The 20-Year Button

[Chamale]

Suppose there is a button in a convenient location that, when pressed, causes you to die in precisely 20 years. When you press this button, you will remain in the same state of health and be completely immune to death by accident or murder until you suddenly expire in exactly 20 years, to the second. The only way to die before the 20 years are up is to commit suicide, do something spectacularly dangerous, or attack someone and get killed in self-defense.

So, knowing all this, when do you press the button? How do you change your way of life after pressing the button, or how do you live differently in preparation for the moment you press it? Knowing your moment of death, how would you act in the days just before?

Edit: I repeat, WHEN do you press the button? That is the main question. Age 25, age, when do you decide to press it? You can press it multiple times, but you'll die 20 years after the original button press.

 

[Julianking93]

Can I come back and press the button when I'm 90 or about to die anyway?

 

[delet]

I don't press it; I want my death to be a surprise.

 

[-Drifter-]

I've got no use for a button like that, since I'm still 17.

 

[Logic 0]

I'd push it when I'm abhout to die that way I'm sure to live past 100 years.

 

[UberLemonBoy]

ill press the button every 19 years

 

[ImprovizoR]

Why would I press a button if I still have to lead a boring life without the safety of doing something dangerous or attacking someone? Protection against death by accident or murder doesn't sound too tempting because both can happen unexpectedly and therefore it's not as stressful as when you know exactly when you're going to die.

 

[Urgh76]

Same state of health? Now that's the tricky part.... i wouldn't press it

EDIT: I GOT IT! Press the button when I'm 21, then when I'm 40, then when I'm 59, then when I'm 78, then............

 

[Chamale]

Can I come back and press the button when I'm 90 or about to die anyway?

Yes, that's the point of the question. If you decide on 90, though, what about the risk of dying at 85? By waiting until you're just 70, you guarantee that you live to 90 with the health of a 70-year-old. By pressing it at 23, you can live fast and die young. 20 years in your physical prime.

 

[Raven's Nest]

Bit of a no brainer really... Leave that button the hell alone!

Chances are that I won't die in twenty years so why would I want to guaruntee that I will die? I think the only kind of person who would push the button is someone who is terrified of dying. The only use for the button would be to become a superheo and fight crime or become a super soldier and fight wars singlehandedly. Both of which probably count as stupidity or deliberately putting yourself in harms way...

I'm really struggling to see the benefits of pushing the button ya know...

 

[Julianking93]

Can I come back and press the button when I'm 90 or about to die anyway?

Yes, that's the point of the question. If you decide on 90, though, what about the risk of dying at 85? By waiting until you're just 70, you guarantee that you live to 90 with the health of a 70-year-old. By pressing it at 23, you can live fast and die young. 20 years in your physical prime.

But I don't want to live fast and die young.

Can I push the button every 19 years?

 

[Chamale]

Same state of health? Now that's the tricky part.... i wouldn't press it

EDIT: I GOT IT! Press the button when I'm 21, then when I'm 40, then when I'm 59, then when I'm 78, then............

Nice try. You die at 41, and the button digs you up to laugh at your corpse when you would have turned 60.

 

[WaywardHaymaker]

I wouldn't press it. Knowing that there's a shroud over me like that would drive me insane. I'd rather live a normal span of years, with a normally degenerating state of health.

 

[Marter]

Right now, I wouldn't push it. Maybe in 60 years, but right now, I'm fine with how I am. I want to live longer than 20 years.

 

[Kinguendo]

You couldnt change your way of life... except maybe eat more unhealthily and excercise less... but both of those are boring. You cant take more risks because of the restrictions you placed.

You may as well have said, you can eat whatever you want and not excercise for 20 years and then you die... but you would probably LIVE longer than 20 years doing that stuff anyway. This is a crappy deal and I will have no part in it.

 

[Chamale]

You cant take more risks because of the restrictions you placed.

Keep in mind that on average, you could skydive 5 times a day for 20 years and then drive drunk across America without a great chance of death.. Statistically, this would give you a higher chance of death than playing video games and hoping you don't get killed by a meteor, but there's still a 90% chance of making it 20 years while doing the aforementioned dangerous activities.

 

[cheese_wizington]

If you offered me invincibility instead of the stupid standards given, yes.

Otherwise good lord no.

But 20 years of Invincibility? I could change the world.

 

[imaloony]

Probably about now. I like being as young as possible.

 

[manaman]

Why would I press a button if I still have to lead a boring life without the safety of doing something dangerous or attacking someone? Protection against death by accident or murder doesn't sound too tempting because both can happen unexpectedly and therefore it's not as stressful as when you know exactly when you're going to die.

That's the point, you wouldn't have to.

The OP says that the only way you can die after pressing the button is suicide, or when your twenty year term is up. So press the button then go skydiving without a parachute.

It's a button, you have to press it.

You just... it's just wrong to NOT press it.

Especially if it was big and red and had caution stripes around it.

 

[Delta 3 Actual]

Suppose there is a button in a convenient location that, when pressed, causes you to die in precisely 20 years. When you press this button, you will remain in the same state of health and be completely immune to death by accident or murder until you suddenly expire in exactly 20 years, to the second. The only way to die before the 20 years are up is to commit suicide, do something spectacularly dangerous, or attack someone and get killed in self-defense.

So, knowing all this, when do you press the button? How do you change your way of life after pressing the button, or how do you live differently in preparation for the moment you press it? Knowing your moment of death, how would you act in the days just before?

Edit: I repeat, WHEN do you press the button? That is the main question. Age 25, age, when do you decide to press it? You can press it multiple times, but you'll die 20 years after the original button press.

Well I already believe myself to be invincible, so I wouldn't change anything.

Edit: For that matter, I wouldn't press the button to begin with.