If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want ?

That would be one for Stephen Hawking. If he could get his body back, and have his 30 yr old mind, he would be doing pretty well.
Speaking for me, I am not ashamed of my mind at 30, so I guess I would take the body. Then I could rope out of a helicopter again.

I think you misunderstand, you can only have the mind OR body.

I don’t know, honestly. I know I don’t have experience yet with the horror that is dementia (though I’m watching both grandmas go through it now), but my body is so broken even now that I live in fear of my future as I get older and it gets naturally more broken. I think I’d want the body.

I think at 80 I’ll still have my head together but I would not take that bet with my body. 30 was my physical prime.

@Mariah In that case, it’s an impossible conundrum. I’ll stick with current program.

But currently they might both deteriorate! It’d be great to have reassurance on at least one! I agree it’s damn near impossible to choose though….

I want to keep my hard penis thanks, shallow, but happy.

Body please. Thank you for the kind offer.

__

A bit confused by the shallow penis, but it’s @ucme ‘s to do with as he pleases.

If @BellaB is so easily confused maybe the mind has already gone…bless :)

For me, that question is much harder to answer now that I’m older than it might have been years ago. I’m feeling some physical limitations and also am a bit slower at figuring out stuff like tech gadgets and manuals that used to be so easy for me.

There’s also that bitch of sometimes not remembering names, movie titles and other simple stuff.

And then there’s this: I’m really not much interested in reaching 90.

@Pachy At the risk of sounding patronising, I feel for you & you got my respect…top bloke.

I am not interested in living into ancient, decrepit old age either. I’ll take my mind, thanks. I had a ricking young bod for years but I prefer my wisdom, wit and sharp mind over perky tits and a tight ass these days. haha

<Penis talking> “Did someone mention perky tits & tight arse?” <stands to attention>

mind

I am 60 now, and due to complications from surgery, my ability to concentrate and my memory have suffered.
I don’t mind my out of shape body, though it would be nice to have hair again.

I’d take the sharp mind. I could use it to figure out how to exercise , walk, talk and dress younger. Having a great bod but a brain rotted out with dementia would keep me from enjoying my figure anyway.

The body. With the wisdom that I would have accumulated, it would be amazing. I might look kind of funny though.

I suppose I would take the body. I have a better chance of maintaining a healthy brain for a long time. Once the brain goes, I will probably not notice.
If I took the brain, then I will be of sound mind for only so long till the unhealthy state of my body deteriorates my brain.
Dementia hasn’t reared it’s ugly head in my family and many lived to be in their 90’s. The only ones who may have had a touch of it was those that were ill for so long that it made their minds dull, but not quite dementia. So I will take my chances.

That’s it @Pandora . The healthy body will help maintain the brain. I’m not interested in what the body looks like. Never have, never will. I do want it to be strong and healthy.

My mind. If that goes a great body isn’t going to be of much value. If I lose my mental faculties, I don’t want to hang around for years in a healthy body.

There is no question for me…my mind. My mother has suffered from Alzheimer’s for about 16 years. Losing your cognition is scary as hell.

Question unclear.

Depends on what the bad mind version looks like. I’m planning to be a pretty mentally sharp 90-year-old as it is, so if that holds up, I’d take the body.

On the other hand if you’re threatening me with some sort of dementia yet telling me my body can live to 90, then I’d take the mind.

Mind. I say this as someone who’s responsible for a parent with late-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

Think back to when you were a child in the classroom. The teacher calls on you. Not only don’t you know the answer, but you don’t even understand the question. You’re embarrassed in ways that only a child can be, and you wish the floor would open up and swallow you whole. If the teacher’s compassionate, he/she will move along; if not, you’ll be humiliated with questions about why you hadn’t prepared for class, or with a lecture about how you’d already been taught that certain matter and should know it.

This is exactly how life is for someone with a cognitive impairment – an ongoing unfamiliarity and confusion, combined with abject terror and embarrassment.

Also, when the mind deteriorates, so does the body. The brain controls physical functions; when the brain goes, there’s nothing left to govern digestion, continency, balance, mobility, etc., etc. Loss of mind is promptly followed by loss of body.

Yes, Jellies, as you may have guessed by now, my mother’s been declining in recent weeks, and I just returned from my daily visit. Although we just spent some nice time together – she loves me and is always so happy I’m there – I’m troubled by the devastation I see.

So sorry @Love_my_doggie. That’s so incredibly painful. Yes, the mind-body connection is real and goes both ways. I get a mental fog when I’m physically sick too, and I’m young.

^^^ Thank you for your kind words.

That depends on the 30-year-old.

Body.