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I can only speak for myself. I'm about 42. I could probably make it to 95 without much trouble, considering my genes. But I plan to exit at 75, *before* I have any major health problems (my parents are 74 and 72 with only minor stuff). There are several reasons for this but I won't delineate them [again] here.
You plan to exit at 75?? One can keep themselves very healthy and out of doctor's hands. I do with the hip surgery exception. There is TONS of info online to help keep us healthy. I bought a lot of books before and now it's all at our fingertips. Just ask questions, and there are possible answers to EVERYTHING.
I never thought about this subject until the surgery mess. I had early plans to still work out at the gym into my 80's,,,,I came in from the gym in my mid 60's...joints were hurting too much. Knee for sure.
You plan to exit at 75? One can keep themselves very healthy and out of doctor's hands.
Oh, I don't plan to have any health problems. That's the point, actually. I'm in outstanding shape with 11% body fat and no problems at all.
I want to retire at 55 and get a solid 20 years of great post-work living in. I don't see the point in going much beyond that. The money I'll have saved by 55 should serve well for 20 years. And the way the world is changing I will no longer have a place in it.
I think (and have thought for a very long time) we should approach death very differently. I think we should face it head-on, as a celebration of life, and embrace it on our own terms. I don't see the point in trying to eke out extra years. Move on. If I can't get it done in 20 years then what is piling on more years of decreasing satisfaction going to accomplish?
I think the issue you are touching on is society OK paying for people to live into their 90s consistently. SSN was set up as a pyramid scheme and Medicare now accounts for 1 in every 6 dollars in the federal budget. Even worse is that a significant amount of the costs is at end of life.
If someone busted their butt and worked for 50 years only to amassed a fortune, let them pay as much as they want to stay alive for another day. For those not paying for it, that is where it gets complicated. Should society pay 100K for a 90+year old to get another month? What about 2 months? what about a year?
Like what was mentioned, for too long we have held that longer the someone lived the better. I think we are now coming to the realization that this is not the case and letting people make the decision when to leave is a good thing.
I have no issue if people want to decide "game over" for themselves. I have a big issue if government, in the form of a death panel, holds the power to make the decision for them against their will. Government is so incredibly inept at simple things that having them hold the power of life or death is not something I could ever support.
It sounds like you expect bad health at 75+, but this is not guaranteed. The longest living couple in the US is a 100 year woman who is happy to be living in an exciting age where she can do things like learning the computer & her husband says I'm just happy to have no pain at 104. Best wishes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nepenthe
Oh, I don't plan to have any health problems. That's the point, actually. I'm in outstanding shape with 11% body fat and no problems at all.
I want to retire at 55 and get a solid 20 years of great post-work living in. I don't see the point in going much beyond that. The money I'll have saved by 55 should serve well for 20 years. And the way the world is changing I will no longer have a place in it.
I think (and have thought for a very long time) we should approach death very differently. I think we should face it head-on, as a celebration of life, and embrace it on our own terms. I don't see the point in trying to eke out extra years. Move on. If I can't get it done in 20 years then what is piling on more years of decreasing satisfaction going to accomplish?
It sounds like you expect bad health at 75+, but this is not guaranteed.
Actually I expect good health through 75+, and want to get out while I'm in good health. Get out while you're feeling great. There are several other reasons I don't want to stay around too long. I'd rather get out of the workforce at 55 (about the time at which AGI will pretty much be able to handle most any job I'm qualified for, as I figure it) and enjoy our money for 20 years than quit at 55 and try to make that money last 35 years OR work till 68 (were that even possible) and retire that much more worn down. And the longer I live, the more the world that I grew up in and thrived within will be turned upside down. I don't want to impede progress but neither do I really want to try and adapt to a world where nobody owns anything, for example.
I have some very long lived relatives and they all died, except those that died due to circumstances beyond their control, when they were ready to go. Just like my pets, they told me when they were ready to go and died shortly thereafter.
Young adults are having a prolonged childhood compared to my generation. They marry later, move out of their parent's home later, take on responsibility later than my generation wanted to do these things. Is that a bad thing? I can't say because time will tell if it is. We don't know, yet, if a delayed adulthood is a good thing or a bad thing as far as society is concerned. Perhaps marrying and having children later in life will be a good thing for society.
I've been thinking about this recently. The average person in Western society is going to live to be 80+. That's a pretty long time, especially considering that the majority of it will be spent beyond your prime years of health, employability, mental ability, etc. No wonder we see people trying to delay adulthood, relive their "glory years", etc. In summary, what I see is an epidemic of lonely, confused people in their 30s, 40s and 50s.
Go to any assisted living place and you will see people whose bodies are useless but, through medicine their internal organs are being kept alive.
I just turned 70 and bought a 12 year old Corvette. I think that says a lot about my attitude. I am having more fun than ever and do not miss working even a little.
I halfway expect to punch out in the middle of a downhill decreasing radius corner trail braking to the apex at way over any sensible speed. Most likely on a closed track. I actually drive the 'Vette slower on public roads than my Burgman Scooter.
Last edited by GregW; 08-19-2016 at 04:00 PM..
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