# Speaking of death, how long do you want to live? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 17, 2005, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097 "2005-09-17T08:40:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/21 "2005-09-17T19:08:08Z")
CA : 43. Want to live to 60, or until quality of life degrades too badly. Can’t see making my children forsake their entire lives to keep me barely alive for decades. It’s unfair to their lives and depressing to consider it in my life. So, 60. Or earlier? Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/22 "2005-09-17T19:37:05Z")
CA:37 I’m not fixed on an age I’d like to live to. If I have any control over it I’d like to make a graceful exit while still in control of faculties and functions. I feel as if anything past 70 would be all gravy. If there are going to be grandchildren I’d like to meet them but not become a burden to them. One set of grandparents died suddenly in their late 60s. The suddenness was upsetting, but after that we could all agree that they had lived good and full lives. They were both realatively healthy and active right to the end. The other set both lived into their mid 80s, spending about the last 15 years of their lives in various deegrees of assisted living, or nursing care. Both had a number of chronic conditions, and suffered daily. Much of the worst suffering was caused by medications. (Grandad had horrifying halucinations and was told they were a side affect of the heart medication. Gran had taken some medication years earlier that it turned out affected bone density and was blamed by her doctor for the excruciating and constant pain in her back that she endured for the last years of her life.) One great-grandmother lived to be 85, and showed no signs of slowing down, didn’t even have much grey hair. One evening in church she sat serenely with her eyes closed and passed on without so much as a shudder. If I could write my own death scene it would be like that. (Maybe somewhere less public) There was a cartoon in The New Yorker a couple of years ago showing two senior gentleman on a park bench. The caption was (approximately) “My goal is to die before medical science makes me live to be a hundred and eighteen.” Okay, so we manage everybody’s cholesterol and blood pressure and replace their joints. They’ll all be broke becuase of the spiralling cost of their prescriptions, and cranky because they don’t get to eat ice cream or butter. What’s the point of adding 20 un-fun years to life expectancy? ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/23 "2005-09-17T19:43:36Z")
CA: 44. I figure I’ll make it into my 80s, which would be fine. I want to live long enough to see the grandkids get married and the show finale of _Lost_😉 I don’t want to linger as long as my grandmother did with bad health, either. ---
**Author:** ![theLaughingMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90db22/32.png) [@theLaughingMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theLaughingMan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/24 "2005-09-17T19:45:40Z")
CA: 26 Expected Age: 225 y.o. Desired Age: Aneurysm now please. My life has slowly gotten to the point where I’m no entirely glad to wake up, fate will be cruel and I will live to be 225. Because I don’t want to. Because there have been days where I’ve actively tried not to. Next step: Motorcycle! ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/25 "2005-09-17T20:05:16Z")
Current Age: 40 I want to keep on living for as long as I want to keep on living… or to put it slightly more clearly, as long as life’s worth living. Hopefully 25 to 35 more years anyway. But, you know… I could get hit by a car tomorrow and I would still say that I had a pretty good run. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/26 "2005-09-17T20:44:36Z")
CA: 20 I plan on living forever. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/27 "2005-09-17T20:53:12Z")
CA: 23 I’ve said on occasion that I’d live to 150 if I could enjoy it. I think that’s probably true, it’s hard to know. I don’t have a more specific or realistic answer, other than ‘a good long time,’ because I don’t know how long it’ll take me to do what I want to do or how my health will be. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/28 "2005-09-17T20:58:13Z")
age: 35 I’d like to live at least 200 years more. I think by then I’'ll be ready to start heading for the next stop. ---
**Author:** ![Starlite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Starlite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starlite)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/29 "2005-09-17T22:02:58Z")
CA: 53 DAOD: I cannot assign a number. I’m very much a “quality of life” person and that is not subject to an arbitrary number. I want to go a nanosecond prior to becoming a huge burden on my loved ones. I want to be able to take care of my self totally as long as I am around. If my physical/mental condition is such that I can no longer do that, then it is time for me to go. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/30 "2005-09-17T22:18:43Z")
NV 58 I’ll live until it isn’t fun anymore, thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![gfloyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d2c977/32.png) [@gfloyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gfloyd)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/31 "2005-09-18T02:18:02Z")
CA: 20 Seeing 2100 would be cool, so that 115. I’d take 85 good years, but I’ve given up on planning my future, as it never does what I want, and I’m usually happy that it doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/32 "2005-09-18T02:21:10Z")
CA: 36 EA: Until I figure all this out. Which I guess is pretty much the same as asking to be imortal. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/33 "2005-09-18T02:25:16Z")
Sorry, I’m only 33, not 133. Getting a little ahead of myself. ---
**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:** [September 18, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/34 "2005-09-18T02:27:50Z")
Current age: 43 Desired age: as old as possible. Naturally, I prefer to be sound of mind and body. But even if I’m sick and crippled and senile, I’d still prefer to be alive rather than dead. Something is always better than nothing. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/35 "2005-09-18T04:35:57Z")
82 As I have said before I intend to be the last surviving WWII veteran. All of those silly things that happen to those old people are not in my playbook. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/36 "2005-09-18T04:54:14Z")
Current age: 39 I figure I’ll follow all the other males in the family and kick about 55 or so. I like life and I like my life. I’m not real fond of 80% of the people on this planet however. I figure I’ll be more then ready to switch off in 15-16 years. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/37 "2005-09-18T04:56:27Z")
I turned 44 a month ago. I don’t care if I turn 45. Give me two weeks notice, please, if possible. StG ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/38 "2005-09-18T18:30:38Z")
I thought the _Comte_ would live forever? ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/39 "2005-09-18T19:37:28Z")
CA: 32 I honestly have no desire to go past 50 unless someone reverses the aging process for me. ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097/40 "2005-09-18T21:40:01Z")
I am 42, 43 in December. My heart stopped and I was put on a respirator after an auto accident in 1995. No one did the paperwork and my condition improved. Does that count? My Grandmother turns 83 on Halloween. She retired after 25 years in a textile mill and when Walmart came to town, she was first in line to apply for a job as a greeter, retirement did not suit her. She was upset this Spring when she was cut back to 27 hours per week. Her Mother died at age 95. Longevity runs down that side of my family. My Father died 2 months short of his forty-second birthday, drinking and driving. His Mother died of cirrhosis of the liver (a really ugly way to go). Alcoholism did a number on my Father’s family. I have been sober 18 years. Barring an accident, I expect to live another four decades or so. I hope they are as interesting as the first four decades. I do drive 120+ miles per day, so the odds are against a long life. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-death-how-long-do-you-want-to-live/322097.md?page=3)