Discussion Life to short or to long

[Darkover]

Life to short or to long

Whether life feels too short or too long depends on personal experiences, outlook, and circumstances:

Life Feels Too Short When:

People who find joy, fulfillment, and purpose often feel there's never enough time to fully experience everything they want.
Unfinished Goals: When someone has ambitions, relationships, or projects they feel they won't complete in their lifetime.
Time Passes Quickly: A busy or rewarding life can seem to make time fly, leaving a feeling of wanting more.

Life Feels Too Long When:

Suffering Overwhelms: Chronic pain, mental illness, or difficult life circumstances can make time drag, making life feel like an endless struggle.
Lack of Purpose: If someone feels directionless or unfulfilled, they may perceive life as a drawn-out, monotonous existence.
Experiencing Loss or Decline: As people age or lose loved ones, they may feel the weight of loneliness or diminishing quality of life, making time seem unbearably long.

 

[Pluto]

I've had this same thought before. I would say 'both'; it hits in ones 40s hard (hence the high suicide rate), being so old that one is worthless for most things, yet still having 50 years of life ahead. This is how it can feel, anyway.

 

[Darkover]

I've had this same thought before. I would say 'both'; it hits in ones 40s hard (hence the high suicide rate), being so old that one is worthless for most things, yet still having 50 years of life ahead. This is how it can feel, anyway.

i should of included the option for both in the poll

it's a collision between "too old for this" and "too young for that." It's often described as a midpoint where the novelty of youth has faded, and the remaining years may feel like a daunting stretch.

edit
updated poll to include both option

 

[brain-fog]

The time you have, where enjoying life is feasible is rather short. Of course you can become 90 years old, but then again you are probably suffering from dementia, can't move your body well, your family abandoned you and let you rot in one of those nursing homes, and have to rely on other people to do the simplest things like going on the toilet. People always say that life expectancy got so much longer as compared to say to the stone age, but they don't take into account that this extra time modern medicine and lifestyle have granted us, is worthless, because your body starts to decay nonetheless and all things you can do to avoid it are rather useless. So, yes, the part of life you can enjoy is fairly short.

 

[NoPoint2Life]

Life to short or to long

Whether life feels too short or too long depends on personal experiences, outlook, and circumstances:

Life Feels Too Short When:

People who find joy, fulfillment, and purpose often feel there's never enough time to fully experience everything they want.
Unfinished Goals: When someone has ambitions, relationships, or projects they feel they won't complete in their lifetime.
Time Passes Quickly: A busy or rewarding life can seem to make time fly, leaving a feeling of wanting more.

Life Feels Too Long When:

Suffering Overwhelms: Chronic pain, mental illness, or difficult life circumstances can make time drag, making life feel like an endless struggle.
Lack of Purpose: If someone feels directionless or unfulfilled, they may perceive life as a drawn-out, monotonous existence.
Experiencing Loss or Decline: As people age or lose loved ones, they may feel the weight of loneliness or diminishing quality of life, making time seem unbearably long.

Gotta say, based on some previous posts I recall seeing I am kinda surprised you would even think about this question.

But anyway, I voted for too long. As my username says I really see no point to life.
And I say it with extra exclamation points Today as my mother who already has a zillion health issues was diagnosed with cancer yesterday. I absolutely dread getting older.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

Definitely too long. I know that I will die one day but, at times, it honestly feels like I'm designed to suffer indefinitely with no end. With how alow time seems to pass, it feels like an eternity of suffering for me even though I know that it is transient

 

[Lost in a Dream]

I voted that it's both too long and too short, just because everyone has a different perspective on it. My life definitely feels too long. Could've ended way back when I was a baby, and it almost did.

What I need to add to this is, since I failed to exit a few months ago, I've realized that I'm glad I got to be here for my friends. My closest ones are giving back, and suddenly I'm glad I gave myself another year.

 

[Praestat_Mori]

It depends on the personal POV whether life is too long or too short. In my case life was too short as long as my life was good and everything went in my favor. Now, after a big failure in life, life is seemingly too long bc I hate having to live such a life.

I'm generally healthy and most likely I can expect 40-50 good years ahead of me but I can't live them - not in the way I would like to live them.

 

[Forever Sleep]

It can be both. I've known very elderly people in relative good health be terrified of death. We have plenty of 18 year olds here desperate to die. I think it depends a lot on the person's individual circumstances.

That said, as a general trend, I don't think extending everyone's lives with very little thought about their quality of life at the end is good. I've also known elderly people in pain and discomfort, utterly miserable and desperate to die. It's not fair to just insist that they rot in care homes.

Our closest natural relations, the Neanderthals would only live till age 38. So- it seems fair to argue that that is our 'natural' lifespan. It's only medical intervention that prolongs our lives. I'm not sure it is always good. If we have an almost 'planned obsolescence' built in, how good is it to keep pushing through that?

For some, it might be ok. If they can keep fixing all the stuff that goes wrong. The bigger problem I have is the restricted choice we have. Maybe it's better than it was. You can at least refuse treatment I suppose. I wonder how eager doctors are to help in pain management then though. I've always wondered that. Will they get shitty and refuse pain meds if you refuse treatment? Will they refer you to psychiatric treatment if it becomes obvious you are comfortable with dying?

 

[Anhaedra]

They say life is too short, but really its the longest thing you'll ever experience.

 

[pthnrdnojvsc]

Life is Too long. 1 minute existing in this hell is too long .

Also Any sentient creature can fall into a trap of unbearable pain. Think what UNBEARABLE PAIN means. One is suffering cant stand it for one second longer but u cant move away from it. Would a minute of that be too long or too short? What about an hour of the worst pain or 30 years of the worst pain: is a sandwhich worth the worst torture ? No life is hell

 

[BismarckIRL]

Both because as unpleasant and hopeless it is days pass like minutes for me. Maybe because nothing changes from day to day so i don't remember anything except 1 routine relived 20000 times.