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melling

And spend the next 20-40 years hanging out?

Hopefully, over the next couple of decades more people reach a healthy 100.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/there-are-more-ame...

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> And spend the next 20-40 years hanging out?

I think this is a great point. I don't think it detracts from the post in question. But it highlights the observation that many do not seem to have anything meaningful to do outside work. Anecdotally, I've heard of people coming out of retirement because they were bored stiff. I'm wondering whether or not we should develop a broad range of interest and possibly hobbies/vocations that we could transition to in "retirement". Alternatively not retire altogether but transition to a different role more in line with our capabilities as we age.

Yes, that's what I was thinking. Just say, when you're 60, and you feel at the peak, now I am going to do something else as a hobby.

But again, this goes against our tradition where we celebrate "real work" and not doing something for fun or as a hobby.

Some people enjoy retirement. We have a retired army major attending our local python meetup without feel. He learns Python with great enthusiasm. He is now trying to understand cyber security. Having said that, that level of enthusiasm is a rare mindset and signs of indefatigable spirit.

That's exactly what the person you are replying to meant when they said:

"And we should have culture that would celebrate moving to retirement, to make sure that people do not feel useless all of sudden."

We need something other than just "hanging out".

Having other people “celebrate” your moving to retirement is a far cry from having meaningful purpose.

I am not suggesting that purpose is only found in work, only that getting others to pat you on the back for being retired doesn’t help much either.

By "celebrating", I meant counter the societal pressure to continue to perform.

Today, somebody retiring at the peak is considered an (economic) loss. Perhaps it shouldn't be.

I might be mistaken, but I think what the parent tries to say is taht while there is societal pressure to 'not be an economic loss', there's also something more personnal about not being able to cope with having nothing to do.

A non-negligible amount of retired people just sit at home, depressed, until death, out of a lack of better things to do.

Even celebrating their retirement would not make their day less grim.

I deliberately wasn't specific when I said "So if the society could support these people in giving up". Support can mean many things, for example support them having other hobbies (that do not contribute direct economic value, but rather only enjoyment).

As we said to one of the old guys at work who didn't really want to be there anymore, didn't need the money and just hung around for the routine...

Join Rotary and volunteer or something. There are loads of things you can do that would make the world better.

...or you could pick a different/another career:

Writer, director, fund manager, ... Warren Buffet is still managing a lot of money at 88.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_McCullough

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Icahn

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Knuth

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Allen

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Scorsese

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Belichick

Except all those people started their careers when they were much younger. How many people start a new career at retirement age and actually make it really successful?

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