Mbah Gotho, The Man Who Claims To Be 146 Years Old

Death is said to have forgotten Mbah Gotho. It is also said that his story is correct and that this man is not younger or older than 145 years.

This is of course very hard to believe. We may have heard stories about people who made it to 100, but never really about people who went far beyond that.

However, one detail cannot go unnoticed: Mr. Gotho himself has no desire to continue living.  In his own words: “I wait quietly and fearlessly for death, though death seems to have forgotten me.”

Many people are very curious about the secret behind his longevity and the answer that this man himself has for these people is truly wonderful.

Below we explain it briefly.

The secret behind Mbah Gotho’s long life

Mbah Gotho was born on December 31, 1870. This is the date stated on his ID and can even be found in the official records of the island of Java, the island on which Mbah lives and was born 146 years ago.

If this is really true, then Mbah is certainly the oldest man the world has ever known. The official record is held to this day by Jeanne Calment (1875-1997), a French woman who died at the age of 122.

So you may be wondering why Mr. Mbah Gotho is not in the Guinness Book of World Records … The answer to this is quite simple:

• The only official information that exists regarding the date of birth of Mbah Gotho can be found on the island of Java. To get into the Guinness Book of World Records  , there has to be a third independent source that can confirm this information and there isn’t.
• This is mainly due to the fact that this kind of official registers only became normal from the twentieth century.

Despite the fact that Mr. Gotho is not a record holder for the title of ‘oldest man in the world’, everyone accepts that the claims about his life are authentic. Mbah Gotho will soon be a century and a half old. This is really admirable.

Many relatives have already left Mbah Gotho

Of course, a long life offers a lot of advantages. It gives you the chance to:

• To learn
• Correct mistakes
• Fix failures
• Even to start your life several times over

According to himself, Mbah Gotho had a good life, but now he has only sad memories.

• He had to bury four women. Had to say goodbye to all his children and siblings, ten people in total.
• He knows full well that this situation is anything but normal. The laws of life dictate that children should bury their parents, not the other way around.

Every morning when he wakes up, he has to accept again that he is left alone with the infinite amount of memories of people who are no longer there.

Echoes that remind him of the past and long life he’s already had and make him wonder why this had to be this way for him.

Why is he still there when the people who loved him so much have found their peace so long ago?

Mbah Gotho has resigned himself to his humble life, surrounded by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The secret behind his long life

According to Mr. Gotho, his long life is the result of two factors:

• The first factor is that he has always been surrounded by people who loved him. Love is the driving force of life and the reason why we continue to fight every day to spend time with our loved ones.
• The second factor has to do with the culture in Java. On the island of Java there is a beautiful saying that is worth remembering: ‘He who is patient will live longer’.

Mbah Gotho indicates that he himself has always been an immensely patient person. He has always done his best to:

• things to accept.
• Let things happen at their own pace.
• To observe his life calmly.

• Get angry as little as possible.

So much so that his own grandchildren always laugh at the fact that their grandfather never complains about anything. Accept everything that is presented to you and receive love without asking for anything.

A pure mind ready to leave

The only wish Mr. Gotho has had for the past twenty years is a gravestone and a place to rest when death finally comes for him and he can close his eyes for good and reunite with his loved ones.

This day has not yet come, however, and the neighbors and friends of this oldest man in the world would like to keep him by their side a little longer.

It doesn’t matter that he has lost his sight and that he can no longer take care of himself. Mbah Gotho is in fact a true source of wisdom, which speaks with clarity about a past that no one can remember anymore.

His people appreciate him because he:

• A hero is who has fought against invaders.
• Fought against the Japanese during the war.
• Throughout his life he has always worked with his hands to support his family.

However, despite all the admiration he gets, we can probably all understand his wish. Life can be very stressful. The years bring fatigue, aging and, above all, a lot of goodbyes.

The oldest man in the world just wants to be able to close his eyes for good, because his life has been very fulfilling and like any warrior he just longs for the rest he deserves.