Die early and happy or deprive yourself and live longer?

[TheLoneGunman]

Dr. Dean Edell (who is a medical doctor who has actually practiced) wrote a book where he suggests that it is useless to deprive yourself only to live a few more years. He says that if you are 90 and suffering from the traditional ailments of age, you will hate having to go on living and putting up with all the problems.
He suggests that if you live it up (within reason) when you are younger, then you will die happy.

I think for the most part this is valid. If I was old and frail and my memory and cognative skills were fading, I would not want to prolong that lifestyle. On the other hand, if I lived a full life, then I would likely die earlier (such as by a heart attack or organ failure) before I would experience things like Alzheimers.

The human body was not meant to go on forever and I think there is little benefit in pushing it too far.

As the cliche goes... No one ever regretted working too little.

[Nanotech9]

I agree with the "live it up" though

[TheLoneGunman]

Originally posted by chosenfool
deprive yourself, live longer, THEN INDULGE, be happy! it'll be much sweeter then.

Oh yeah!

I'm gonna hit the all-you-can-eat buffet when I'm 85 and can only gum my food...

[zenbooty]

What if shallow indulgence doesn't lead you to true happiness?

Let go of your desire, find solace and comfort in enjoying the simple passing of time, and you can live both long happy, no matter what you do!

[eSDee]

Originally posted by zenbooty
What if shallow indulgence doesn't lead you to true happiness?

Let go of your desire, find solace and comfort in enjoying the simple passing of time, and you can live both long happy, no matter what you do!

[old hippie voice] That's beautiful man..... [/old hippie voice]

[mojo]

unfortunately what makes us happy sometimes infringes upon the happiness of others. maybe we should add something that makes us leave others alone, or acknowledge their respective quests for happiness.

as always, when i say "we," i actually do consider myself at fault to an extent. i hate me.....

[zenbooty]

Originally posted by EsDeeLoco
[old hippie voice] That's beautiful man..... [/old hippie voice]

I ain't no Goddamn hippy!

[Burzhui]

i'd rather die young and pretty

[Grimm]

The whole point of living is to make yourself a burden on your kids! Why die any earlier than neccesary and let them off the hook?

[froggystyle]

I'd live it up for as long as you can. you never know what the future will bring. My father is 70 years old living in Greece. he stays up till two or three in the morning every night eatting out with friends and drinking wine. he goes for walks in the wee hours of the morning and takes afternoon naps. His lifestyle is an ideal that i wish everyone could reach. I look foreward to it.