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POLL RESULTS: “Do you want to live to 100?”
The surprising breakdown of who wants to live to 100–and why
You might think the answer to the question “Do you want to live to 100?” is pretty obvious. After all, the pursuit of longevity is much discussed these days and widely believed to be a goal for many. Throw in society’s vision of vibrant golden years, along with increasing healthspans1, and sticking around to become a centenarian sounds pretty good. Well, not so fast.
One hundred and sixty readers responded to my recent poll; the results of which both surprised me and affirmed my own thoughts on the topic. The winning answer, albeit by a slim margin, is “No, thanks”: 51.9% of all respondents answered "No" to wanting to live to 100; 48.1% answered “Yes.”
But the most fascinating takeaway from my poll is that people of all ages have quite similar thoughts on aging to 100... or not. Here are the top responses (with some direct quotes) in each category (YES or NO):
Top Reasons People Do Not Want to Live to 100:
Declining quality of life, both physically and mentally
Concerns of money running out
Loss of family and friends / loneliness
Fear of becoming a burden to family
Pessimism for the future of society
Fear of dementia
Some comments on NO:
“I am done being human, we are a shitty species. Everyone else on the planet will be happy when we leave.”
“My body is even now stiff and I've started to have all sorts of aches. I have a hard time imagining that the quality of life… would be anything but very low at 100.”
“Probably no money, no friends.”
“I’ve seen enough”
“I simply don't want to live way beyond my ability… to be joyful on a day to day basis.”
“I don't expect to be enjoying life so much that it's worth the effort of hanging on. And I expect the money will run out by 100.”
Top Reasons People Do Want to Live to 100:
Curiosity to see what the world becomes
Passionate about continuing creative endeavors / life’s work
Feeling love and hope for life
Want to witness their grandchildren age
Feeling that there’s plenty to do / FOMO (fear of missing out)
Mental and physical health are priorities
Some Comments on YES:
“I have plenty to do and would hate to miss out on any of it. I’ll quit when my body tells me to.”
“I have paintings to make. Books and poems to write. I will be published someday.”
“I am very curious and hope to see a shift in how we treat each other as well as how we treat the planet. Of course, if it doesn’t go well I might not want to feel the effects, although I would like to hug my family as we go down in flames together.”
“I have a lot to do, I am an artist and I want to continue painting and teaching…”
“I want to be here as long as I can to have the joy of watching my grandchildren age.”
“As long as my brain is still functioning well, why not? I have a lot more books to write.”
As you can imagine, the desire to reach 100 has a number of conditions attached to it; chiefly, staying in good health, remaining independent, and continuing to enjoy a life worth living. When we look at the poll results by age, an even more interesting trend appears. While there were not enough respondents to extrapolate any broader cultural conclusions, it’s fascinating to me that there was such a significant dip in interest in living to 100 during midlife (50s and 60s), and that it climbed again into the 70s and especially 80s. See below:
Poll Results by Age
30s (5 respondents): 60% want to live to 100
40s (6 respondents): 66% want to live to 100
50s (22 respondents): 36% want to live to 100
60s (45 respondents): 38% want to live to 100
70s (59 respondents): 51% want to live to 100
80s (23 respondents): 65% want to live to 100
The relatively high percentage of poll respondents in their 80s saying YES to living to 100 might seem surprising; after all, they are experiencing the reality of very old age, which can be challenging. But large scale studies2 show that if you make it to 85, you’re more likely to have developed healthy lifestyle habits, including exercise and muscle strengthening, and also have genes that contribute to longevity—so you have a decent shot at getting to 100.
My answer to the question was “No,” having seen both my parents die, in their early 90s, in the past two years. Their last three to four years were a period of distressing physical and mental decline. Even now, at 73, I am experiencing some of the downsides of old age; very old age looks scary to me. I find myself frequently doing what
, in a recent interview3 calls the “iron math,” meaning computing how many years I have behind me, and how many more are in my future. But the variable is not how many years do I have left before dying; it’s how many more years do I have of vigor and purpose and in relatively good health? (I don’t know, of course.)It’s very difficult to imagine what old age feels like, until you get there and experience some of the bullshit (a body you can no longer take for granted, loss of strength, illness, etc.) When you’re in your 30s or 40s, old age seems like a hypothetical, a foreign country you don’t plan to visit anytime soon—so it’s easier to say “Yes” to living to 100.
Finally, if there are any further takeaways for me, it’s to be even more committed, now, to living [b]oldly, with ambition and creativity.
Questions for readers
If you could guarantee cognitive health and financial stability, would that make living to 100 more appealing?
I was struck by the reasons people responded "Yes"—most had to do with a zest for creative living and reaching personal goals. Does this make you think any differently about the importance of creative pursuits?
What should my next poll about [b]old age be???
Coming Soon…
📚 Subscribers should be on the lookout early next week for all the deets about the No-Guilt [B]old Women Book Club. This is a lovely perk for paid subscribers; stay tuned.
Despite the miracle of modern medicine, healthspan is not increasing as fast as you might think: As Lifespan Increases, People Spend More Years Burdened by Disease (JAMA, Jan. 10, 2025)
For example: Genetic, Social, and Lifestyle Drivers of Healthy Aging and Longevity (National Library of Medicine, 2023)
I’m 59 and in good health. I don’t take any pharmaceuticals: I’m active and eat nutrition whole foods. I love life.
That said, I have no children nor does my brother (who is 57 and has bipolar disorder). Our mother is 89 and has always been physically and mentally active and is a positive happy person. Unfortunately, starting at 81 she underwent four major surgeries: a hysterectomy, two years later a hip replacement, another two years another hip replacement, then she got breast cancer at 87 with a diagnosis of two brain aneurysms and had a mastectomy two years ago.
She has always been independent, sufficient and strong, having raised us alone after our father died when we were teenagers.
After her second hip replacement surgery, her mental health started declining, having been affected by the anaesthesia. It has gotten worse and she has been diagnosed with dementia.
Watching our mother, a beautiful, vibrant, energetic and brilliant woman decline and lose her independence and ability to think properly and to manage her own finances (I now take care of everything as my brother doesn’t have the ability), is sad, painful and troubles me.
So now I think who’s going to care for me as my brother and I care for my mother?: the love and support we offer her.
I too have led a healthy life like my mother
and look at the result with my mom. Is this going to happen to me as well?
So to your point and conclusion of the survey: yes, I would live to live to past 100 in a healthy body with all my mental capacity, however, if I decline like my mother the answer is definitely no..
Yes with the caveat of maintaining financial independence although this is less important than the key one for me which is maintaining cognitive ability. This is key!