How young is two young

[Summerofcontent]

When people say "they died too young" at what age would you consider it to be?
Where is the cut off between dying too young and having a good life?
Then conversely, where is the cut off between having a good life and living to a ripe old age?

Any age under 90.

My gran is in her 90’s. If she died this week I would consider her to have died too young as she is fit and enjoying life.

I think as you get older the age that's 'too young' gets older too. 60 seemed old when I was a teenager!

The Bible says we get three score years and ten (70) and anything thereafter is by the grace of God. So anything under 70 is still felt to be a bit o. The early side. Anything under 60 and they have definitely gone too soon.

I would have thought when the bible was written most people only lasted several decades. If that.

I'd consider under 70 'too young'. 70 isn't really old anymore, but still it's a good long life. My parents are in their early 70s and if either of them died in the next few years, while it may be 'too young' for me and my kids, I wouldn't call it 'too young' for them in itself.

It's a myth that people barely lived till 40

• life expectancy rose as child's health and maternal care improved ( if you made it through those risks you might well live till a good old age ) although there was a clear difference between in Victorian cities and country - those in cities and factories dying much younger

Under 65.

Well as retirement is moving ever upwards, it's going to rise isn't it?
My Dad was 63 when he died and I felt robbed. I'm 50s now but when I look at my Mum and my friends parents I really do feel that you should just be able to pick a day and that's you done. 80 plus just seems to be a never ending descent into Ill health and dementia. A good age to go is 5 minutes before you no longer have the capacity to decide.

So it's subjective then?
As individual as the individual.

My dad died last September aged 78 and I felt he'd had a good life. But he had been ill for around 10 years and bedbound for the last 2.

If he was in good health when he died maybe I'd have looked at it differently 🤷🏻

A good age to go is 5 minutes before you no longer have the capacity to decide

Love this

That's a very good answer. It's a bit like the truth often spoken on the Dog House and Litter tray boards 'better a week too soon than a day too late'.

In general, 'too young' for a person is dying when they still have quality of life and things to look forward to, I would think. It's certainly not a defined age.

To me it's about 75, OP. My parents are in their 80s, they're in reasonably good health but I can't imagine using this phrase about them when they die. They've both had a good long life!

It's so hard to say. Anyone who still had more life to live I suppose.

My grandmother died at 75. She felt very elderly, was often ill, had limited mobility, couldn't live at home and hated life in the nursing home. She often used to say that it was her time to go and I was relieved for her when her time came.
On the other hand, DMum is almost that age now and is very active, has all her marbles and doesn't feel at all old. If she were to drop dead tomorrow, it would definitely feel too soon, but equally less tragic than someone in their 20s with a whole life ahead of them.

Somewhere between 70 and 80. FiL was 75 when he died and it felt premature. But he was an older dad so maybe that affected things - DH seemed young to lose a parent to old age. 70/75 seems quite young these days?

My grandma was 79 when she died and although my grandad is still hanging on 18 years later (they were the same age) it felt like a natural end. My other granny lived until she was nearly 90.

It's weird isn't it? My cousin died at 32 and that absolutely felt too young to die. Someone in their 60s would still feel young.

A good age to go is 5 minutes before you no longer have the capacity to decide - but that's impossible! Even if it does happen in an few very rare cases, no one would have known they were about to lose capacity 5 mins later so they might still describe it as too young!

Of course it's impossible. Doesn't make it any less pertinent

My grandma died at 99. She was still mentally there and living reasonably independently. My parents are in their 70s and my dad is still working. They're both fairly active although my mum struggles with arthritis. I can't see them dying particularly soon though. They'd seem too young to me.

On the other hand, I look at some people who are a lot younger than my parents, and they seem really old. I guess it's all subjective.

I think it really depends on their health. My dad is 81 and has lung cancer for the last year and a half. He is dying a very slow, agonising death and much as we all adore him we will breath a sigh of relief when he is finally at rest.
My mum is 83 and in great health. While I doubt people would use the phrase that she died too young I think people who know her would see that she has alot of living left to do.

Not really. The statistics on average age of death are skewed because such a high proportion of people died as children and never made it to adulthood.

70+, doesn’t feel too young or as shocking to me. We’ve had family/friends die in their 40s and 50s which I think everyone would agree is too young.

Someone we know lost their nan at 93 and they said it was too young. I found that quite strange.

When the Bible was written there wasn't modern medicine.

I think if you get to 80 you've done okay. Although ask me that when I'm 79 and I'll probably disagree.

I think we are very ordinary about death and more so in younger generations. My brother died aged 50. Our family had lost a cousin aged 20 and a cousins child aged 15 so his perspective was different. He felt he had had a great life. His boys were in 20's with jobs and settled. Yes, it was too early especially for those of us left to miss him but he was not angry about it.
Whilst I think 70 plus is still young, I don't think it is too young to die and if we all go on living to be in our 90's the country will be in dire financial straits.
I think families that insist on parents being resuscitated in their 80's and 90's are being selfish as far better to die quickly and not have years of teaching health.
My parents are both late 70s with some niggling health concerns. Having lost a nephew, great nephew and son they are both of the view that they have had a good innings and are happy to go when their time comes. It may help that they have strong faith and know where they are going.

Not ordinary but cannot remember what I wanted to write!!!