Why does it seem that the most difficult individuals live the longest?

God won't take them and the Devil won't have them.

My sympathies, sincerely. The mean people live so long because they are being given EVERY opportunity to mend their ways. The rest don't need that opportunity. They already made it! Just come to this site and get a hug. ((((Hug)))

Because they are so well preserved by being full of vinegar all the time.

I don't know if they actually do live longer. It just seems that way.

Because we take so good care of them 😊

The 99 y/o one has stuck around this long probably because she didn't have any children to wear her out. She's managed to take care of herself while getting a kick out of pi__ing everybody else off along the way. And still does it.

Annoyingly resilient, aren't they? Just ask them what the secret to their longevity is. Bet you they have a lot of stories to tell, and you'll see them in a whole different light after they're done. If you can't beat 'em ...

There is a joke somewhat related to this: In a small town a mean old man died, and everyone in the town was wondering if anyone would say anything nice about him at the funeral. Finally, someone from the neighboring county agreed to do so, so the locals all waited in suspense. At the funeral, the speaker stood up and simply said "His brother was worse!"

These are some of the best answers on this thread! All, very true, and just very real!

Maybe those people exist to help us learn how to say "no" sometimes. As I've mentioned, my dad drove me nuts. He wasn't mean, just a pain in the butt and totally oblivious to his poor behavior. I not only allowed him to get away with it, I then made myself additionally miserable by dwelling on how much he was upsetting me. I won't tell you I ever got all that good at it, but I did start confronting him. I tried not to do it in anger, but I did start telling him when he was stepping on my toes. I should have done that A LOT sooner. But, my entire family operated by being passive aggressive, so it's been very challenging for me to be honest about my feelings without being snide or irritable. Of course, some therapy didn't hurt!

Mom just turned 101. She is now in a nursing home and her dementia and extreme old age has pretty much mellowed her. She was never mean but she was always STUBBORN! She also refused to accept she was aging and fought it every step of the way. Her doctor said being stubborn and having such a strong will to live is why she has lived so long. (of course genetics also play a part because she never gets sick and has nothing wrong with her)