2 ms·
> Centuries ago almost no one lived long enough to die from heart disease, cancer, or dementia. Right, they were dying of infections, starvation, childbirth an
by D-Coder 4y ago
> Centuries ago almost no one lived long enough to die from heart disease, cancer, or dementia.
Right, they were dying of infections, starvation, childbirth and cholera, appendicitis and anthrax, typhoid and typhus, polio and tetanus. Are you saying that those were better?
- gregjor 4y agoTalking only about elderly people, not children or young adults, I would say it's better to die quickly rather than withering away from cancer or dementia over many years. That would be my preference, and the few people in my family who have slowly wasted away from incurable chronic conditions expressed a desire to just end it. That doesn't mean dying from an infection or sepsis is somehow better than dying from cancer or dementia, but acute conditions get closer to the sudden and unexpected death I would prefer. Other people have different opinions on this, of course.