FWIW…
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I haven’t read the article. But I’m sure he can arrange it if he’s willing. Let’s see how he feels at 75 and we’re all pumped full of extra mitochondria , stem cells and rocking our brand new immune systems.
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“Why I Hope to Die at 75”
“But here is a simple truth that many of us seem to resist: living too long is also a loss. It renders many of us, if not disabled, then faltering and declining, a state that may not be worse than death but is nonetheless deprived.”
But, of course, many of us are not. Also, ask how many disabled people at age 75 want to die. You are free to go to Switzerland or any other legally assisted suicide country when you reach 75.
In the meantime, your argument is BS.
Your implied suggestion that disabled people of any age might want to eliminate themselves is very Hitleresque.
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I think the biggest issue I see time and again, is as people develop multiple comorbidities, their brain starts failing. As part of that, so many lose capacity to make rationale decisions and even at a point they cannot, their families invariably want “everything done” when they get sick, rather than realizing that keeping someone alive who has poor cognition, a poor prognosis, and poor quality of life is wrong in my view. Yet, it is common place. Comfort care, hospice, etc … very sensible. Active treatment is bad medicine and bad decision making in these cases.
We spend a lot on medical care in this country in the last year of an individual’s life. This money should be saved and used for other measures as it isn’t sensible.
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Well, if I wrote an article “Why I Hope to NOT die at 75”, there would be many fewer clicks, just based on the title alone. Most would like to postpone death for as long as possible, news at 11. But tell people you hope to die, well, you’ve got their attention.
But before too much ridicule and hate flows toward the author, I gotta admit - I agree in one specific scenario, regardless of age. If my brain goes irretrievably, dementia, I want to be gone. I want to live as long as possible - that is live, not just have my body vegetate. Age has nothing to do with it. If I get dementia next year, I don’t care to wait, I am gone - I have a mutual pact with my wife that if we reach the conclusion that the self is dissolving our contract with life is dissolving, and we will help whichever one of us needs it at that point. I want to live not because I really want to process oxygen, I want to live because of experiences, endless curiosity, productivity, creativity, beauty and emotion. If that is gone, I’m gone, no need to hang from a feeding tube, dazed and confused. YMMV.
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Yes, because without a functional brain you are gone with just an empty vessel remaining.
That we can agree on !
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For me the day I can’t take care of myself (including cooking) it is the day I want out. That could be at 60, 75 or 120.
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To die at 75? Seems too young to die. I’m going to turn 70 in 3 months. I still enjoy every day. Cannot imagine that I would want to die in 5 years, unless something horrible happens.
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Hang in there kiddo, you guys in 70’s are our hero pioneers. We are all rooting for you to push the lifespan/healthspan boundaries and pass on the wisdom.
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I recall when Zeke wrote the several years ago. The guy spent much of his life in an oncology ward so you can understand his view, at least a little.
I said at the time, let’s see what he says when he is 75 and feeling great as I did at that age (and still do mostly). He has already backed off, now saying he won’t take chemo at that age. I don’t blame him for that but the chemo eight years from now may not be what he is thinking about. Overall, I think it was a self-expression lacking vision.
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He’s an idiot.
The only sensible position is to work to stay alive as long as you are happy and healthy, and to end your own life when you’re no longer.
But he’s saying the opposite.
EVEN IF he is happy and healthy at 75, he will turn down treatment for pneumonia to live. He won’t test for anything to catch cancer or some other disease at an early stage when it is easily treatable.
At the same time, he’s against euthanasia for people who are unhappy or unhealthy at 75 or at any age.
Ridiculous.
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It’s clickbait. It’s something that will get watched before a video called ‘I want to live to 100’.
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The article was originally in The Atlantic? Enough said. Ignore it.
My husband and I share your perspective. After decades of working with people at the end of life it definitely becomes very nuanced. Some people spend the last year of their life in what to me would be a literal medical hell. I suppose it’s good we have options but I personally feel like it would serve our society better if there was more conversation around the current reality that we will all die at some point so people could start thinking about it and prepare better for that eventual end to this earthly existence.
My mom and grandma both chose hospice and had beautiful passings at home surrounded by loved ones which was a stark contrast to the extensive hospital deaths I’ve witnessed when denial and heroics are involved. People who choose hospice also ironically live longer and with a better quality of life according to an end of life doula class I took through the University of Vermont Medical School. I can’t prove that’s correct but I suspect they were telling the truth.
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