Mind and Body

Yzabel / August 11, 2005

I recently enough saw this question in some meme on a blog I can’t remember now, but the implications of it made me think twice.If you were to live 90 years and could choose between retaining the body of a 30-years old or the mind of a 30-years old, what would you choose?In all honesty, I’d decide to go with the body. If I were to lose my mind, I wouldn’t be aware of it in the end anyway, right? So might as well go with a healthy body. Besides, having a 90-years old mind doesn’t necessary mean being senile, whereas the body, even with a healthy lifestyle, wouldn’t be a terribly strong one no matter what. And what good would it be, having a shrewd and acute mind in a decrepit body? I probably wouldn’t be able to stand that, being conscious of how limited I’d be physically, while my mind would still be racing.Of course, I don’t have such a choice. Now, just out of curiosity, what would you choose?body, mind, reflexion

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Comments

  • Storm

    Do I get to keep all of my life experience if I choose the thirty year old body? or do I just get to be senile?My great grandma died at ninety-three. Her mind was as clear as ever right to the end. If I get to have a mind like that, I’d certainly choose the young body.If on the other hand, I have to choose between sound body and sound mind, I’d choose mind. My best friends grandma had alzheimers, and it was heartbreaking to watch the family cope with it.

  • Yzabel

    The question didn’t precise whether both choices were exclusive of each other, that’s the beauty of it. One could get senile if choosing the young body, but it doesn’t say that one couldn’t retain a sane mind at all. That’s why I’d take the chance, if the choice was mine, and to me, losing my mind in a young body would be less painful anyway than the contrary.Now, Alzheimer’s disease indeed is very hard for the family and friends to cope with. I’ve unfortunately witnessed this as well…

  • John (SYNTAGMA)

    Mind any day, since body is just mind anyway.

  • Pat

    Interesting question. I think I would choose the mind of the 90-year-old and the 30-year-old body. The reason is, when I was young, I didn’t appreciate my body. I just focused on its flaws and was very self-conscious. Now I would love a 30-year-old body!So I would choose that, and hope I didn’t go senile, so I could enjoy my young body!

  • Iva

    Being in a now disabled body but with an alert mind, I definitely would choose the mind. I am involved 24/7 with wonderful books, hobbies, people, etc. that I could not enjoy without a good mind. If I had a body of a 30 year old but was stupid or mentally ill or neurologically impaired… well, I’d choose the mind. I could be paralyzed from the neck down and still enjoy life.

  • Yzabel

    Thanks for the comment, John, Pat and Iva. I guess we could indeed talk at length about such choices. What I wonder a lot about is, if the mind goes, if I was to get mentally ill, would I be aware of it, would I suffer from it the same way I’d likely suffer if my mind was clear but I was to see my body go… I’ve never had any answer to this question. It’s a tough one, anyway.

  • Raven

    I guess I’d go with mind. Sorry for being straighforward but for me the choice is merely being able to have sex for ~75 years or being able to program and surf for ~80. 80 outweights 75 🙂

  • Yzabel

    Ah, whatever works for each of us 😉 Although I’ll agree that being to program until 80 is a nice thing.

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