Doesn't want to live past 75

Olivia said:
I don't know about this guy. Yes, he's an oncologist and has written a ton of books. He's only 61 and so has some 14 years before he jumps off Mt. Kilimanjaro. What he wants to do about his life is certainly up to him and his privilege. I just don't understand why he thinks the rest of us care to know about it. I really don't care. One thing, though, if you're 75 or over and you need to be treated for cancer, I would skip him, unless you ready to receive a page off his prescription pad that says jump off a bridge.

What he's said in this article is that a person's only value is what he/she can contribute to society.

But what really gets me, however, is that even when he is determined to do what he wants about his life and how and when it ends and doesn't care what his family or anyone else thinks, is that he says he's fought long and hard against Physician aided-suicide laws for the terminally ill. Maybe he just wants someone to hold hands with as they jump off a high building together.

I may be wrong, but he appears to me (from this article) to be an egotistical fathead.
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I LOVE your "egotistical fathead" assessment!!! For some reason, it made me giggle.
 

I'll be 85 in two weeks (if I last that long) and somehow I'm not really cheering for my life to end. If I contract some dreaded disease then so be it. I wouldn't want to prolong it, for my sake or the sake of my wife and family who would become my care-givers. At this point, I have slowed down with creaky knees and a few other minor problems but to wish to "pack it in" because of reaching some arbitrary number?? I think not.

There'll be a time to go, I just don't know when it will be but I do know that I've had some enjoyable years between 75 and now and looking back, I wouldn't have wanted to miss them.
 

Sunny said:
This article is 4 years old, so you may have seen it already. I thought it was interesting and provocative. Do you agree with it, think he's completely wrong and will change his mind,
or are you somewhere in between?

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-i-hope-to-die-at-75-717267347
Click to expand...

I just skimmed the article linked in the OP. It's a long one, and includes a lot of background: History on changes in human longevity across the centuries, etc.

By the end of the article, I got the impression that the guy was trying to take a philosophical approach: At what age do people tend to become more of a burden on society than an asset? His conclusion: 75 seems to be a nice round number, and he himself is going to set the example by refusing medical assistance after the age of 75.

But in coming to this conclusion, he makes a lot of dismissive value judgments. For example, he dismisses Americans who "seem to be obsessed with exercising, doing mental puzzles, consuming various juice and protein concoctions, sticking to strict diets, and popping vitamins and supplements, all in a valiant effort to cheat death and prolong life as long as possible." But actually, a lot of people don't necessarily do that stuff in order to prolong life specifically, but rather to stay healthy in old age. In other words, they exercise and eat right in order to address quality-of-life issues in their later years rather than longevity specifically. So what happens when people exercise and take vitamins and end up healthy and active at 75? Should they be pressured to refuse medical treatment at age 75 just because 75 is a nice round number?

Also, the author is against physician-assisted suicide because it opens up a number of other ethical issues: What if a person wants to die simply because he is depressed and lonely, etc. Okay fine, I agree with the author that physician-assisted suicide creates other ethical issues. But in a way, the author himself is also advocating for a certain type of "social euthanasia" in his article. As I read it, he's basically saying, "Let's all agree that old people become too much of a social burden around the age of 75 and start pressuring people to refuse medical treatment at that age. I'll set the example myself." If his idea becomes a popular viewpoint or even government policy, then such an idea could be abused even more than physician-assisted suicide.

To sum up: Ultimately, I agree with the author on the main point: Old age and infirmity can become a prison for people and for society as a whole. People (and society) should have some device for addressing that problem and giving people some choice. But I think the author's suggestion is just another form of euthanasia: It amounts to social or philosophical pressure on people to start committing slow suicide at age 75. Frankly, looking at it from that angle, I would prefer physician-assisted suicide. At least with physician-assisted suicide, the choice is in the hands of the individual (as opposed to imposing a "nice round number" on people). Also, physician-assisted suicide provides a benefit by bypassing the messiness of a long, slow fade or illness that robs the individual of dignity and choice. The author's suggestion doesn't address that facet of old age in any practical manner.

Just my thoughts based on a quick skim of the article.
 
I don't think I'd want to outlive all of my family members (the closest ones ) nor would I want to live past the age where I have mobility and independence. IDK. It's up to the individual. We all see things differently.
 
Good analysis, Craig. I agreed with your position on this. Picking a "nice round number" is just too arbitrary.
 
One can head for the final exit anytime they want. But they need to just do it. Don't need pronouncements, press conferences or public pontification. Do not meander or malinger. Hesitation and doubt will cause the lack of focus in the here and now.

Just reaching a certain numerical age does not mean one is dignified or graceful. I'm currently witnessing some 80 plus year olds just degrading themselves by using the number card like an incompetent union member claiming seniority for a job they don't deserve. Age has affected their impulse control and are seeing their true colors/character including the lack of discipline. If you are in the game of life you are in until the very last second. Let down your guard and you'll wind up dragging yourself to the final exit in a very undignified manner.
 
Just goes to show that one need not be in their 80's to be an old crab. The "young" guy that took over from my dad's retirement at age 88 is having his department being vacated by the staff that can't stand him.
 

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