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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.

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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).

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