Would you like to live to 150? our community said… it depends
A clip about leaders chatting longevity got us thinking about the oldest new question.
How long is long enough?
We asked our community on our WhatsApp group and the room lit up. What followed was practical, funny, and a little tender.
Quality over quantity
Most people chose healthspan over lifespan.
Sonia said, A long life only makes sense when you and the world aren’t crumbling.
Marietta added that, Living long is fine only if you are not a burden.
Pradeep nudged us away from number chasing and toward quality.
Angel chimed in with the classic line, zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahin.
The subtext was clear. Fewer vibrant years beat extra fragile ones.
The money and math problem
Some answers did the budget before the bucket list.
Christopher’s take: with rising expenses and dwindling earnings and savings. no thank you.
Brinda joked she would live as long as inflation doesn’t swallow her money.
Ruchi zoomed out to hospitals and pensions already stretched by ageing populations.
Aditi offered a counterweight. If power and influence come with it, why not.
Most people wanted the price clear before agreeing.
The sci-fi shiver
Our imagination went practical fast.
Christopher pictured a world where the rich extend life while the poor become the supply chain.
Harjeet went straight to the hard edge and said euthanasia should be legal, because once you are bedridden you should be allowed to go.
We were also pointed to a blocker we rarely admit. We don’t talk about death enough. We plan every milestone and almost never plan endings.
The heart talk
Some replies were not about years at all. They were about who fills them.
Sinjana wished her mother could live forever by her side, then admitted she hasn’t fully made peace with endings.
Aarthi would take another ten to fifteen years, mostly to see her children stand on their own feet.
Many drew the same soft boundary. Stay while we are fit. leave before we become a burden.
The meaning behind having long years
Romila asked the question many were thinking.
120–150 sounds exhausting. What would I even do with all that time.
Janaki joked she is already planning her next janam.
Live long enough and you will see a covid-style cycle again. Thanks, but no thanks?
If longer lives are coming, life design must change
Here is what we would need before saying yes.
- Health before years. Extend mobility, clarity, independence. Not just the days
- Plan the exit. De-taboo death. Make wills and care choices part of life while we are alive and healthy.
- Fair access. No two-tier immortality where money buys decades and dignity.
- Work and worth, Careers, pensions, and parenting scripts must change. As Ashvini mentioned, the empty-nest pause is real, and longer lives will stretch that feeling unless we design for purpose.
- Consent and ethics matter.
The lines that kept returning
Cindy said eighty. Romila said seventy good years with laughter and love. Neha said sixty to seventy is great if you can spread kindness and add value. Anshu reminded us that medicine extends time but not all diseases.
Ultimately, live well, plan well, and let the number serve the life, not the other way around.
Now it’s your turn
If health, independence, and money that keeps up were guaranteed, would you take the extra fifty to seventy years or do you still prefer the classic edition done right?
Enjoyed this quick recap?
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