Do you think there are people who live the best years of their life in their old age?

Question

They say people are in the prime of their lives in youth.

By that time, people are starting to build their lives, having a lot of stamina and many wishes in mind.

Old age is usually regarded as the beginning of the end.
People start to lose their looks, they start to suffer from diseases, their careers are over and their children (if they had them) are grown-up.

Young people dream of their adulhood, but never of their senior years.

However, is it true that youth is always "heaven" and old age "hell"?

Answer 1

Depending on what your life was like in younger years, there are those whose best years are the later in life years. But I would not consider it "the beginning of the end", no way.

The Senior lifespan is now over 80 years for women and 77+ for men. This is a lot of years even if you wait until 65 or 70 to retire. Especially if you consider that the lifespan at the turn of the last Century (1899 - 1900) was only 40+. We've come a long way.

The prime of my life did not even come close until I was 55 and I loved and savored each and every minute of it. I still, for the most part, am doing many things that would be considered "prime of life" activities. Remember, the 60's today are considered the 40's now, so we have much more that we are doing. Attitudes have changed and we're retaining our independence longer and living more healthy. We are looking better and acting younger, only this time it's with experience and wisdom on our side to keep us from repeating many of those mistakes we made when we were younger.

Several years ago, a man over 100 years old was honored as the oldest working American. He was asked if he had any advice to the younger population regarding his longevity and he replied "don't die". This award is given annually and it goes to show that keeping active has it's rewards.

It's been said that "Youth is wasted on the young" and sometimes it's easy to believe. Youth should take a good look at the aging population and start while they are young to prepare for it.

No, old age is absolutely not hell, it can be heaven on earth. And that, my friend, is totally dependent on your outlook on life!

Good Luck in yours!

Answer 2

I believe the "prime" of life is always considered the 35-50 age range (or, depending on how you look at it, 35-60). Our young years, if you think about it, can never be considered our prime years for many reasons: young people almost never make enough $$ to live comfortably because they work at minimum wage jobs or entry level jobs; they don't have the wisdom--education, vocabulary, experience, etc.--that 40 somethings have so they often can't articulate their thoughts and emotions as adeptly as adults can; finally, young people lack the authority which adults possess (this can sometimes work to their advantage but often it works against them). On the brighter side of youth is free summers (for the 18 and under crowd), dreaming of adulthood because their adulthood is currently a clean slate, physical strength that is superior to their adult peers and not having to worry about things like cancer, high blood pressure and heart attacks. Despite these advantages, however, adulthood is still a better time of life. Adults know how to make their youthful fantasies manifest: basically, it takes hard work, $$, and knowledge, talent and skills.

Answer 3

I wouldn't be with my family long, if they didn't also live 900 years...if I could be healthy and active that would make a difference. Being restricted in movement or mental capacity, or in a nursing home for 900 years holds no appeal. The 100 young years sounds great though, as that's about 25 yrs added on to the average US lifespan, not to mention they'd all be "youthful" years.

Answer 4

I can't speak for others but I will say that in my case the fourteen years since I turned forty eight have been the happiest years of my life and the best years of my marriage.

The first forty-eight years of my life were almost a waste. I felt the "call to ministry" in my teens and spent the time from then to age forty-eight running from that call.

At forty-eight I finally started serving God...

While the trials have been many and varied they are nothing when compared to the fulfillment, love and pure joy that has filled mine and my wife's lives since then... AND I fully expect this to continue (and get better) for the rest of our lives.

Answer 5

Tell ya what. Older people are so smart, and these smarts can either work for or against them...as they watch their young relatives making stupid mistakes they've already made. As long as an elderly gentlewoman or man knows who they are, where they are, and where the bathroom is, they do indeed live the best years of their lives, bathed in WISDOM.

By the way, my grandmama is 103 years old!!!!

Answer 6

Every age has its relevance to life.

In old age, one comes to a certain acceptance of what life is about, a certain knowledge and acceptance of who one is, a certain kind of wisdom - all of which the young does not do or have, but that's okay because that's not youth is about.

Do what you have to do at each age.

Answer 7

You have two questions..

No -- the best years of your life are not in your old age.

Yes -- youth is heaven and old age is hell.

Best time - ages 40-50.

Answer 8

Each individual is responsible for what they make of their lives. If you do not take care of your health, then yes, it will go to "hell" and take you with it. If you do not think ahead and plan for retirement, then it becomes a stressful "hell", and you've no one to blame but yourself.
If you look at getting older as a time of constant loss instead of a time to reflect, then sure, it's going to be "hell".

I choose to use my remaining years to teach what I know, to be as productive as I am able, to do what I can to maintain what health I have and refuse to worry about what I cannot control. To me, "old age" is a time to review what you have done, what you have learned and what you leave behind as a legacy, it is a time to look forward to the end of the old existence and the beginning of the new. It is a time to rejoice in the part you played and to anticipate your new role after this life is over.
It takes a mature person to be able to handle the rigors of being older, it isn't easy. I think if many young people were saddled with the issues of aging, they would not make it for they aren't prepared. It takes life to prepare one for each new stage.
Life, at any age, is what you make it, nothing more, nothing less.

Answer 9

No, no,no. In very many cases, the heartbreaks of youth give way to the serenity of old age. If somehow you come to terms with your mortality, you are at peace with yourself. You can sit back and enjoy the hustle and bustle of life that youngsters go through and be thankful that you are no longer a part of it, your priorities have changed.

Answer 10

I think some people find their later years to have less responsibility. Plus, they're content with who they are and are fine with living simply.

Of course, there's the down side of medical care being expensive coupled with more medical problems.