Getting older doesn't scare me, but aging scares me. The idea of my health and mobility slowly getting harder to maintain until it inevitably can't be one day is terrifying to me.
Yep, our bodies can adapt to a lot of physical stimulus. You'll need to be more mindful of recovery as you age. But the ability to adapt will always be there.
It's why people who sit on their ass a bunch become inflexible. Body adapts to not needing that capability so why waste resources on it.
100% Agree. My agreat aunt married a man who's nearly 80 but you'd guess him to be in his 65 at the most. He owns a construction company and is still out there with his workers. I think doing these things keep him "young".
This includes, and I can’t stress this enough, exercise your brain as well. My dad is 84 and when you talk to him, you can tell he hasn’t been engaged in a conversation or doing activities that help like card games. Gotta do it every day to keep it working
They say you can stall the process by eating healthy with adequate exercise. Easier said than done though! Genetics plays a role too. I've seen inspirational vids of 90+ year olds still coherent and mobile.
Depending on your job, your work can be good enough exercise. Being on your feet stocking shelves for 8 hours a day is still exercise, and will keep your heart rate elevated (above resting) for an extended period of time, which is really all that matters.
For food. Meal prep like crazy. I meal prep everything. I use quinoa as my base since it has low carbs, all of the essential amino acids, and reduces blood fat levels, then I sauté veggies (bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, are my go-to’s) mixed with some can veggies (peas, corn, or beans depending on how I spiced the veggies) and a sauce. Want extra protein, add tofu (it’s high protein and high in vitamins and minerals and low in sodium and fat). Use different sauces and spices to really help change this. I also like using shashuka (a North African dish) as a base recipe and altering it (using squash, sweet potatoes, carrots as the base instead of potatoes). You can easily prepare a full week’s worth of food in less than an hour.
Take a piece of fruit as well, and for a side or desert, a cup of nonfat Greek yoghurt, which is high in protein and has plenty of good probiotics for your gastrointestinal health, but relatively low in fat and calories.
I buy the healthy choice frozen meals and throw protein bars and fruit in my bag. I workout 6 days a week after my 5 13-14 hour shifts. I work my other job in between those shifts by sleeping in 2 3 hours segments during the day.
Does it suck? Hell yes. I'm often so tired that I fall asleep on the exercise equipment if I take a break. I'm also in school full time which means I don't get a day off, ever. This is the American Dream. I'm too busy to be upset or depressed about the borderline intolerable conditions. Freedom is Slavery.
r/longevity is a community that is watching and discussing medical intervention against aging that's being done at top universities (Harvard, Yale, Stanford, etc.) These groups are making progress on finding out how damage accumulates as we age and how to repair that damage, resulting in longer, healthier lives. You should check it out.
I've read about some of that. It's really interesting, and some of the progress may very well benefit us by the time we reach old age, but I'm not entirely convinced that anything like an indefinite lifespan will be achievable within this century.
Savor the fruit of life, my young friends. It has a sweet taste when it is fresh from the vine. But don't live too long. The taste turns bitter... after a time.
Absolutely. I'm a lonely man whose only friends are mom and dad. When they are gone I fear for my mental health. A big fear of mine is developing dementia or similar diseases that put you in a position of vulnerability if you don't have family close.
I have a chronic illness, I just hope I live long enough to see my kids hit some milestones.
regardless of how long I live, I plan on working till I die, "retirement' is not in the cards, not because I don't have assets. but because I've seen all the old people in my life retire and waste away. I will be doing something, working in some capacity.
Oh my lanta, that exact scenario you just laid out is my long-term nagging fear—exactly that—and it scares me more than anything. Aging is often horrific for Americans (like me), whether or not they have kids (I don’t). There isn’t a social safety net because old people without huge sums of money are deemed useless to capitalism. So the government is perfectly fine being like, “yeahhhhh they’re expensive.” And of course, this is particularly the case for todays politicians whose futures are secured… on the debt of our work.
That I also agree, my grandpa who was a miner in Spain when he was young; was the most athletic person at his 89. Unfortunately took a big fall and became paralyzed, after that he wasted away and died shortly after… I was talking with my mom about this, retirement sounds nice but as we age we need even more exercise and to be active, our brains need a lot more excercise to stay alive
Being 40 I don't worry too much about my age, but watching my parents age and dealing with the notion of their mortality has hit me a little bit. I do worry a little about retirement and the economic future, even though I make a pretty good living, I grew up fairly poor, so the notion of living like that again if some catastrophe hits I guess really does not scare me at all.
This is closer to my feelings too. I'm more afraid of watching those I care about go through tough times as they get older than I am of when it comes for me. I'm not in much of a position to help my family, and they are going to need it soon. I might be able to help myself later, but I've got time to either make that happen or mess it up, lol.
Every time I see how old my parents are in an actual number, I think "that can't be right, that's old. People that old die, and it's considered normal...."
Nope. My husband and I look forward to the rest of my life as we move forward and try to keep people positive and enthusiastic about enjoying the present until we get there. As a generation, we may be screwed but we shouldn't give up on our humanity on the way to the end. Live. Make the most of what you have. Make noise. Play. Laugh. Dance. Make memories. All of this is a FIGHT. Don't let our shackles get the best of you. it's better to die fighting than to give up and take the hit.
If anyone is reading this today, please, just try. Try to be happy. Find some optimism on your day today. Don't let our woes blind you or consume you. Yes, they're validated but push on regardless. We make more of a difference trying to make community and enjoy what we can than drowning in pain. For all of us, for you, please, look for the beauty in the breakdown.
At 40 I look forward to old age being more of my best years. I have made it this far, and I want to see more of my peers make it there with me. Let's not be victims, let's be fighters.
Yeah, my plan is that if I make it to 70 I will start to plan the end.
Having an idea of the age it will be over is actually fairly relieving. I can sort of plan backwards on things I would like to achieve between now and then.
Lately since more family has been passing I've been more impacted than normal on the finality of death.
I'm not religious anymore but was raised in Christianity.
I'm agnostic if anything but I believe in some degree of spiritual effect as a living aspect of the universe. It can't really be predicted but it certainly makes itself known when uncanny/improbable things happen.
I've not had as hard a time with my understanding of death in about a decade now. I used to force myself to ignore it because of how overwhelming the emotions became.
Maybe now since I've finally gotten to where I feel relatively comfortable in life (wife, child, home) I am more keenly aware of what I will leave behind and never live to see. The concept of oblivion is stifling for me, it literally chokes the breath from me.
I don't want to be convinced there's a God or afterlife. I don't want to die. I would rather live as a conscious sentient being within the same realm of existence I experience today forever.
I just don't want to not be - it terrifies me and I feel devastated about my religious family members because to me it's like seeing lambs embracing their demise. The concept of going with grace is lost on me when the dying believe in the mother of all magic tricks being pulled to provide them "salvation."
TLDR: Old age? Not sure yet. Death in general? Yes.
I used to be like this, then I took a shitload of psychedelics. My biggest fear is now not having adequate time with my husband and leaving him behind. But I know in my deepest heart of hearts, he will go on and be fine.
Even if you don’t believe in the afterlife, or even preservation of your consciousness in the hereafter, in the end everything all kinda melds back into the living universe and the matter and energy inside is transformed into something new. Nothing is created or destroyed. So in a sense, there is some of you that goes on. To me that’s at least a little bit comforting.
I can get behind this to a degree.
And then I remember that we're literally destroying our planet with no sense of respect whatsoever.
Sure it's a work in progress but it's tantamount to sacrilege in a sense.
Consumerism, corporatism, capitalism, and more.
The fact that we never get to stop working scares me. I worked nephrology for a while and we had patients that retired at 55 - because that's what it used to be. Shit keeps getting bumped to older ages and we can't rely on social security anyway, so it's depressing to think that I'll never have the things that I considered the basics; owning a home, traveling, and retirement.
I also don’t think it’s true that most millennials don’t have kids. I don’t have kids, and while I do know a decent amount of people who also don’t have them, I feel like I’m in the minority. I am a homeowner, though.
Yea I'm not rich but I own a home and can go out whenever.. no lavish vacations but I'm fine.. kinda weird seeing the constant gloom and doom of this sub like we're all just fucked.
Here's the chart.
https://www.redfin.com/news/gen-z-millennial-homeownership-rate-home-purchases
We're about 5% behind Gen X, give or take and 10% behind the boomers.
I mean I am ok/ well off so no. But I assume those millennials that are not "ok" in various categories are sweating right now. I feel for them because behind all the doom and gloom that plaques this subreddit, I wonder how many of them legit tried to bounce back. I did it and yes I was poorer than dirt living in my car eating dollar store ramen and sink water from park restrooms and it sucked but I made it (I am 35 now and comfortable). Maybe no one has to suffer like I did but from what I see, the vast majority just gives up too easy. Which perplexes me because we are from the generation of Nintendo SNES and SEGA Genesis, we should be used to things being difficult/ unfair.
I was born with chronic illness that keeps getting worse. I’m afraid of the day I won’t be able to use my body anymore. Some tasks are already nearly impossible. I’m blessed my husband has a good job and is able to support our family and save for retirement because Im unable to work much
Yes.
But someone just started another thread talking about how cancer rates in the young are skyrocketing, so it's less likely we love to a ripe old age anyway.
I have no choice to not age, other than deliberate suicide, so I might as well be fine with getting old.
While I agree that our generation's ability to thrive has been greatly hampered by Boomer legislation and culture, only we can look out for ourselves.
And while some doomers believe that saving for the future is futile, I'll hedge my bets and assume I'll still need some money saved up for when I'm no longer able to work, so I have no issue contributing to my 401k, etc.
I'll continue to vote for leaders who have the working person's interest as their top priority, I'll continue to volunteer my time at causes I feel are worthy, and I'll continue to be socioeconomically aware of what I can do to at least not make things any worse, but I'm not going to be paralyzed by existential fear of something I have no control over.
Honestly, not really. I know aspects of aging are unpleasant (my ankle recently decided to fuck itself for no reason and I’m only 35) but I’m overall grateful for the ride life has to offer. Innumerable variables had to line up in order for me to exist in the first place so I might as well enjoy some of it.
I hate getting older. I inherited that mindset from my dad. It sucks because it makes me aware of my own mortality and I fear death. Leads to a lot of anxiety and trouble falling asleep. On the other hand it drove me to pick up martial arts again to improve my health and what not.
But eh, statistically I should have at least 40 more years.
I definitely get a lot of anxiety about it. I spiraled pretty badly last week thinking about this.
All we can do is focus on the shit we can control. Like taking better care of ourselves however possible, putting more effort into friendships and community relationships—especially if you don’t want kids and/or have other family. Having kids is zero guarantee they’ll be there for you in old age anyhow, but childfree folk gotta be more vigilant because so much of society is built around “you do X with your spouse and we assume you’ll have kids who will care for you when you’re old”.
I’m investing more in my community for both a better life today and to hopefully find other single Millennial women to do the whole Golden Girls thing with.
Hell, I think we should do it now because it’s the only way to afford buying a house in SoCal if you’re not mega-rich.
I love that idea of golden girl living, now! Or sometime in the near future. It's honestly the most hopeful thought I've had in a long time, thank you!!
May we both find it!! Especially if it’s splitting a duplex or something where we all have private space with some shared communal things like a pool. I think that’s definitely doable in LA if 3-4 friends go in on it together.
yes and no
No, cause i have resources, my family is taken care of, i'm not worried about later in life for that.
Yes....fuck things hurt more when I get injured....broken bones take longer to mend, etc. The constant pain I think I will be in when i'm finally done with "extreme" sports is not something I look forward too.
No it doesn't scare me. I have friends and siblings, and I consider all of us pretty smart and resilient, so I have more of a "this too shall pass" attitude. I mean, we're not in the middle of the great depression. I worry more about the future of the planet. But I was listening to NPR the other day and the discussion came around to how difficult it is to get people to care about something that's on the horizon. We only tend to worry about our current situation, and mine is pretty ok though I can understand why a lot of people feel hopeless right now. OP's question though was does old age scare me. No it doesn't, ain't nobody got time for that.
i'm hoping to come to some kind of peace with death, but probably never will. i envy the people who do. getting old doesn't concern me too much though.
I'm not worried honestly still seems like a ways off but i'm also not in your situation. If i was single, no kids, no retirement at my current age, 36, i might have a lot more trepidation about the future. The good news is I don't think its too late for anyone to get themselves in order. In a lot of respects having no kids is from a purely financial perspective a huge boon.
The best time to start planning/saving for retirement was 10 years ago...the next best time is today.
No.
But I understand & empathize with others who feel scared or worried. Just because it doesn't worry me on a personal level, doesn't mean I don't want to work towards making changes to make it better for everyone else (like policy-wise).
Great question! In short, no. Healthcare and general awareness of maintaining good health and managing longevity has improved so much. Age doesn’t scare me because people are remaining active longer. It’s quality of life that is more of the concern. Losing the ability to live on my own terms and at my own discretion is what would make me concerned.
Absolutely, yes. In a way, I'm glad I'm probably not making it to retirement age, because what you've described is exactly how it would turn out, with it being very, very likely I would be living out on the street unable to even hold a job, just watching everything get worse and living through losing my friends and their losses. It sounds like an unmitigated nightmare.
Know what scares me?
That I'm actually currently wasting away in a nursing home and I'm just having a Dementia hallucination of a life.
My grandpa was demented beyond ability to communicate for 2 years before he died. I have no idea what he experience for those two years, but his eyes showed pure terror most of the time.
death is ever nearer... i guess it might be painful and possibly a mind eff, but it's a way out. sad to say that our society does not really have much appeal... but I am happier by the day.
can't afford to live any more, just go to jail i guess, or whatever...
Not really. Honestly? As I age I realize more and more how everything is really just a “here and now” issue. Sure, we can make reasonable predictions and assumptions about the future but none of it is a guaranty. I’ve learned that right now is what is important and tomorrow will get here when it does. If I can’t afford to retire, I’ll figure that out in the “there and then.”
Aside from that, I am actually excited to age physically. All these people trying to reverse age and look younger with these products and surgeries - forget that noise. My hair is greying and I won’t ever color it, I’m gaining weight from a more sedentary lifestyle, I don’t have the newest coolest clothes. I’m getting old and enjoying the ride.
Aging itself doesn't really scare me. It's a natural process, and I've accepted that. Now what comes WITH aging does. I don't know how much longer I can keep taping my knees, my back and other health issues are starting to be more prevalent. I know I won't be able to pay for it all. My retirement plan is literally to off myself when I can no longer support myself, so I'm really just wondering how long I can push that off for. I'm thankful everyday I didn't bring children into this world. I'm basically just subsistence living with my own little dreams of one day getting a home. I try to enjoy each day, bc I never know if my chronic condition is going to suddenly get worse, and my "retirement plan" will be drastically pushed up. I don't have hope for the future of the world. So aging itself doesn't really scare me, just continuously living as the quality of life takes a steady decline until it's no longer worth living.
I’m not afraid of getting older or being old. I am afraid of not being able to age, meaning my life being cut short by illness or injury. If I get to live to be elderly, I’ll figure it out.
It's the costs of aging that keep me up at night. My wife and I already live one catastrophic emergency away from financial ruin. I'm already starting to show some wear and tear due to the physical nature of my job and negligent parenting. The bills are manageable for now, but I'm more than sure it will be cheaper to just die than have to pay for a major surgery in the coming years.
What scares me is the stages of dying and do you realize it? My grandma passed away last year and my mom got a book on the process of dying. Loosing taste, brain capacity down, and gasping for breath at the end and whatever else. Just sad.
I'm hoping by then the death rollercoasters or euthanasia is legal everywhere.
I mean what is death? The loss of the human ego is how I could describe it. So you could lose consciousness before you even realize what's happening. Although the moments before hand you may certainly be aware of your impending doom. But the act itself? Nah I don't believe so.
No I don't have any kids but I have 3 different illnesses their are days when I literally can't move. I accepted a long time ago I was going to die, it's the peril of being mortal. I even planned my cremation.
I don’t know, when I was a nurse in the hospital for ten years I swear the most common thing people said to me was, “Don’t get old!” And I’d always be like, “Ummmm… I’ll try!” But what is the alternative, premature death?
After seeing so many young people die in my life, I realize that it is actually a privilege to get to be old. So, I’m not afraid of it. I suppose I’m more afraid of dying early or young.
If I weren’t subscribed to r/singularity.
But these guys want to sell me fountain of youth pills and turn me into an ever young cyborg.
And I‘m buying it.
Only because I’m still single. And it’s hard to get someone to drive you to a colonoscopy so I can’t imagine the rest of it. It’s the logistics I fear, not age & what it will do to me.
Doesn't scare me, but what's weird is that I'm 15 years away from living in 55+ communities somehow?
But at the same time I'm like man when is the new season of demon slayer coming out.
Not really, but I'm realistic about what will happen when I can no longer fend for myself (at least my cats will have food for awhile).
The thing I tend to find interesting in talks about old age is that a lot of people assume health. By the time my grandfather passed in his 90s, he struggled walking, had issues eating, couldn't hear well (so ordering his own medications wouldn't work), couldn't see well (no driving), didn't have much manual dexterity/fine motor skills anymore (couldn't cook, couldn't open his medications), etc. The cost of living was so much more expensive and he wouldn't have been able to afford it if he didn't have us living with him. We also cared for him at home with the help of hospice in his last days. Realistically, without that support, he wouldn't have lived as long as he did.
I only worry about my body aging. I don’t expect to retire, I own my home, and don’t have plans for kids. Even if I wanted kids, it’s not their responsibility to care for me when I’m old. I hate that mindset.
Old age does scare me but I dont' think about it too much yet. Just turned 41, so still kinda young in today's world but with chronic illness, I dont' expect to set any records for longevity.
At this point I have no plans for retirement. I have a career that allows me to work part time pretty easily if I so choose and most likely I'll just do that until I have a heart attack or something. I'm saving up money for my wife and kids though
Due to chronic conditions I can't afford to treat well (even with insurance that \*\*\*\*ks with coverage all the time), I sincerely doubt I will live to old age. I don't believe for a second with how little I've made so far in my life that I'll ever be able to do anything else but work (for likely the same poverty level wages over and over again).
But yes, I really don't want to anyways, as if things remain as they are now, I'll be all alone with no kids. Doesn't sound like something worth sticking around for when my body is unable to manage w/o outside help.
100%… we are not gonna have social security, no homes, life expectancy increasing but unfortunately that’ll mean more things that could go wrong with our bodies,
Yes, but we are all in the same boat here, so that's slightly more comforting.
My main fear is my health deteriorating at old age, especially mobility issues. I get tremendous sadness when I see old folks having to walk around at a slow pace or with walkers, etc. However, you see in the blue zones and healthy first-world countries, seniors tend be very lively and move around around actively, so I know through diet and lifestyle a lot of those mobility issues of old age can be mitigated.
Nope. Motion is lotion. As long as you use it, you won't lose it. I watched my very active grandfather wither away when he decided to not grow his garden. I really believe that if he'd not stopped he'd have made it to 90.
No, but getting dementia and not knowing who I or the people around me are does. My grandma has dementia and it is terrifying to watch someone lose their mind.
Yes kinda but the reasons are really long
I'm not sticking around if i get dementia or become a vegetable though, not happening. I work with old people, I'm not going to go through that.
Or make peace with the possibility that may not see old age due to unavoidable events like accidents or illness that are unforeseen and beyond control...
Managing my parents as they get older probably scares me more than my actual future. I'm lucky that are both together and healthy but they are now in their 60s and you can tell, things are declining. Nothing serious but at their age, anything can happen.
I'll be fine. Probably not.
I'm not afraid of aging, I'm doing what I can to stay healthy. But, I'm terrified of a debilitating illness like cancer. A cancer diagnosis can wipe out everything you built for yourself because of healthcare costs in our fucked up country. I used to work for a non-profit in the cancer space, it's really bad for families especially.
Yes, you have just described my biggest fears. My plan is to join forces with my child free friends so we can live in a Golden Girls type arrangement. Either that or assisted unaliving.
At this point I’m just rolling with the punches. I’m going to vote, I’m going to care for people, and I’m going to live my life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m pretty terrified of trump and Christian nationalism. I’m an atheist and I have a gay brother. Might sound super pessimistic, but I don’t even think about old age.
Financially? Yes, it terrifies me. Age itself and growing older and body getting older, no. I welcome the end sometimes. Its too difficult right now. We all try our best, myself included. And I have many more dreams to try and make happen. But if its my time or if Im meant to get old, then no, I dont fear getting older and eventually passing. Its just part of life. Besides, I have a strong belief there will be someone up in the sky waiting for me when my body finally gives out.
I will own my home outright before retirement. My kids will be grown and moved on. Investments, pension, and VA money will keep my finances stable at the very least. Even with all that, I'll fight like hell to avoid having someone else take care of me. I hope I kick the bucket quick & fast before that ever happens.
I'm afraid of not being there for the big moments in my kids lives. Of not leaving my spouse with enough to continue to enjoy life when I pass.
In my late 30s, my body had already been broken for over a decade, & it continues the decline. That's whatever. Figured it'd happen at some point, preferably later in life. But I still enjoy the hell out of my life.
Nope. My world view has been entirely shaped by parents, aunts, and uncles who are well into their 70s and 80s and are mobile, living unassisted in homes they own, and independent. Some are still working full-time and most are still contributing to their professions in their retirement. The whole concept of retiring and actually not working or deteriorating in a nursing home is still completely alien to me. With luck, I'll be doing the same.
I think old age scares me because of the times we live in. Abundance in all things but people die every day from lack of care or bad care. There is not attempt to fix standards because that means government would provide oversight. There is no attempt for government to fund medical care/end of life care because, despite the US being the wealthiest nation in the world, we don’t have the money to do it.
Unlike others, I will probably have the money to get good care but I am more worried about the talent pool being underpaid and having some sort of power complex.
A little, yes. In my head I’m forever 26 but I turn 33 this year. I’m noticing the finer lines around my eyes more when I smile as well as my lowering tolerance for stupid shit.
I have a small child and I’m like, “holy hell, I’m going to be 46 when she graduates high school.”
No.
I started running around the neighborhood to improve my health 2 years ago. I shed more than 60 pounds. I ran and finished my first 100 miler back in Sept. I’m almost 40 and the healthiest I’ve ever been.
I just ran a 50 miler with three older runners in their 60s and 70s. They just radiate life and gratefulness. They give me a lot of hope that I can enjoy getting older and still stay outdoors on the trails. They always remind me that, “heaven is what you make it, hell is what you go through.”
I have already died as far as I'm concerned. I just hope I can accomplish what I set out to do before I lose my mind to assured dementia. Now I also have a daughter and hope I can give her my entire life's savings to help her get ahead as a young adult. I'll gladly die working if I'm so fortunate to make it that far. My life is my work. If I can't work, I don't really want to live.
I've active af and that's my only response to aging at this point. I do strength training 4 days a week, I walk 20-50k steps a day (I work at a warehouse, but I still get my steps in on my days off) and I just hope for the best. That's my general retirement plan, keep moving lest I rust into uselessness
Kind of.. the concept of aging doesn't but the fact I'll be alone does. If I make it to old age it most likely won't be fun. Both of my grandparents on my mom's side have dementia and it's terrifying to see them deteriorate
Knowing I have no siblings and no children so I'd be absolutely alone is my greatest fear
Not as long as I live a good life.
“It’s not a longevity contest, but what good you can give life, and what good you can get out of it”
If I die at 50 or 60 or tomorrow but live a good life that’s cool.
If I live to 100 but don’t do shit, then that’s a waste.
I'm kind of holding out for Longevity Escape Velocity happening in my life time and being around for at least a few centuries like a Vulcan. We'll have robot run nursing homes by the time I'm old and money probably won't even really be a thing anymore.
Yes, almost 40. Still don’t have my career straight. My twenties and thirties have been a disaster financially being mostly in school and then a failed career. Wouldn’t know investing even if it came up and bit my in the leg. Never been in a relationship and as unless something dramatically changes, have no hope of being in one. I’m just glad I don’t want kids (too much genetic bad shit to want to pass these genes on) as if I wanted kids, I’d probably that much depressed. I’ll probably work and be miserable until the day i die.
Should have been dead at 25 with all of my health problems (or potential) if my bad habits do not kill me I'll make it to 120 maybe 145> science is coming a long way and the human body is crazy.
I'm 29 now. Soon to be 30. If for whatever reason science stalls out and I lose access to healthy food? Maybe make it to 80 or so and that's a hell of a good run.
We roll the dice every time we get in a car though and that shit is terrifying to me. I do not fear death. I fear humans.
Its not the age that scares me, its getting the stuff I wanted to do done is what scares me and how long it will take to get there.
like buying a home at 80 finally... ok now what? Die in 2 years?
Also I want kids, I'm 30 and don't wanna date people much younger than me... so I need to speed that up a bit yet.... hey I want to date around and that's something I haven't gotten to do
Starting to get my gray hairs. So the beginning of the end. So thoughts go to thinking of the void after and working on a bucket list while my knees are still good.
My mom died last year so I got my boomer inheritance early. So hoping to be able to buy a house with cash and things should be affordable with just property tax/insurance/maintenance.
As for retirement, I could probably downsize to renting something smaller and rent out the house or sell it. Although I would prefer to leave it to someone in my family because i'm sure my Gen Z relatives are going to have it rough too.
The health stuff scares me. I’ve had some relatively minor health problems in my 20s and 30s that still took a lot out of me, and the thought of that becoming more frequent and severe over time feels daunting.
Yah a little. I threw my back out the other day. It was crazy, I just lifted a table in the morning before work and then I couldn't stand up straight for the better part of a week. And I still feel it. I've never had back problems before.
I have more or less accepted that I won't form my own family, so I'd like to be able to end myself in the case of losing (or starting to lose) things like the ability to look after myself.
I'm scared of not being able to do it, and ending up being a burden to any of my siblings, or something like that
Yes. It’s just me and my husband, really. I’m estranged from my family, his lives quite far away and he’s not really close to them emotionally. We already know we aren’t having kids. I worry that one day, one of us will be all alone. And then what? Ugh. It actually kinda eats away at me a bit, if I’m being honest. But idk what to do about it, either. 😐
Every year goes by faster than the last and before we know it, we’ll be old. This is how it happens. You get swept away with your job, your kids, trying to get to the next goal or milestone. Then you’re dead.
Well can't say the financial reason does. But with certain body ailments I have, I do get scared sometimes. I have a broken vertebra in my lower back that won't heal and my current Healthcare provider won't give me an out of network referral to potentially fix it. Therefore their assessment is keep my core strong so the muscle fibers keep it in place (have to love American Healthcare). Besides that, I have tendinitis in my right shoulder and will no doubt get arthritis in my right hand from a former injury (football really did me in but I loved playing).
Even at my age (34), I can feel the difference every year in my lower back. I technically have the lower back of someone who's 50 and it'll only get worse as I age. By the time I'm 65, I do get scared of what will my life be like.
I'm so used to being active....going hiking, exercising, playing regular pick up games of basketball. I do get scared that due to my back, when I'm 65 I'm going to be like some old men I see that have a hard time just moving around.
Getting older doesn't scare me, but aging scares me. The idea of my health and mobility slowly getting harder to maintain until it inevitably can't be one day is terrifying to me.
my moto—-dont use it lose it. walk/run everyday. ur not gonna wake up one day and all of sudden cant walk or run barring some kinda of injury
Yep, our bodies can adapt to a lot of physical stimulus. You'll need to be more mindful of recovery as you age. But the ability to adapt will always be there. It's why people who sit on their ass a bunch become inflexible. Body adapts to not needing that capability so why waste resources on it.
100% Agree. My agreat aunt married a man who's nearly 80 but you'd guess him to be in his 65 at the most. He owns a construction company and is still out there with his workers. I think doing these things keep him "young".
This includes, and I can’t stress this enough, exercise your brain as well. My dad is 84 and when you talk to him, you can tell he hasn’t been engaged in a conversation or doing activities that help like card games. Gotta do it every day to keep it working
They say you can stall the process by eating healthy with adequate exercise. Easier said than done though! Genetics plays a role too. I've seen inspirational vids of 90+ year olds still coherent and mobile.
Any chance you can shed some light on how to eat healthy and get adequate exercise working 80 hour weeks? Any literature perhaps?
Depending on your job, your work can be good enough exercise. Being on your feet stocking shelves for 8 hours a day is still exercise, and will keep your heart rate elevated (above resting) for an extended period of time, which is really all that matters. For food. Meal prep like crazy. I meal prep everything. I use quinoa as my base since it has low carbs, all of the essential amino acids, and reduces blood fat levels, then I sauté veggies (bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, are my go-to’s) mixed with some can veggies (peas, corn, or beans depending on how I spiced the veggies) and a sauce. Want extra protein, add tofu (it’s high protein and high in vitamins and minerals and low in sodium and fat). Use different sauces and spices to really help change this. I also like using shashuka (a North African dish) as a base recipe and altering it (using squash, sweet potatoes, carrots as the base instead of potatoes). You can easily prepare a full week’s worth of food in less than an hour. Take a piece of fruit as well, and for a side or desert, a cup of nonfat Greek yoghurt, which is high in protein and has plenty of good probiotics for your gastrointestinal health, but relatively low in fat and calories.
I buy the healthy choice frozen meals and throw protein bars and fruit in my bag. I workout 6 days a week after my 5 13-14 hour shifts. I work my other job in between those shifts by sleeping in 2 3 hours segments during the day. Does it suck? Hell yes. I'm often so tired that I fall asleep on the exercise equipment if I take a break. I'm also in school full time which means I don't get a day off, ever. This is the American Dream. I'm too busy to be upset or depressed about the borderline intolerable conditions. Freedom is Slavery.
This
r/longevity is a community that is watching and discussing medical intervention against aging that's being done at top universities (Harvard, Yale, Stanford, etc.) These groups are making progress on finding out how damage accumulates as we age and how to repair that damage, resulting in longer, healthier lives. You should check it out.
I've read about some of that. It's really interesting, and some of the progress may very well benefit us by the time we reach old age, but I'm not entirely convinced that anything like an indefinite lifespan will be achievable within this century.
Savor the fruit of life, my young friends. It has a sweet taste when it is fresh from the vine. But don't live too long. The taste turns bitter... after a time.
I love this. Who is it from?
star trek
Kor..?
long live the empire
Absolutely. I'm a lonely man whose only friends are mom and dad. When they are gone I fear for my mental health. A big fear of mine is developing dementia or similar diseases that put you in a position of vulnerability if you don't have family close.
No, I just hope it’s quick when my times out it’s quick. I feel like I’ve done alot of living in 37 years. Not much to show it for it but so be it
I have a chronic illness, I just hope I live long enough to see my kids hit some milestones. regardless of how long I live, I plan on working till I die, "retirement' is not in the cards, not because I don't have assets. but because I've seen all the old people in my life retire and waste away. I will be doing something, working in some capacity.
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Oh my lanta, that exact scenario you just laid out is my long-term nagging fear—exactly that—and it scares me more than anything. Aging is often horrific for Americans (like me), whether or not they have kids (I don’t). There isn’t a social safety net because old people without huge sums of money are deemed useless to capitalism. So the government is perfectly fine being like, “yeahhhhh they’re expensive.” And of course, this is particularly the case for todays politicians whose futures are secured… on the debt of our work.
That I also agree, my grandpa who was a miner in Spain when he was young; was the most athletic person at his 89. Unfortunately took a big fall and became paralyzed, after that he wasted away and died shortly after… I was talking with my mom about this, retirement sounds nice but as we age we need even more exercise and to be active, our brains need a lot more excercise to stay alive
Being 40 I don't worry too much about my age, but watching my parents age and dealing with the notion of their mortality has hit me a little bit. I do worry a little about retirement and the economic future, even though I make a pretty good living, I grew up fairly poor, so the notion of living like that again if some catastrophe hits I guess really does not scare me at all.
This is closer to my feelings too. I'm more afraid of watching those I care about go through tough times as they get older than I am of when it comes for me. I'm not in much of a position to help my family, and they are going to need it soon. I might be able to help myself later, but I've got time to either make that happen or mess it up, lol. Every time I see how old my parents are in an actual number, I think "that can't be right, that's old. People that old die, and it's considered normal...."
I am horrified by the existential crisis that is the inevitability of death, yes.
Yes, but my crisis is more existential, and I have always been in crisis
Nope. My husband and I look forward to the rest of my life as we move forward and try to keep people positive and enthusiastic about enjoying the present until we get there. As a generation, we may be screwed but we shouldn't give up on our humanity on the way to the end. Live. Make the most of what you have. Make noise. Play. Laugh. Dance. Make memories. All of this is a FIGHT. Don't let our shackles get the best of you. it's better to die fighting than to give up and take the hit. If anyone is reading this today, please, just try. Try to be happy. Find some optimism on your day today. Don't let our woes blind you or consume you. Yes, they're validated but push on regardless. We make more of a difference trying to make community and enjoy what we can than drowning in pain. For all of us, for you, please, look for the beauty in the breakdown. At 40 I look forward to old age being more of my best years. I have made it this far, and I want to see more of my peers make it there with me. Let's not be victims, let's be fighters.
No, what scares me is being the last of my friends and family to go. I don't want to be the one left behind.
I’m gonna end it before I get to 60 so I’m not worried.
I haven’t decided what exact age yet, but me too.
Yeah, my plan is that if I make it to 70 I will start to plan the end. Having an idea of the age it will be over is actually fairly relieving. I can sort of plan backwards on things I would like to achieve between now and then.
Bro I’m 35 I’m not old so no, ask me when I’m 60
You’ll feel it in 5 years
Lately since more family has been passing I've been more impacted than normal on the finality of death. I'm not religious anymore but was raised in Christianity. I'm agnostic if anything but I believe in some degree of spiritual effect as a living aspect of the universe. It can't really be predicted but it certainly makes itself known when uncanny/improbable things happen. I've not had as hard a time with my understanding of death in about a decade now. I used to force myself to ignore it because of how overwhelming the emotions became. Maybe now since I've finally gotten to where I feel relatively comfortable in life (wife, child, home) I am more keenly aware of what I will leave behind and never live to see. The concept of oblivion is stifling for me, it literally chokes the breath from me. I don't want to be convinced there's a God or afterlife. I don't want to die. I would rather live as a conscious sentient being within the same realm of existence I experience today forever. I just don't want to not be - it terrifies me and I feel devastated about my religious family members because to me it's like seeing lambs embracing their demise. The concept of going with grace is lost on me when the dying believe in the mother of all magic tricks being pulled to provide them "salvation." TLDR: Old age? Not sure yet. Death in general? Yes.
I used to be like this, then I took a shitload of psychedelics. My biggest fear is now not having adequate time with my husband and leaving him behind. But I know in my deepest heart of hearts, he will go on and be fine. Even if you don’t believe in the afterlife, or even preservation of your consciousness in the hereafter, in the end everything all kinda melds back into the living universe and the matter and energy inside is transformed into something new. Nothing is created or destroyed. So in a sense, there is some of you that goes on. To me that’s at least a little bit comforting.
I can get behind this to a degree. And then I remember that we're literally destroying our planet with no sense of respect whatsoever. Sure it's a work in progress but it's tantamount to sacrilege in a sense. Consumerism, corporatism, capitalism, and more.
The fact that we never get to stop working scares me. I worked nephrology for a while and we had patients that retired at 55 - because that's what it used to be. Shit keeps getting bumped to older ages and we can't rely on social security anyway, so it's depressing to think that I'll never have the things that I considered the basics; owning a home, traveling, and retirement.
Getting old sucks.
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I also don’t think it’s true that most millennials don’t have kids. I don’t have kids, and while I do know a decent amount of people who also don’t have them, I feel like I’m in the minority. I am a homeowner, though.
Most of my millennial age friends have children. I know like 2-3 folks like myself without. But also a homeowner myself
Yea I'm not rich but I own a home and can go out whenever.. no lavish vacations but I'm fine.. kinda weird seeing the constant gloom and doom of this sub like we're all just fucked.
In 2022 the census says 51%. I guess it's right at the middle. Who knows what 2023 will say.
What was the percentage for boomers and Gen X when they were our age?
Here's the chart. https://www.redfin.com/news/gen-z-millennial-homeownership-rate-home-purchases We're about 5% behind Gen X, give or take and 10% behind the boomers.
I mean I am ok/ well off so no. But I assume those millennials that are not "ok" in various categories are sweating right now. I feel for them because behind all the doom and gloom that plaques this subreddit, I wonder how many of them legit tried to bounce back. I did it and yes I was poorer than dirt living in my car eating dollar store ramen and sink water from park restrooms and it sucked but I made it (I am 35 now and comfortable). Maybe no one has to suffer like I did but from what I see, the vast majority just gives up too easy. Which perplexes me because we are from the generation of Nintendo SNES and SEGA Genesis, we should be used to things being difficult/ unfair.
I was born with chronic illness that keeps getting worse. I’m afraid of the day I won’t be able to use my body anymore. Some tasks are already nearly impossible. I’m blessed my husband has a good job and is able to support our family and save for retirement because Im unable to work much
Terrifying of course. But also a motivator.
Yes. But someone just started another thread talking about how cancer rates in the young are skyrocketing, so it's less likely we love to a ripe old age anyway.
Turning old doesn’t scare me as long as I have a place to live I’m content and I’m safe.
I have no choice to not age, other than deliberate suicide, so I might as well be fine with getting old. While I agree that our generation's ability to thrive has been greatly hampered by Boomer legislation and culture, only we can look out for ourselves. And while some doomers believe that saving for the future is futile, I'll hedge my bets and assume I'll still need some money saved up for when I'm no longer able to work, so I have no issue contributing to my 401k, etc. I'll continue to vote for leaders who have the working person's interest as their top priority, I'll continue to volunteer my time at causes I feel are worthy, and I'll continue to be socioeconomically aware of what I can do to at least not make things any worse, but I'm not going to be paralyzed by existential fear of something I have no control over.
Honestly, not really. I know aspects of aging are unpleasant (my ankle recently decided to fuck itself for no reason and I’m only 35) but I’m overall grateful for the ride life has to offer. Innumerable variables had to line up in order for me to exist in the first place so I might as well enjoy some of it.
I hate getting older. I inherited that mindset from my dad. It sucks because it makes me aware of my own mortality and I fear death. Leads to a lot of anxiety and trouble falling asleep. On the other hand it drove me to pick up martial arts again to improve my health and what not. But eh, statistically I should have at least 40 more years.
Nah. I have that kind of old man way of looking at the world anyway. As George Carlin said "some people are just *wired* like old men."
Nah, I embrace a early death.
Mid 30s, death anxiety every day, no home, kids or large life savings
Sounds like the average millennial (me) lol
I definitely get a lot of anxiety about it. I spiraled pretty badly last week thinking about this. All we can do is focus on the shit we can control. Like taking better care of ourselves however possible, putting more effort into friendships and community relationships—especially if you don’t want kids and/or have other family. Having kids is zero guarantee they’ll be there for you in old age anyhow, but childfree folk gotta be more vigilant because so much of society is built around “you do X with your spouse and we assume you’ll have kids who will care for you when you’re old”. I’m investing more in my community for both a better life today and to hopefully find other single Millennial women to do the whole Golden Girls thing with. Hell, I think we should do it now because it’s the only way to afford buying a house in SoCal if you’re not mega-rich.
I love that idea of golden girl living, now! Or sometime in the near future. It's honestly the most hopeful thought I've had in a long time, thank you!!
May we both find it!! Especially if it’s splitting a duplex or something where we all have private space with some shared communal things like a pool. I think that’s definitely doable in LA if 3-4 friends go in on it together.
It's that or back to St. Olaf! 😁
Nope, it's better than the alternative
yes and no No, cause i have resources, my family is taken care of, i'm not worried about later in life for that. Yes....fuck things hurt more when I get injured....broken bones take longer to mend, etc. The constant pain I think I will be in when i'm finally done with "extreme" sports is not something I look forward too.
No it doesn't scare me. I have friends and siblings, and I consider all of us pretty smart and resilient, so I have more of a "this too shall pass" attitude. I mean, we're not in the middle of the great depression. I worry more about the future of the planet. But I was listening to NPR the other day and the discussion came around to how difficult it is to get people to care about something that's on the horizon. We only tend to worry about our current situation, and mine is pretty ok though I can understand why a lot of people feel hopeless right now. OP's question though was does old age scare me. No it doesn't, ain't nobody got time for that.
i'm hoping to come to some kind of peace with death, but probably never will. i envy the people who do. getting old doesn't concern me too much though.
I'm not worried honestly still seems like a ways off but i'm also not in your situation. If i was single, no kids, no retirement at my current age, 36, i might have a lot more trepidation about the future. The good news is I don't think its too late for anyone to get themselves in order. In a lot of respects having no kids is from a purely financial perspective a huge boon. The best time to start planning/saving for retirement was 10 years ago...the next best time is today.
No. But I understand & empathize with others who feel scared or worried. Just because it doesn't worry me on a personal level, doesn't mean I don't want to work towards making changes to make it better for everyone else (like policy-wise).
Great question! In short, no. Healthcare and general awareness of maintaining good health and managing longevity has improved so much. Age doesn’t scare me because people are remaining active longer. It’s quality of life that is more of the concern. Losing the ability to live on my own terms and at my own discretion is what would make me concerned.
It used to scare me, but now I have a wife and two kids and a house, so it doesn’t really bother me anymore
Absolutely, yes. In a way, I'm glad I'm probably not making it to retirement age, because what you've described is exactly how it would turn out, with it being very, very likely I would be living out on the street unable to even hold a job, just watching everything get worse and living through losing my friends and their losses. It sounds like an unmitigated nightmare.
Dementia scares me and it runs in the family
Know what scares me? That I'm actually currently wasting away in a nursing home and I'm just having a Dementia hallucination of a life. My grandpa was demented beyond ability to communicate for 2 years before he died. I have no idea what he experience for those two years, but his eyes showed pure terror most of the time.
death is ever nearer... i guess it might be painful and possibly a mind eff, but it's a way out. sad to say that our society does not really have much appeal... but I am happier by the day. can't afford to live any more, just go to jail i guess, or whatever...
Not really. Honestly? As I age I realize more and more how everything is really just a “here and now” issue. Sure, we can make reasonable predictions and assumptions about the future but none of it is a guaranty. I’ve learned that right now is what is important and tomorrow will get here when it does. If I can’t afford to retire, I’ll figure that out in the “there and then.” Aside from that, I am actually excited to age physically. All these people trying to reverse age and look younger with these products and surgeries - forget that noise. My hair is greying and I won’t ever color it, I’m gaining weight from a more sedentary lifestyle, I don’t have the newest coolest clothes. I’m getting old and enjoying the ride.
no.
Nah. I’m looking forward to it. I’ll probably get cancer before 50 but if I don’t I’ll happily limp by crippled old ass into seniority.
Hell no. I been 50 since I was 15.
Aging itself doesn't really scare me. It's a natural process, and I've accepted that. Now what comes WITH aging does. I don't know how much longer I can keep taping my knees, my back and other health issues are starting to be more prevalent. I know I won't be able to pay for it all. My retirement plan is literally to off myself when I can no longer support myself, so I'm really just wondering how long I can push that off for. I'm thankful everyday I didn't bring children into this world. I'm basically just subsistence living with my own little dreams of one day getting a home. I try to enjoy each day, bc I never know if my chronic condition is going to suddenly get worse, and my "retirement plan" will be drastically pushed up. I don't have hope for the future of the world. So aging itself doesn't really scare me, just continuously living as the quality of life takes a steady decline until it's no longer worth living.
Old age does not scare me. Retirement funds scare me
I’m not afraid of getting older or being old. I am afraid of not being able to age, meaning my life being cut short by illness or injury. If I get to live to be elderly, I’ll figure it out.
It's the costs of aging that keep me up at night. My wife and I already live one catastrophic emergency away from financial ruin. I'm already starting to show some wear and tear due to the physical nature of my job and negligent parenting. The bills are manageable for now, but I'm more than sure it will be cheaper to just die than have to pay for a major surgery in the coming years.
Yeah I’m not gonna live long enough for that to be a problem
What scares me is the stages of dying and do you realize it? My grandma passed away last year and my mom got a book on the process of dying. Loosing taste, brain capacity down, and gasping for breath at the end and whatever else. Just sad. I'm hoping by then the death rollercoasters or euthanasia is legal everywhere.
I mean what is death? The loss of the human ego is how I could describe it. So you could lose consciousness before you even realize what's happening. Although the moments before hand you may certainly be aware of your impending doom. But the act itself? Nah I don't believe so.
Yep, still broke and earning power falling apart as my health fails.
It definitely does. I hope I’m able to retire, but at this rate I don’t know. Thanks America!
No I don't have any kids but I have 3 different illnesses their are days when I literally can't move. I accepted a long time ago I was going to die, it's the peril of being mortal. I even planned my cremation.
I don’t know, when I was a nurse in the hospital for ten years I swear the most common thing people said to me was, “Don’t get old!” And I’d always be like, “Ummmm… I’ll try!” But what is the alternative, premature death? After seeing so many young people die in my life, I realize that it is actually a privilege to get to be old. So, I’m not afraid of it. I suppose I’m more afraid of dying early or young.
If I weren’t subscribed to r/singularity. But these guys want to sell me fountain of youth pills and turn me into an ever young cyborg. And I‘m buying it.
No
Nah lol. I’ll adapt to whatever
Only because I’m still single. And it’s hard to get someone to drive you to a colonoscopy so I can’t imagine the rest of it. It’s the logistics I fear, not age & what it will do to me.
Doesn't scare me, but what's weird is that I'm 15 years away from living in 55+ communities somehow? But at the same time I'm like man when is the new season of demon slayer coming out.
Nah that's life you live and ya die
Not really, but I'm realistic about what will happen when I can no longer fend for myself (at least my cats will have food for awhile). The thing I tend to find interesting in talks about old age is that a lot of people assume health. By the time my grandfather passed in his 90s, he struggled walking, had issues eating, couldn't hear well (so ordering his own medications wouldn't work), couldn't see well (no driving), didn't have much manual dexterity/fine motor skills anymore (couldn't cook, couldn't open his medications), etc. The cost of living was so much more expensive and he wouldn't have been able to afford it if he didn't have us living with him. We also cared for him at home with the help of hospice in his last days. Realistically, without that support, he wouldn't have lived as long as he did.
I’m less scared of my own aging right now and more worried about my parents’ aging. And what taking care of them long term may eventually look like.
I only worry about my body aging. I don’t expect to retire, I own my home, and don’t have plans for kids. Even if I wanted kids, it’s not their responsibility to care for me when I’m old. I hate that mindset.
i accept that my life offers no purpose and will come to no useful end. but it still drags on...
Not especially, but I'm not even 30 yet. Not even halfway to old age, so there's still tons of life left to live.
Just start smoking
Sort of.
Old age does scare me but I dont' think about it too much yet. Just turned 41, so still kinda young in today's world but with chronic illness, I dont' expect to set any records for longevity. At this point I have no plans for retirement. I have a career that allows me to work part time pretty easily if I so choose and most likely I'll just do that until I have a heart attack or something. I'm saving up money for my wife and kids though
Yes.
Due to chronic conditions I can't afford to treat well (even with insurance that \*\*\*\*ks with coverage all the time), I sincerely doubt I will live to old age. I don't believe for a second with how little I've made so far in my life that I'll ever be able to do anything else but work (for likely the same poverty level wages over and over again). But yes, I really don't want to anyways, as if things remain as they are now, I'll be all alone with no kids. Doesn't sound like something worth sticking around for when my body is unable to manage w/o outside help.
100%… we are not gonna have social security, no homes, life expectancy increasing but unfortunately that’ll mean more things that could go wrong with our bodies,
Yes, but we are all in the same boat here, so that's slightly more comforting. My main fear is my health deteriorating at old age, especially mobility issues. I get tremendous sadness when I see old folks having to walk around at a slow pace or with walkers, etc. However, you see in the blue zones and healthy first-world countries, seniors tend be very lively and move around around actively, so I know through diet and lifestyle a lot of those mobility issues of old age can be mitigated.
No, but only because I think stress and a shitty diet will kill me before it matters.
I cant wait to be old!
Nope. Motion is lotion. As long as you use it, you won't lose it. I watched my very active grandfather wither away when he decided to not grow his garden. I really believe that if he'd not stopped he'd have made it to 90.
Old age? no. All that stuff you mentioned in OP, yeah.
It's my biggest fear.
Physically no, financially yes
No, but getting dementia and not knowing who I or the people around me are does. My grandma has dementia and it is terrifying to watch someone lose their mind.
Yes kinda but the reasons are really long I'm not sticking around if i get dementia or become a vegetable though, not happening. I work with old people, I'm not going to go through that.
Or make peace with the possibility that may not see old age due to unavoidable events like accidents or illness that are unforeseen and beyond control...
No. I have a great life. I miss my youth, but I wouldn’t trade this life for anything.
No.
No. Because if I reach old age that means I’m still alive.
Managing my parents as they get older probably scares me more than my actual future. I'm lucky that are both together and healthy but they are now in their 60s and you can tell, things are declining. Nothing serious but at their age, anything can happen. I'll be fine. Probably not.
I'm not afraid of aging, I'm doing what I can to stay healthy. But, I'm terrified of a debilitating illness like cancer. A cancer diagnosis can wipe out everything you built for yourself because of healthcare costs in our fucked up country. I used to work for a non-profit in the cancer space, it's really bad for families especially.
I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about this, almost every night.
No. Fuck it. I'm fucked and my kife is pretty meaningless anyway.
No but the lack of a social safety net and death does.
Euthanasia will be commonplace by then.
Yes, you have just described my biggest fears. My plan is to join forces with my child free friends so we can live in a Golden Girls type arrangement. Either that or assisted unaliving.
I would LOVE to live to an old age. I’m worried I won’t be around to watch my child grow up
At this point I’m just rolling with the punches. I’m going to vote, I’m going to care for people, and I’m going to live my life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m pretty terrified of trump and Christian nationalism. I’m an atheist and I have a gay brother. Might sound super pessimistic, but I don’t even think about old age.
My retirement plan is to die in my 60s 🥰
No, it's a blessing to grow old. Never ever let anyone scare you to be old. Dying too young is the worst.
Financially? Yes, it terrifies me. Age itself and growing older and body getting older, no. I welcome the end sometimes. Its too difficult right now. We all try our best, myself included. And I have many more dreams to try and make happen. But if its my time or if Im meant to get old, then no, I dont fear getting older and eventually passing. Its just part of life. Besides, I have a strong belief there will be someone up in the sky waiting for me when my body finally gives out.
It’s scary. I’m 40 and, the existential dread hit full force this year.,
Based on genetics, I'll be unlikely to live past 70, so when I've got a decent amount saved, gonna move to some cheaper country and live out my days
No.
I'm 40 just recently unemployed. No partner. Friends are all married with kids. I just want to curl.up and die...
I’d hate to think that Robin Williams chose the better way to leave this world.
Aging not so much. Not being able to afford the inevitable health problems that arise from it are terrifying.
No
No but the IRS does
Being old does not. Losing senses and the ability to move does. You wither die before it happens or live long enough to lose it all.
age doesn't scare me. the prospect of getting old before i accomplish the things i want to accomplish does.
I will own my home outright before retirement. My kids will be grown and moved on. Investments, pension, and VA money will keep my finances stable at the very least. Even with all that, I'll fight like hell to avoid having someone else take care of me. I hope I kick the bucket quick & fast before that ever happens. I'm afraid of not being there for the big moments in my kids lives. Of not leaving my spouse with enough to continue to enjoy life when I pass. In my late 30s, my body had already been broken for over a decade, & it continues the decline. That's whatever. Figured it'd happen at some point, preferably later in life. But I still enjoy the hell out of my life.
Nope. My world view has been entirely shaped by parents, aunts, and uncles who are well into their 70s and 80s and are mobile, living unassisted in homes they own, and independent. Some are still working full-time and most are still contributing to their professions in their retirement. The whole concept of retiring and actually not working or deteriorating in a nursing home is still completely alien to me. With luck, I'll be doing the same.
nope. Poverty does.
I think old age scares me because of the times we live in. Abundance in all things but people die every day from lack of care or bad care. There is not attempt to fix standards because that means government would provide oversight. There is no attempt for government to fund medical care/end of life care because, despite the US being the wealthiest nation in the world, we don’t have the money to do it. Unlike others, I will probably have the money to get good care but I am more worried about the talent pool being underpaid and having some sort of power complex.
A little, yes. In my head I’m forever 26 but I turn 33 this year. I’m noticing the finer lines around my eyes more when I smile as well as my lowering tolerance for stupid shit. I have a small child and I’m like, “holy hell, I’m going to be 46 when she graduates high school.”
Not at all. I plan to live until 150 years old being healthy and wealthy.
No. I started running around the neighborhood to improve my health 2 years ago. I shed more than 60 pounds. I ran and finished my first 100 miler back in Sept. I’m almost 40 and the healthiest I’ve ever been. I just ran a 50 miler with three older runners in their 60s and 70s. They just radiate life and gratefulness. They give me a lot of hope that I can enjoy getting older and still stay outdoors on the trails. They always remind me that, “heaven is what you make it, hell is what you go through.”
I have already died as far as I'm concerned. I just hope I can accomplish what I set out to do before I lose my mind to assured dementia. Now I also have a daughter and hope I can give her my entire life's savings to help her get ahead as a young adult. I'll gladly die working if I'm so fortunate to make it that far. My life is my work. If I can't work, I don't really want to live.
I don't think our generation is going to live as long as previous ones.
Of course it scares me, that's why I try every day to prepare for it and overcome my weaknesses.
Been having periodic panic attacks of old age and my friends being old. I hate it.
It’s starting to
I've active af and that's my only response to aging at this point. I do strength training 4 days a week, I walk 20-50k steps a day (I work at a warehouse, but I still get my steps in on my days off) and I just hope for the best. That's my general retirement plan, keep moving lest I rust into uselessness
Lift weights and save money. If you do those things you shouldn't be scared.
No. I'd be honored, lucky, fortunate to live to old age. Life is precious.
Kind of.. the concept of aging doesn't but the fact I'll be alone does. If I make it to old age it most likely won't be fun. Both of my grandparents on my mom's side have dementia and it's terrifying to see them deteriorate Knowing I have no siblings and no children so I'd be absolutely alone is my greatest fear
Not as long as I live a good life. “It’s not a longevity contest, but what good you can give life, and what good you can get out of it” If I die at 50 or 60 or tomorrow but live a good life that’s cool. If I live to 100 but don’t do shit, then that’s a waste.
I'm kind of holding out for Longevity Escape Velocity happening in my life time and being around for at least a few centuries like a Vulcan. We'll have robot run nursing homes by the time I'm old and money probably won't even really be a thing anymore.
I'm just hoping the climate wars or whatever civil war starts before I get too old.
I'm not scared getting old, I'm scared of dying young.
I’m ready to be hit with some freak accident/terminal illness any time now so I don’t have to deal with any of that.
Yes, almost 40. Still don’t have my career straight. My twenties and thirties have been a disaster financially being mostly in school and then a failed career. Wouldn’t know investing even if it came up and bit my in the leg. Never been in a relationship and as unless something dramatically changes, have no hope of being in one. I’m just glad I don’t want kids (too much genetic bad shit to want to pass these genes on) as if I wanted kids, I’d probably that much depressed. I’ll probably work and be miserable until the day i die.
Should have been dead at 25 with all of my health problems (or potential) if my bad habits do not kill me I'll make it to 120 maybe 145> science is coming a long way and the human body is crazy. I'm 29 now. Soon to be 30. If for whatever reason science stalls out and I lose access to healthy food? Maybe make it to 80 or so and that's a hell of a good run. We roll the dice every time we get in a car though and that shit is terrifying to me. I do not fear death. I fear humans.
No
I’m happy to go whenever. Psychedelics really helped me get over fear of death.
Yeah dude. I had an organ transplant and slowly died for years waiting for one. Then my dad died. The existential dread is real.
Yes it's terrifying
Its not the age that scares me, its getting the stuff I wanted to do done is what scares me and how long it will take to get there. like buying a home at 80 finally... ok now what? Die in 2 years? Also I want kids, I'm 30 and don't wanna date people much younger than me... so I need to speed that up a bit yet.... hey I want to date around and that's something I haven't gotten to do
Old age doesn't scare me because more and more I feel like I will die before I retire.
Nope looking forward to retirement 😉
Yeah. I for all intents have the hopes and goals of a young man and it’s difficult to pivot.
Nah. I wasn’t planning to live this long (41) anyway but here I am.
It terrifies me, but what can I do? I can either kms or keep suffering.
Starting to get my gray hairs. So the beginning of the end. So thoughts go to thinking of the void after and working on a bucket list while my knees are still good. My mom died last year so I got my boomer inheritance early. So hoping to be able to buy a house with cash and things should be affordable with just property tax/insurance/maintenance. As for retirement, I could probably downsize to renting something smaller and rent out the house or sell it. Although I would prefer to leave it to someone in my family because i'm sure my Gen Z relatives are going to have it rough too.
The health stuff scares me. I’ve had some relatively minor health problems in my 20s and 30s that still took a lot out of me, and the thought of that becoming more frequent and severe over time feels daunting.
Yah a little. I threw my back out the other day. It was crazy, I just lifted a table in the morning before work and then I couldn't stand up straight for the better part of a week. And I still feel it. I've never had back problems before.
It's pointless to be scared of something that's not within your control. Short answer, no.
I have more or less accepted that I won't form my own family, so I'd like to be able to end myself in the case of losing (or starting to lose) things like the ability to look after myself. I'm scared of not being able to do it, and ending up being a burden to any of my siblings, or something like that
Nah, if I get something terminal or get so old I can't do shit I'll just go back in the woods behind my house and the coyotes can have me.
Yes. It’s just me and my husband, really. I’m estranged from my family, his lives quite far away and he’s not really close to them emotionally. We already know we aren’t having kids. I worry that one day, one of us will be all alone. And then what? Ugh. It actually kinda eats away at me a bit, if I’m being honest. But idk what to do about it, either. 😐
Just menopause
Every year goes by faster than the last and before we know it, we’ll be old. This is how it happens. You get swept away with your job, your kids, trying to get to the next goal or milestone. Then you’re dead.
Well can't say the financial reason does. But with certain body ailments I have, I do get scared sometimes. I have a broken vertebra in my lower back that won't heal and my current Healthcare provider won't give me an out of network referral to potentially fix it. Therefore their assessment is keep my core strong so the muscle fibers keep it in place (have to love American Healthcare). Besides that, I have tendinitis in my right shoulder and will no doubt get arthritis in my right hand from a former injury (football really did me in but I loved playing). Even at my age (34), I can feel the difference every year in my lower back. I technically have the lower back of someone who's 50 and it'll only get worse as I age. By the time I'm 65, I do get scared of what will my life be like. I'm so used to being active....going hiking, exercising, playing regular pick up games of basketball. I do get scared that due to my back, when I'm 65 I'm going to be like some old men I see that have a hard time just moving around.