100-Year-Olds Answer Taboo Questions About Sex and Death

When asked "Why aren't you dead yet?" most people would squirm, but not these centenarians. One man casually replied, "I've been reported dead on four occasions. So I know what it's like to be dead."

ABC's Australian video series You Can't Ask That sat down with people over 100 to discuss the questions most of us are too polite to ask. The result is a masterclass in perspective, humor, and living without fear.

The interviewers didn't hold back, diving straight into questions about sex. "When was the last time you had sex?" they asked. One man thought for a moment before answering, "Six months ago. It's broken down. It was alright one minute, the next day it was like a damp cloth."

Another man shared he was sexually active until four years ago, noting simply that "one's performance gradually disappears." His honesty reflects a broader reality: about a third of seniors over 80 remain sexually active, surprising many younger people who can't imagine intimacy lasting that long.

The centenarians grew up in a wildly different world. Most came of age in the early 1900s without cars, running water, or electricity. They survived two world wars and two depressions. "We had to make our own games," one woman recalled. "We had no toys."

When asked if kids today have it easier, their answer was a resounding yes. "It's a different world, isn't it?" one man said thoughtfully. "Not our world." Their perspective cuts through modern complaints with refreshing clarity.

Perhaps the most cutting question came next: "Are you a burden on your family and society?" One woman didn't hesitate. "No. I think I'm an asset to society." Another added, "My family wanted to take charge of me when I arrived here. They thought they were getting an old lady they'd have to look after. But they found out they were wrong."

Many still live independently, drive, cook, and even work part time. "I might be 100 years old, but I've full faculty of my senses, and I know what I want," one woman declared. "And I don't need a little upstart to tell me what to do and how to do it."

Why This Inspires

These centenarians have something younger generations desperately need: perspective earned through a century of living. They've made peace with mortality, navigated relationships across decades, and survived hardships most of us will never face. Their ability to discuss taboo topics with humor and honesty shows that aging doesn't mean losing your spirit or voice.

Their message is simple but powerful: life keeps teaching you, even at 100. "When you get to be a hundred, you've learned a lot," one woman explained. "You have a feeling of freedom. You can be better than you were."

The reminder that we can always become better, no matter our age, is wisdom worth listening to.