Do the good really die young?

[Englishbird]

Or do we just notice it more than when the bad die young?

[Gevs1966]

I would have thought that you noticed it more when the good die young, hence the saying......

[Lillabet]

When you lose someone you regard as good then no matter how old they are it seems too soon for them to go, that they are too young to die. The bad are largely unmourned. So yes, I think we just notice it more.

[Englishbird]

That's a good answer - it's not about their actual age, just that they left too soon. thank you x

[oxeyedaisy]

its amazing how many really good music artists die young..such as sam cooke ..marvin gaye..buddy holly...patsy cline..and many more..i think mean and horridble people seem to live longer..perhaps its the mean part keeping them alive..

[smudge]

Sadly, my very dear friend lost her three children aged 9 years, 14 years & 16 years, so in her case the good died young.

She will never know the joy of seeing them grow into adults, or have any grandchildren.

[flaming]

A theory:  The physical advantages of a person have a lot of bearing on longevity. A voracious, horrible person who cares nothing for people on his climb to the top, will get rich quite quickly; then they can afford everything that's going on the private health front, eat better food, have servants and so on.  One can see that pattern in quite a few ******* in the business world, as their exploits - mostly unpleasant - are well-reported.  I am sure you can all think of one or two, and marvel at how they can go on and on, always doing deals and making even more money because it becomes an end unto itself.  

A kind, meek person might not shin up the greasy pole ever, putting others first, so they are exposed to more hard work, stress, and perhaps be open to ill-health which, when it comes, leaves them unable to do much about it financially... so even though they live a reasonable span, by today's standards they seem young.  Having always put others first but die prematurely, we do notice more and mourn them more.

Regarding young people dying, or even people a bit younger than ourselves, through perhaps an awful accident or incurable  disease:  That really shocks us;  because it is so shocking, we would notice it more especially if they'd been lovely people - and it is a reminder of our own mortality. 

When I see news about awful mass deaths, I comfort myself with thinking - 'out of that number, let's hope that some awful ones went ' - that would have meant the release for some from a terrible life with a tyrant, a child-abuser, anti-social peolpe and so on.  Not everyone who dies in accidents is saintly and worthy of our sympathy.

[flaming]

re the pst above.  I used a perfectly respectable word - tyc----s and it was asterisked out!