Would you want to live a long or short life in medieval times?

[Skyros]

Carefully consider your living conditions at this time. Even though this question could apply to anytime up until the mid 1900s the Middle Ages were particularly filthy and harsh. I wouldn’t want to live extremely long.

[Googlemyahoo]

Generally you lived a short life back then. I wrote an essay on The Burgundian Code. Laws for the kingdom of Burgundy (France)

Each law had three parts one for nobles, commoners and slaves. Usually nobles paid fines, commoners would be punished or fined & slaves executed for almost everything

There existed laws for carrying weapons. People must’ve carried spears, swords and axes around so people accidentally got stabbed. They had fines for these depending on location and status of individuals.

[bzcxx]

That would depend on your station in life.
If I were a king or a member of the aristocracy, life would have been great - of course I would love to live a long and full life.
If I were a lowly farmer or a member of the minorities, I would very much prefer to end my suffering and live a short life. Back in the day where medicine and science wasn’t so advanced, one could have died from a simple cold, fever or infection.

[SoftCliff]

Why wouldn't you want to live a long life, as a king, nobleman, member of the clergy? Although the standard of living was consoderably lower back then, sometimes even for the upper classes, compared to modern standards.

[Anonymous]

Some would say chances are we might have all been there, we just don’t remember it.

[Harbringer26]

It depends on what period, part of the world and class you refer to. That medieval times were naught but filth and misery and poverty is only an old (and annoying) mainstream misconception. There are periods in part of Europe where even commoners lived quite well.

[hahahmm]

Everything is relative. What you now consider filthy, they just thought of as Tuesday. They weren't as wimpy as people are today.

I'd want to live to the age of 3055 as a good vampire.

[Skyros]

Lol, nice answer.

[andreasderjuengere]

My ancestors were merchants, and reasonably well off.

For various reasons only one or two saw their 50th birthday. So I guess that I'd be exposed to a family ''tradition'' :D

But I'd choose ''long enough''

[Sandeeppingping]

I hope I'd die in battle at some point, sounds like a good death to me

[Skyros]

Getting stabbed or hacked on isn’t my idea of a good death. I prefer a bullet. That’s just me.

[AviatorTom]

Ah, the Middle Ages, when men were men, and women were... uh... women. I'd want to live as long as possible, and enjoy all the lasses.

[more_than_a_guy]

Most population were peasants who lived a modest and even poor lives compared to our modern standards. Diseases were fatal, religion was a huge part, slavery, sexism, executions without proper trial and many more...

[more_than_a_guy]

So it's a no for me.

[Agent_Elflord]

Short, so I don’t have to live to the ripe old age of 46 and outlive my young wife and 7 children.

[Anonymous]

I do not want to live in a time when the royal families can kidnap and rape my kids. I am thankful to live in current times.

[Juxtapose]

Yeah, because I can always kill myself if I don't like it so why not take the long life?

[msc545]

A long life if my health and living conditions were both reasonable.

[maximumpower]

Not much choice.
Most everyone was dead by age 40.

[OfDeath]

I'd rather just not be there at all.

[Agape93]

Short

[OddBeMe]

No life.

[jimmy2]

No kidding harsh 😆