How Young is "Too Young to Die"?

[OmahaBlueDog]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/movies/philip-seymour-hoffman-actor-dies-at-46.html?_r=0

The actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his New York apartment on Sunday morning of an apparent drug overdose, according to a law enforcement official who requested anonymity because he was not certain the actor’s family had been informed of the death.

The official said Mr. Hoffman, 46, was found in his West Village apartment around 11:30 a.m. by a friend who had become concerned at not being able to reach Mr. Hoffman.

Investigators found a syringe in his arm and an envelope containing what is believed to be heroin, the official said.

This both saddens me and angers me because of the waste of talent and needless loss.

To me, 46 is too damn soon. OTOH, people lose kids to cancer; teens and 20 somethings die in car wrecks. Who am I to say?

4 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	It is what it is/It's whenever (God, Allah, Budda) calls you home/Whenever you go it's time/There are no guarantees
	1 (25%)
	Anything over 40 is a reasonably long life, Under that is too young to die.
	0 (0%)
	Anything over 45 is a reasonably long life, Under that is too young to die.
	0 (0%)
	Anything over 50 is a reasonably long life, Under that is too young to die.
	0 (0%)
	Anything over 55 is a reasonably long life, Under that is too young to die.
	0 (0%)
	Anything over 60 is a reasonably long life, Under that is too young to die.
	0 (0%)
	Anything over 65 is a reasonably long life, Under that is too young to die.
	0 (0%)
	Anything over 70 is a reasonably long life, Under that is too young to die.
	1 (25%)
	Anything over 75 is a reasonably long life, Under that is too young to die.
	0 (0%)
	Anything over an age I'll state below is a reasonably long life. Anything 75 or under is too young.
	2 (50%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[Donald Ian Rankin]

1. Three score and ten, isn't it? N.T.

[one_voice]

2. Today is the..

3 year anniversary of the death of my 16 year old nephew.

This is what I put on fb for him..



Dec. 10, 1994-Feb. 2, 2011

Andrew is forever in our hearts



16 was way too young.

[OmahaBlueDog]

6. I'm sorry for the loss of your nephew

16 is too damn young.

In my part of the world, many people who lost loved ones in Iraq/Afghanistan put appliques on their vehicles with the name & rank, and birth and death years. It is tragic and sbering. It also angers me.

[adirondacker]

3. You're supposed to outlive your parents at the very least. nt

[Historic NY]

4. "When its you".

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. Holy fucking shit!!!!!!!!!

This is the first I have heard of this.....

My god....and he was such a good actor, had years of performances and accolades to look forward to.

Heroin???????
What a waste.

too young to die is anyone 2 years older than I am at any given moment.

[VanillaRhapsody]

7. You didn't include the average life "expectancy" which is 78.64 yrs

less than that is too soon...cause you got less than was expected..

[OmahaBlueDog]

12. I went with 5s. It seemed cleaner.

Your point is taken.

When I was a kid, it was not uncommon for men to drop dead from heart attacks in their 60s, and even in their 50s. People in their 70s seemed very old; people in their 80s/90s were ancient. Times and expectations have changed.

And Hoffman won't be the first or last to be killed by his demons.

[hfojvt]

24. my standard is 42

Why 42? It seems like a fairly long life to me. But to have somebody die at age 73 and say "they were too young to die" seems silly to me when so many are STILL dying before the age of 20.

[lumberjack_jeff]

8. N + 1 where "N" = your current age in years.

[OmahaBlueDog]

10. My dad is 80

He's in reasonably good health, and he still chooses to work full time. I'd be suprised and saddened if I got a call tomororrow. OTOH, I have to be a realist; at 80, you are playing with the house money.

[BanzaiBonnie]

9. Life

Death is difficult to accept when it makes no sense; when we don't understand what happened.

[SheilaT]

11. All I know is that

I am making plans to see the total solar eclipse of August 12, 2045. I'll turn 97 a week later. Anything before then will be too young.

I actually find it hard to name a specific age. Some people can pack so much more of sheer living in fewer years than others can. I also want everyone to be in good health until the very end, which all to often does not happen. Someone with a terrible, chronic disease may be ready to go decades earlier than I hope to be ready.

And also on a highly personal level, if I got diagnosed tomorrow with something that will soon be fatal, I might well not do a lot to prolong my life, especially if it's at the cost of spending most of the rest of my time in hospitals. While there are still lots of things I hope to do before I check out (I'm serious about the solar eclipse) I've already had a pretty decent life, and it wouldn't be so awful if I didn't get to be around another thirty years.

[OmahaBlueDog]

14. I only want to live past 80 if I can have good QOL.

No QOL - I'm not interested.

Enjoy the eclipse.

[SheilaT]

22. Oh, I'm planning on enjoying that eclipse.

I've already told my two sons that if I'm still alive, and I'm not so ga-ga I don't know my own name, they'd better make sure I see it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. "if I got diagnosed tomorrow with something that will soon be fatal,"

I hear ya loud and clear.
I would like to think that I would, and could, practice this idea if necessary, esp. if it means running up impossible to pay medical bills,
or, more likely, having to waste all my remaining energy fighting with health providers to get the treatment in the first place.

OTOH, I would also consider taking the dusty Citibank credit card out for a last wild ride....that thought has been with me more and more as we discover the extent of the banker's criminality.

[frazzled]

23. You can do it

My dad is 97. And he still enjoys life (most of the time).

[Blaukraut]

13. You can't put a number on it. It's all about quality of life. n/t

[Vattel]

16. Death at any age sucks.

I don't think death merits fear because there is nothing bad about not existing. The only problem with death is the fact that you never again get the good things in life. The thought that I will never again look into my beloved's eyes seems sad to me, but maybe I am too sentimental or too attached to my loved ones.

[defacto7]

17. It's too young to die

when you have every reason to live.

[Freddie]

18. Old Irish saying

Blessed is the man with white hair (or something like that). Anybody know the actual saying?
I remember hearing it when Ted Kennedy died because he was the only one of the brothers who lived long enough to have white hair and it seemed so appropriate.
I thought Philip Seymour Hoffman was a lot older than 46 because of the white hair. A wonderful actor.

[Drunken Irishman]

19. My brother was 12 when he died. My dad 58. Both too young, IMO.

[narnian60]

20. If your mind is still sharp as a tack, it's too early.

My precious dad died of congestive heart failure at 88. His wit and intelligence razor-sharp until the end.

[Cerridwen]

21. Any age if it is someone we love.

There are exceptions of course. Someone whose illness brings horrific pain and/or suffering is one of the first that comes to mind.

[Vashta Nerada]

25. Any age is too young to die.

Our lives are but a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things and that's not enough time to experience anything.

[rug]

26. My motto is, Die before you do too much damage.

[OmahaBlueDog]

27. What the Hell fun is that?

Damage is how we showed we were here.

[abelenkpe]

28. 100 in good health

Anything under that is too soon

[aristocles]

29. Get some perspective. For oneself, whatever age is too young to die.

...and in one hundred years we'll all be dead. Don't worry, be happy, be kind, and hope to die peacefully.

[2naSalit]

30. It is what it is..

I don't buy the "when (?) calls you home" part. Death is part of the natural cycle of life. It's cyclical, we're all gonna die and this idea that it is too soon is only relative to what you anticipate should be the time, you really don't have a lot of "say" in this.

Sure there's reckless behavior and there are murders but the fact is, it is the end of your life when it is the end... whenever/however that may occur. We create social norms that are often unrealistic in terms of the natural cycle of life... and I don't think that very many of us have a good grip on what that natural cycle is determined by nor what it actually is. Other cultures have very different perceptions of this cycle and I suspect they also have a better way of dealing with it as well. I suspect that we, as a culture, have put too much emphasis on what religions have set out as the "reality" according to them; they tell us what to think and understand about this. I think they take advantage of the immediate emotional state during a death event and paint a picture that blurs the actual reality of it and because it might make us feel better during that unpleasant episode, we are more willing to accept it whether it is appropriate or not. In many cases we send condolences to the family etc because it is the people who remain here that are suffering and much of the concern is for them.