How long would you want to live for?

[Keaveny]

I was recently watching a film on Netflix (Old Guard) where the premise is a group of (almost) immortals go around fighting injustice. One of the themes is that being immortal is a bit of burden because everyone you love dies and you're so lonely. It got me thinking about the length of life.

If everyone around you lived at the same rate you did (so they didn't all die before you) and you had the same proportion of your life in good health as we do now, how long would you want to live for?

In this hypothetical scenario, I'd think I'd be quite happy living for hundreds of years. There are always new things to learn and to see and visit. Or do you think after 100 years, you'd get bored of life?

I appreciate this is all slightly hypothetical, but it's a Sunday afternoon, and it got me thinking.

It would be great to live for a very long time, but only if you kept the strength and vitality of youth, so I would say you would need to be stuck at around age 35 max. Even in our short life spans, people you love die off and your social circle can become much smaller because of this. I also would not want to spend years of life suffering from the many aches, pains and illnesses of old age.

How would you have the money to fund this? You'd have to work for hundreds of years. If I was a millionaire fine but otherwise I'm not sure. Also I think it would massively impact on families because whilst I love my husband I'm expecting 60-70years max. 100/200? I think I'd struggle.

My MIL is nearly 80 and has been in poor health for years. She’s not v mobile so can’t go for walks/up the stairs etc She’s also in pain a lot of the time. I think it’s really sucky to live like that for decades.

However, if I could be one of those people who have good health in old age and die a bit unexpectedly/after a short illness, then I’d lovely to carry on for hundreds or thousands of years. There so much to see, do and enjoy. And you’d probably build up enough wealth not to work London hours for most of life.

98
I add a year every year
I must have all my faculties though

I agree - it's about quality, no quantity. If I wasn't in good health or had dementia then I'd rather go early than linger on. But in good health, still about to get about and have all my marbles - whenever that period ended I guess. I've known people in poor health in their 70s and some in the 90s still living interesting, fun and full lives.

My DF is 96 , his life is generally fine, he lives with my mother (She is several years younger)in their house he potters in garden and greenhouse, he can walk ok mostly on the level with stick but can walk a mile slowly without stopping, he is an old man he needs nap after lunch he gets tired couldn't do a full day out, and when tired gets forgetful , they go to church, he reads the paper still sharp enough to know we are governed by idiots whether in Westminster Holywood or Cardiff life is more restricted with covid, he doesn't go into shops or crowded places but isn't and won't shield he wants to see his grandchildren next school holiday, any minor event at 96 can be life altering, a fall a common Cold food poisoning etc his major frustration is gout in his fingers meaning my mother needs to fasten top button on shirt when he wears a tie (most dsys) because gout has swollen his feet he needs velcro shoes not lace ups he is very deaf so struggles with phone facetime whatsapp etc to communicate you need to be face to face

But on the whole his quality of life is fine, at 96 the risk of not making your next birthday is about 1 in 7,

We cleared out MIL's flat when she moved to a care home. Among her things we found a list: members of her choir, pensioner's group, people she shared memories with, family etc. Most of the names on the list were crossed out.
She is 95 in relatively good health, though deaf, and for more than 3 years she has been praying for delivery. She lives from meal to meal waiting for death.
I very much hope to drop dead at 85 like my DDad, and DGm, when I still have autonomy.

We really enjoyed that movie OP, Charlize Theron is looking badass these days.

I plan on living to 100 in excellent health. I also plan on doing something crazy for every big decade birthday. I'm just about to turn 41 so had a big year last year.
For my 50th I plan on setting myself a decent challenge, maybe base camp Everest or another sky dive and when I hit 70 I'm getting a mohawk... cos why the fuck not.

I’d be happy with 80 but then you just feel you’re waiting for death to happen. That’s what scares me. I can’t have children so who do I leave my affairs with?