“I want to go when I want. It is tasteless to prolong life artificially.”

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17793229

15 6 8 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Einstein refused surgery, saying:

"I want to go when I want. It is tasteless to prolong life artificially. I have done my share; it is time to go. I will do it elegantly."

He died in Princeton Hospital early the next morning at the age of 76... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein#Death

gt565k• 8 years ago

Prolonging life artificially? Sounds like Einstein had lost his mind at that age. Or did he never get vaccinated, take medication for his ailments, etc?

Almost as dumb as Steve Jobs trying alternative medicine to beat cancer.

You'd think someone running one of the top tech companies in the world or the de-facto expert in physics at his time would have more of an appreciation for modern medical science based treatments.

gus_massa• 8 years ago

There are only two thinks bigger than the speed of light: the speed of darkness and the number of fake Einstein quotes in the Internet.

>>>>>>>> Albert Einstein

The quote in the article is from an article in 1990, that is 35 years later than the dead of Einstein, so I'd not be so sure that it is a literal quote.

Also, if you read the Wikipedia article it says that he had a previous operation of the same aortal aneurism. Aneurism are very difficult to repair, and they are more difficult when they are already bleeding. So the operation may have been a last effort attempt that has a ridiculously low chance of success.

coldtea• 8 years ago

Prolonging life artificially? Sounds like Einstein had lost his mind at that age. Or did he never get vaccinated, take medication for his ailments, etc?

That's irrelevant, since he got those when he was at a still relatively healthy life.

He (assuming it was Einstein who said it) obviously meant prolong it when it's not worth it anymore (and towards the end), not in general.

And even if wasn't Einstein who said this, many top minds ill at similar stages in their life had said more or less the same.

You'd think someone running one of the top tech companies in the world or the de-facto expert in physics at his time would have more of an appreciation for modern medical science based treatments.

Just talk to some people of old age (or sometimes even younger) having undergone several "modern medical science based treatments" in some hospital, what they think of the prospect of getting some more...

Not everything is like getting in a hospital for a few days to cut an appendicitis...

Before criticizing this, consider what your responses would be to some procedures that might or might not work, after several previous procedures, with chronic pain, various systems failing left and right, not being able to see, walk, etc as good anymore etc...

muzani• 8 years ago

I think that's taking it a bit out of context. He just means not to extend it past an optimum for no purpose than extending life. Someone at 14 or 40 has a lot of potential ahead of them. Someone at 76, probably not so much.

catfishdeity• 8 years ago

Maybe some people like the idea of being able to go out in a more natural way.

There's nothing intrinsically wrong with dying.

wavedynamics• 8 years ago

"Sapiens vivit quantum debet, non quantum potest" - Seneca the younger

The wise man will live as long as he ought, not as long as he can

“I want to go when I want. It is tasteless to prolong life artificially.”

Related Stories