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Getting old sucks.

NecrosaroIII

Ultimate DQ Fan
I say this as a dude in my mid 30s, but I was reflecting on it tonight.

You spend most of your life old. Youre really only in your peak from 20 until 30, and then slow its a slow backslide into poor health and decrepitude. Your body starts to break down and your mind starts to slow as your brain cells crystalize.

Eventually everyone you know starts to fade away, either from growing distant or dieing. One by one they leave your life like stars dieing until youre all alone. Your reward for getting to old age is to revert to a child-like state where someone has to look after you.

You get to die alone, and in constant pain. If you get dimentia, you get the added bonus of basically losing who you are as a person. I cant think of anything more nightmareish than dimentia.
 
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JonSnowball

Member
Your preoccupation with mortality will reduce your quality of life significantly. If you reach the end and have the realisation that you wasted your entire life worrying about the end that would be disappointing.
Exercise semi-regularly, eat relatively well, and stimulate your mind while avoiding social media and other mindless repetitious activities. You'll be fine, at least for a while.

Anyway.

 

kevboard

Member
it's funny, we humans always talk about the natural habitats of animals, and how animals should live in their natural environment in order to be happy.

well, we as humans have long stopped living in our natural habitat, stopped living a normal life. we are an absolutely weird ass species if you think about it. we basically took ourselves out of our natural way of living, simply due to our intelligence allowing us to create a new way of living and a new habitat.

all of these things you mentioned were not of anyone's concern back when we were still hunters and gatherers. the biggest concern anyone ever had at that point was to not get eaten or get wounded or fall ill.
and then at one point or another you either got killed by an animal, get wounded and die within days from an infection, or get infected by some virus and die in a week. and that was just normal...

our intelligence and societal advancements let us live a longer life and a life without any real danger to worry about.
sounds like a utopia, but every utopia can easily also be seen as a dystopia or at some point turn out to be one wearing the mask of a utopia.

I think humanity as a whole is in a transitory state at the moment. we are advanced enough to live comfortably and have little worries in our everyday lives, but not advanced enough to make sense of the world or actually prevent the worst and most disturbing illnesses.
a live so comfortable that you can afford to worry and ponder about things that are deeply disturbing at times, but without the means to prevent these deeply disturbing things to happen.

we aren't primitive enough nor advanced enough to live in bliss basically. ignorance is bliss, and we stopped being ignorant.




proofreading this, I now wonder...why the fuck do I sound like some wannabe philosopher 🤣 lol... just pretend I wanted to flex my English skills or something.
 

ÆMNE22A!C

NO PAIN TRANCE CONTINUE
It’s better than the only alternative.

Isn't there some contextual nuance and complexity being overlooked here?

Don't forget that the world moves on from what's familiar and makes sense to you, so you end up even more alienated from culture at large!

That rings true.


Build a big family.

Then, near the end, start a war of succession among your children to decide who becomes the new patriarch of your empire.

You won’t die alone, one way or another!

That's a good mindset and approach for sure.

I personally don't 'really' mind getting older myself; it's my loved ones rather that plays a huge factor. Find that particularly difficult to come to terms with. Especially seeing it happen now slowly but steady. Trying to appreciate every moment helps.
 
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StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Watch out for health and weight once you hit 40 or so.

I've never been a fitness guy or healthy eater. Easy to get by in your 20s and 30s like it has no effect. But once you hit 40 or 45, you'll start to feel it. Mentally fine, mobility and reflexes seem fine too. But you'll feel more sluggish and a bit more achy getting out of bed. And when you bang your shin against a table or bed leg, that shin bruise takes a while to go away now!
 

od-chan

Gold Member
Youre really only in your peak from 20 until 30

Most of us probably aren't athletes or anything, so I don't care too much about when my body was at its theoretical peak. If your genes aren't shit and you're not treating your body too horribly you should be somewhat fine for a considerable while still.

>One by one they leave your life like stars dieing until youre all alone

At the risk of sounding edgy: Ideally your state of mind isn't tied to you being alone or not. Lonely != alone.

But, obviously, you still have a point. Generally speaking being young is a lot better than getting old. It's not too bad either though.
 

cormack12

Gold Member
You have a life expectancy, we all do. The goal is just to live until it, if you're lucky you get to live a decent way past that (If your health matches your aging).

Every day people get devastating news cutting their lives short or get into accidents etc. Others have strokes or life changing incidents. All before their perceived expected decline.

Don't worry about your own mortality, it's a path every human will go down with the same ending. At some point we all get a bit existentialist, just do what you like. Adapt your lifestyle to suit your capability.

Being young has physical advantages but growing up has so many more.
 

IAmRei

Member
it's natural, and You can do one thing, expand Your networks, and friends, it helps.
I surround my self with youth, as my studio always open internships, for so, I can stay feels like Young. how? by keep connected, but not affected. I see lot of Youngers fall and rise, in their Youth. guiding them is part of the fun being older.
I almost never felt lonely. and easier to accept age.

my age is 40, is not much, but I can even feel these years are my peak, and I can keep better.

I see lot of Japanese artists doing the same, by hiring assistant, who soon will be their heritages.
well soon is not sooner, took a decade or two.

I can feel Your problem thought.
Maybe my suggestion can helps.
 

Trilobit

Member
You can enhance the plasticity of your brain even as you get older. Might require effort, but it's possible.
 

Big Baller

Al Pachinko, Konami President
sad black and white GIF
 

Miyazaki’s Slave

Gold Member
Pro tip:

Be fat most of your life then drop all that weight in your late 40’s.

Your body will fell like you are 20 again, start going to the gym, and bask in all the adoration.

-or-
Find someone you can enjoy the ride with but do it soon. The prospect of finding people in your late 40’s (and beyond) is bleak.
 
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Mistake

Member
I once red the quote “You are all the descendants of survivors”, and it’s true. Our ancestors survived all the wars. Survived all the plagues. Famines. Only for us to bitch on the internet how bad we are because our favorite game hasn’t been remastered yet.
Add on the fact this planet was able to develop not only life, but intelligent life. Pretty mind blowing when you put it all together
 

notseqi

Member
to quote the philosopher Joey 'Coco' Diaz: Just get high dawg

if you haven't tried LSD - give it a whirl, sorts some stuff out
 

Northeastmonk

Gold Member
Try manscaping a bit and being positive about yourself. You’ll find you’re better off. Otherwise it’s a struggle. I’ve gone through this though. Ageism feels like a virus.
 

Phobos Base

Member
I miss being a kid, when you had no responsibilities and everyone always told you that you did a great job or tried really hard even when you objectively didn't
 

RJMacready73

Simps for Amouranth
I say this as a dude in my mid 30s, but I was reflecting on it tonight.

You spend most of your life old. Youre really only in your peak from 20 until 30, and then slow its a slow backslide into poor health and decrepitude. Your body starts to break down and your mind starts to slow as your brain cells crystalize.

Eventually everyone you know starts to fade away, either from growing distant or dieing. One by one they leave your life like stars dieing until youre all alone. Your reward for getting to old age is to revert to a child-like state where someone has to look after you.

You get to die alone, and in constant pain. If you get dimentia, you get the added bonus of basically losing who you are as a person. I cant think of anything more nightmareish than dimentia.

Listen to the kid here whining about getting old, you should pop round the GAF over 50's support group where we discuss the good old days, bad backs and Jet Set Willy...
 

NecrosaroIII

Ultimate DQ Fan
to quote the philosopher Joey 'Coco' Diaz: Just get high dawg

if you haven't tried LSD - give it a whirl, sorts some stuff out
Tried mushrooms a few times. Last time it triggered a mental breakdown and I was placed in an involuntary hold at a mental hospital for 14 days.

I respect psychedelics, but i also know Im not mentally strong enough for them
 

Branded

Member
I dunno, I'm 37 and while I'm in no means the best shape any more I still actively workout and try to live a healthy lifestyle. Staying in shape does wonders to both your physical and mental well being.

Whenever I ask someone to guess my age they consistently seem to think I'm somewhere in my twenties lol so I guess that's both a blessing and a curse. :messenger_grinning_sweat: Always fun seeing people's eyes grow and have their mouths on the floor when I tell my actual age.

But yeah what JonSnowball JonSnowball said. Don't have mortality on the brain all the time. Now that's not to say to take it for granted (because life is a gift) but you can do a lot to make 'getting old' not as pessimistic and nihilistic as you currently experience it.
 
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John Marston

GAF's very own treasure goblin
I don't dwell too much on my mortality but there's this quote from Roger Ebert that not only gives me comfort but also makes a lot of sense.

"I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear. I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state. I am grateful for the gifts of intelligence, love, wonder and laughter."
 

DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
I say this as a dude in my mid 30s, but I was reflecting on it tonight.

You spend most of your life old. Youre really only in your peak from 20 until 30, and then slow its a slow backslide into poor health and decrepitude. Your body starts to break down and your mind starts to slow as your brain cells crystalize.

Eventually everyone you know starts to fade away, either from growing distant or dieing. One by one they leave your life like stars dieing until youre all alone. Your reward for getting to old age is to revert to a child-like state where someone has to look after you.

You get to die alone, and in constant pain. If you get dimentia, you get the added bonus of basically losing who you are as a person. I cant think of anything more nightmareish than dimentia.


Your body doesn't have to degrade like that. You can delay or offset it through diet and exercise. Do things that bring you joy. Do them alone or with people you love. Keep up your relationships... Friends make life fun and grand! Fall in love, get married, have kids...

Your view of aging is seriously out of whack.
 

Days like these...

Have a Blessed Day
I don't dwell too much on my mortality but there's this quote from Roger Ebert that not only gives me comfort but also makes a lot of sense.

"I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear. I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state. I am grateful for the gifts of intelligence, love, wonder and laughter."
Death is not the opposite of life. Death is the opposite is birth. My thoughts are with you
 
I say this as a dude in my mid 30s, but I was reflecting on it tonight.

You spend most of your life old. Youre really only in your peak from 20 until 30, and then slow its a slow backslide into poor health and decrepitude. Your body starts to break down and your mind starts to slow as your brain cells crystalize.

Eventually everyone you know starts to fade away, either from growing distant or dieing. One by one they leave your life like stars dieing until youre all alone. Your reward for getting to old age is to revert to a child-like state where someone has to look after you.

You get to die alone, and in constant pain. If you get dimentia, you get the added bonus of basically losing who you are as a person. I cant think of anything more nightmareish than dimentia.
I would check with your doctor about depression. This sounds like a depressed persons post that might need medicine.
 

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
Nah man, getting old is awesome. There is so much cool shit now that didn't exist when I was younger, and there's even more cool shit that will exist later when I'm even older - some things I probably can't even fathom right now. With each leap forward in technology, I consider it a blessing that I get to live to see what's over that horizon.

Keep your body in good shape and take care of it, so you can enjoy the things that are coming your way down the line. With modern medicine and exercise, there's no reason that you can't be active and healthy well into your 70s and 80s.
 

Putonahappyface

Gold Member
Losing my grandparents on both sides of the family and then my parents, brought me to the realisation that me and my older sister are next and I'll probably be the last to go. I try not to get to fixated on death as it's obviously morbid and there is nothing I can do about it, just enjoy the ride as best as possible.
 
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