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QUOTE: Despite the "socially valued" career, I can tell you guys that right now (I am 59) my months off are infinitely superior in terms of happiness and meaningful life to the months when I work. If that is the situation with my "good" career, I can only imagine how relieved people are to break free from miserable, mind-numbing, energy-draining jobs.
But surely, being only semi-retired, part of the enjoyment of your months off is the contrast with your months on. There can be no light without darkness, as the saying goes.
QUOTE: The bliss of retiring comes from not having to work for a living if one doesn't want to. And if one does want to work, and they still can, that too is a valid choice.
Point taken, but of course it would be a different and probably lesser job; you wouldn't return to work at the same place, with the same people, in the same role. And for those who - again - don't hate their working lives, that's a real loss.
Like the comments above.
My take is there are two types of retirees.
First, those that hated work and love retirement. When you ask them they never mention their past.
Second, those that loved work and love retirement. I always follow the word retired with my past profession.
I didn't enjoy the politics of work, but I really enjoyed working. So I retired as soon as I was eligible. I don't volunteer though I could in my past "activities". But I do stay active in the profession and have hobbies that really mirror my professional past.
Likewise, many of my retired engineering friends have similar hobbies and interests related to their professional backgrounds.
My identity is very much wrapped up in my profession, but even with that I did retire at 56.
As the article mentioned there is a difference between a physical job and a mental job when it comes to retirement. My father was a carpenter. He took early retirement at 62 and even though he was in excellent shape, the job was taking a toll on him. We, as his family, just didn't notice. But he knew.
I don't see anything wrong with a two-tier retirement age. We give early retirement to fire-fighters and law-enforcement folks as well as others in stressful occupations. That probably should be extended to physically demanding jobs. I am sure my father would approve.
An interesting piece from BBC News... Catchy title aside - it touches on interesting facets of retirement and identity and includes quotes from a HBS professor and a couple of Noble laureates.
I think there's truth to it. People like to feel they are contributing to society and when you retire, you need to find something that gives that feeling. Wife retired at 54 a few years ago and immerses herself in projects and helping people including watching our grandkids with me. I retired last December and still am looking for ways to contribute more that won't tie me down and I'm interested in.
First, those that hated work and love retirement. When you ask them they never mention their past.
Second, those that loved work and love retirement. I always follow the word retired with my past profession.
I didn't enjoy the politics of work, but I really enjoyed working. So I retired as soon as I was eligible. I don't volunteer though I could in my past "activities". But I do stay active in the profession and have hobbies that really mirror my professional past.
Likewise, many of my retired engineering friends have similar hobbies and interests related to their professional backgrounds.
My identity is very much wrapped up in my profession, but even with that I did retire at 56.
As the article mentioned there is a difference between a physical job and a mental job when it comes to retirement. My father was a carpenter. He took early retirement at 62 and even though he was in excellent shape, the job was taking a toll on him. We, as his family, just didn't notice. But he knew.
I don't see anything wrong with a two-tier retirement age. We give early retirement to fire-fighters and law-enforcement folks as well as others in stressful occupations. That probably should be extended to physically demanding jobs. I am sure my father would approve.
That's just it: there are aspects of one's profession that will always engage one's interest and attention (there is a reason after all why one chose that profession), and there are other aspects of the same profession that one hates (which aspects usually have to do with petty political power conflicts that unfortunately nowadays plague the majority of workplaces, I would say).
Regarding "meaningful contribution to society" and therefore "staying relevant", I think I contributed enough and do not feel a need to contribute forever. Also, my contribution is not that of Isaac Newton or even Bill Gates, so it would be idiotic to act as though I was somehow professionally irreplaceable. There are many young well-trained people who can do what I did before, and I don't mind handing over my previous tasks to them. "Staying relevant" is not something I care about, because most people are irrelevant to the society to start with, since they can be easily replaced. "Personal relevance" is generally a silly delusion - most people are in fact relevant only to themselves, their families, and occasionally to the few closest friends. I had trained at the leading place in my profession, and worked there under two people who wrote the textbook from which everybody in the world who was of my profession learned the theoretical basis of the profession - the two of them were unquestionably the most famous members of my profession, and their research pioneered the way things are being done in that profession in the modern time. Both of them died around the year 2000, their textbook is now being edited by someone else, and I have found in shock from a recently trained member of my profession that he has never heard of either of these two men!!! How could I possibly feel relevant at all after that???
So, shedding the burden of fake relevance, I am just happy to be free to enjoy things that I enjoy without stress . But I still say that I am a "semi-retired X" (where X is my profession), and will eventually say that I am a "retired X" because that's indeed what I am, or will be - I find it a perfectly normal thing to say.
In my argument, I'm not referring to "fake relevance" (or "public/societal status," which is what I think the above poster means by this). I'm referring simply to a sense of meaning and purpose in one's own life. In another poster's example, she has gone from a meaningful paid job to caring for needy family members, which is a meaningful unpaid job. In both cases, she feels her life has relevance as a result, and it probably also lends structure and variety to her days. Perhaps some people are happy just lying on the couch watching TV all day for the rest of their lives, but I would doubt that it applies to many.
Strawman argument. It’s not either or, like lying on the couch watching TV all day.
While I’m proud of what I did, I can point out to the things I’ve designed and accomplished, still at JPL. But I’ve never suffered from existentialist nonsense. I’m here, of course there’s a purpose to my life. To me gardening gives me a sense purpose in retirement and before retirement, isn’t that good enough, it is for me, I live to garden. I look forward to get up everyday to check on my small garden. Painting also gives me a purpose in retirement. Not only that, I tie my painting to the travel pictures I took in my traveling. But honestly, none of my ancestors suffered this existentialist problem. We all have children to take care of, maybe we’re much simpler people.
Last edited by NewbieHere; 08-23-2019 at 08:31 AM..
Strawman argument. It’s not either or or like lying on the couch watching TV all day.
While I’m proud of what I did, I can point out to the things I’ve designed and accomplished, still at JPL. But I’ve never suffered from existentialist nonsense. I’m here, of course there’s a purpose to my life. To me gardening gives me a sense purpose in retirement and before retirement, isn’t that good enough, it is for me, I live to garden. I look forward to get up everyday to check on my small garden. Painting also gives me a purpose in retirement. Not only that, I tie my painting to the travel pictures I took in my traveling. But honestly, none of my ancestors suffered this existentialist problem. We all have children to take are of, maybe we’re much simpler people.
And that would be an avocation/hobby you're passionate about; that serves as your "raison d'etre," which I'm saying we all need -- whatever it may be.
I'm wondering. Why would anyone lie about being retired? I just don't get it.
I don't 'get it' either. For me, I'm having trouble saying "I'm retired" just because I don't really FEEL like I retired. I still feel 'unemployed'. But it's highly doubtful I will ever work again so I guess I am retired. I'd never deny it though and I don't feel I was ever identified by my job.
I don't 'get it' either. For me, I'm having trouble saying "I'm retired" just because I don't really FEEL like I retired. I still feel 'unemployed'. But it's highly doubtful I will ever work again so I guess I am retired. I'd never deny it though and I don't feel I was ever identified by my job.
I've been retired since 2010. Maybe that's my reason. People assume I am, anyway.
The other day going through a fast food place, the lady asked me if I was a senior. I laughed to myself and said yes. Once I got through getting my food, I thought I should have said no, I graduated.
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How could I possibly feel relevant at all after that??? 
. But I still say that I am a "semi-retired X" (where X is my profession), and will eventually say that I am a "retired X" because that's indeed what I am, or will be - I find it a perfectly normal thing to say.
