. Losing any five year stretch out of their lives would be bad enough, but at least we could celebrate that they were healthy up to the end. However, my 100-year old aunt has been suffering from dementia for several years now. It would have been a damn shame to deprive her of five years in the prime of her life and leave her still suffering, only now at age 95. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/26 "2014-11-13T17:13:59Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Without knowing what year or years I am losing, this deal is not sufficiently well-defined enough to accept or reject. > > Specifically, if I decide to take $1 million, does that mean that I: > > a) Age as I would have otherwise, but drop dead one year earlier? (IOW, if I had been going to live to 94, then I age as I otherwise would have until age 93, then die.) > > b) Move up the entire aging process by a year? (IOW, when I’m 61, I’ll be like I would have been at 62, when I’m 81, I’ll be like I otherwise would have been at 82, etc.) > > c) Age slightly more rapidly over the entire period? (IOW, if I would have otherwise died in 33 years, now I’ll die in 32 years, so I’ll age 33/32 faster than I otherwise would have.) > > or > > d) Something else? > > Because if (a), it’s a really good deal AFAIAC, because the end of the aging process sucks; if (b), forget it; if (c), I’d have to think about it, and if (d), who knows? The only change to this I’d make is that if it was c I would probably take it. Somewhere between 3 and 5 million dollars pretax would put me in the position of being able to retire and spend the rest of my life doing what I want rather than working 40+hrs/wk. If I am destined to the typical life span of my family that gives me more time back as my own than I’d lose at the end. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/27 "2014-11-13T17:48:33Z")
By the time most of you reach that age, it will cost a million a year to live in an intensive care nursing home, so one would save a million a year just by dying instead of being kept alive in pain and indignit if not vegetative. Pretty much the same deal. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/28 "2014-11-13T17:57:22Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Didn’t **Skald** do this a while back? Hasn’t he done _everything_ at one time or another? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/29 "2014-11-13T18:03:51Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Didn’t **Skald** do this a while back? Ah! I was wondering where he got all his evil overlord fuding. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/30 "2014-11-13T19:00:35Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Didn’t **Skald** do this a while back? Didn’t **Skald** do a “What if **Skald** did this a while back?” thread a while back? [sub] Damn, confused myself…[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/31 "2014-11-13T19:33:23Z")
> [@The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](#): > > (hours worked and commuted per year)_(years left until retirement) - > (number of millions needed to maintain lifestyle on interest alone, adjusted for age and early death)_(number of hours in a year)\*discounted value of future years > If the value is positive, the person should take the money, because they’ll wind up saving more time than they’ll lose. They’ll also have a sizable inheritance for their heirs. It also doesn’t account for the fact that you’re giving up some nighttime hours for prime daytime hours if you take the money. I suspect most people would wind up saving time by taking the money, unless they were old or extremely wealthy. In my case, I’d save more than a decade of time. The downside is that work provides meaning and people who work are happier than those that don’t, an effect I can’t account for. Yeah, I would have no intention to stop working at any amount of money on this poll. It’s not all roses, but work is a net positive in my life. Even if doing the math said that I didn’t have to work at all, I’d continue on at least part time or part year. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/32 "2014-11-13T19:36:24Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Didn’t **Skald** do a “What if **Skald** did this a while back?” thread a while back? > > [sub] Damn, confused myself…[/sub] No, it was “If you could be Skald doing this . . .” and he promised me tiramisu. I’m still waiting and this apple pie is just not cutting it. The argument that we might, for all we know, have only five years left is to me an even stronger argument for taking the $10M. I picked 7, but that changed my mind.Leaving Celtling behind would be horrid, and I’m sure if I asked her she’d say “I want every minute with Mommy I can get.” But we all now that the truth is the more money I can leave her the better her care and future are going to be. I’ve taught her well, and I’d rather leave her sooner, with the power to take complete control of her life the moment she turns 18. Deciding to forgo the money in order to have more time with her would be the selfish thing to do. It’s what I’d prefer, but it’s not what I’d choose. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/33 "2014-11-13T19:41:20Z")
I wouldn’t shorten my life at all. Let’s just optimistically say I live to be 70 or 75, which may not be guaranteed since I’m tall and we wear out sooner. Heck let’s pretend I only make it to 65. At that time my son will be between 30 and 40. If he’s like me, maybe he gets started having kids late. If I short my life by even a year, who’s to say that’s not the year my first grandchild is born? Can you imagine being diagnosed with a rapidly advancing disease and having 5 months to live…when your grandchild is due in 6 months? And you sold a year of your life? Or 5? Or 10 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/34 "2014-11-13T19:51:00Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Didn’t **Skald** do this a while back? I did the same topic a few years ago. But I can’t find the thread with the search engine acting up. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/35 "2014-11-13T19:51:10Z")
One year for $1 million would suffice for me, but after reading that it’s after-tax, change my vote to 2 years for $2 million. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/36 "2014-11-13T20:23:56Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > I wouldn’t shorten my life at all. Let’s just optimistically say I live to be 70 or 75, which may not be guaranteed since I’m tall and we wear out sooner. Heck let’s pretend I only make it to 65. At that time my son will be between 30 and 40. > > If he’s like me, maybe he gets started having kids late. If I short my life by even a year, who’s to say that’s not the year my first grandchild is born? > > Can you imagine being diagnosed with a rapidly advancing disease and having 5 months to live…when your grandchild is due in 6 months? And you sold a year of your life? Or 5? Or 10 Yeah, but can you also imagine living to 85 and being totally broke, so that you’re stuck living at a nursing home on Medicaid, with a mere $59/month allowance for personal expenses? (Real story for my mother-in-law, who was so set against proper retirement planning that she even turned down an employer-paid life insurance policy because it was of no benefit to her. :smack: ) ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/37 "2014-11-13T20:30:52Z")
Barring radical advances in lifespan extension, I expect to die sometime in the 2060s. I may die earlier, but statistically I have a fairly good chance of making it that long based on genetics and actuarial tables. I’d trade about 5 years. Five million is more than enough for forty or so years of life, and still leave enough to help out family. Losing five years of poor health in exchange for not having to work and commute 2500 hours a year is a no Brainer. I spend almost half my waking hours earning money and will for the next thirty years. Time wise I come out ahead under this deal . I lose 44k hours when I’m decrepit (more like thirty with sleep) but gain over 70k hours when I’m healthy. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/38 "2014-11-13T20:44:18Z")
> [@The\_Joker\_and\_the\_Thief](#): > > (hours worked and commuted per year)_(years left until retirement) - > (number of millions needed to maintain lifestyle on interest alone, adjusted for age and early death)_(number of hours in a year)\*discounted value of future years > If the value is positive, the person should take the money, because they’ll wind up saving more time than they’ll lose. They’ll also have a sizable inheritance for their heirs. It also doesn’t account for the fact that you’re giving up some nighttime hours for prime daytime hours if you take the money. I suspect most people would wind up saving time by taking the money, unless they were old or extremely wealthy. In my case, I’d save more than a decade of time. The downside is that work provides meaning and people who work are happier than those that don’t, an effect I can’t account for. Exactly right. I’m already trading years of my life for money, sitting in a cube or in a car, just to put food on the table and a roof over our heads and clothes for the kids. Another way to put this poll would be: “Would you take an absolutely miserable job that kept you away from your family and friends and everything you loved for a year in exchange for a million dollars?” If you wouldn’t take that deal, why not? I _might_ not take the one year/million dollar job today, because I have young children and the thought of being away from them for a year is horrifying. But soon enough they’ll be grown and out of the house and then what? But of course, this bet is slightly different in that you get paid now, and only have to pay the price at some undetermined future date. A million dollar payout is more than I could realistically make in 10 years of work, plus it’s right now at a time when I could probably spend that time with my young kids (gambling that I’m not dying in the next ten years). We could do a lot together instead of being chained to a boring job. So sign me up for a year. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/39 "2014-11-13T22:25:52Z")
One year is no big deal, really. Just examining the actuarial tables, it means I live to be, say, 83 instead of 84. Big deal. A million dollars completely changes my life from then to now. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495/40 "2014-11-14T00:22:26Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Exactly right. I’m already trading years of my life for money, sitting in a cube or in a car, just to put food on the table and a roof over our heads and clothes for the kids. > > Another way to put this poll would be: “Would you take an absolutely miserable job that kept you away from your family and friends and everything you loved for a year in exchange for a million dollars?” If you wouldn’t take that deal, why not? > > I _might_ not take the one year/million dollar job today, because I have young children and the thought of being away from them for a year is horrifying. But soon enough they’ll be grown and out of the house and then what? But of course, this bet is slightly different in that you get paid now, and only have to pay the price at some undetermined future date. > > A million dollar payout is more than I could realistically make in 10 years of work, plus it’s right now at a time when I could probably spend that time with my young kids (gambling that I’m not dying in the next ten years). We could do a lot together instead of being chained to a boring job. So sign me up for a year. Indeed. If you love your job that is one thing, but most jobs are boring, lonely and stressful. They take you away from family, friends, hobbies, vacations, etc. They force you to live in cities you’d rather not live in. I know if I could I’d live in a different city (but the economy is crap so relocating isn’t easy) and I’m not alone in that. Plus if I had money I could spend a few months in a city I love, then visit family for a month, then go back to my preferred city. With a job I can’t do that. When you factor in time prepping for work, commute, work, lunch hour and decompressing a 40 hour work week easily becomes closer to 60 hours a week or more of work related behaviors. If you get 3 weeks of vacation a year that is almost 3000 hours a year devoted to work related behavior, done when you are still healthy. A year in your 80s (when your health will suck) is only about 5300 hours when you factor in the fact that you sleep 1/3 of the time. For me 5 million, which is about 3 million after taxes, would set me up for life if I only pulled 2% out a year and still leave a lot for descendants. I can easily live on 60k a year net income. I could live on half that if I didn’t want to travel or do vacations and hobbies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortening-your-life-for-1-million-a-year/704495.md?page=3)