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Comment by bradley13 | Hacker News Reader

I feel the same way. I retired last summer, but that only means that I found a place that needs me, where I can work part time without worrying too much about money.

I remember, decades ago, reading an article about some African politician visiting the UK. He was given a tour, which included some of the social housing. The UK bragging about how they took care of their people. He saw people sitting around with with their housing and food paid for. His comment? "How horrible!".

He found it horrible, because - from his perspective - they had no role in society, nothing to do, no purpose to their existence.

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This is a big topic in disability rights activism; there are a lot of people who can do some work some of the time, with a certain level of accommodation, and would benefit from so doing.

But that's not how the system works. It forces everyone into binary categorizations, with the aim of removing help if at all possible. So it becomes economically necessary for people to present themselves as helpless and stay away from work or even volunteering, because doing so jeopardizes their means of surviving the bureaucracy.

I'm skeptical of this perspective as most social housing in the UK and the USA have stiff REQUIREMENTS that housing residents be either either employed OR be showing proof of interviewing OR enroll in a job placement program (which requires active training participation). If you fail these, you are generally kicked out of these social housing programs.

Maybe there are some exceptions here and there, but it's generally unusual to have social housing without strict policies and monitored policies on job placements. This policy exists as social housing is highly limited and the administrators wants people to get jobs so that they move out (and into a better shelter they can now afford).

I don't believe UK social housing has any work requirements, it is just massively oversubscribed, such that you need to be very vulnerable to realistically be offered council housing. You do have to pay (below market rate) rent, so you probably need to be searching for work or have been declared to have limited capability for work or work related activities to get a benefit to pay for your social housing. I think there's some state where they've decided no one will hire you for minimum wage, but you're otherwise able so you have to do some kind of volunteering.

Because you aren't familiar with UK policies pre-Thatcher.

Saw a Wall Street Journal article (behind paywall) on this topic which was a short version of this upcoming book: _Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose_

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FFZY9V8V/

"What these retirees were describing wasn’t just disappointment in a lack of opportunities. It was an erosion in something far more fundamental—their sense of mattering, the deep human need to feel valued and to have a chance to add value to the world. We plan for our wealthspan and healthspan, mapping out financial security and physical well-being. Yet very few of us prepare for an equally essential dimension of retirement: our mattering span, or how we will continue to feel seen, useful and capable of making a difference in this next chapter of life."

https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/the-retirement-crisis-no...

I understand, but retired people rank highest on the happiness index, same as children, and the thing they have in common is nothing to do but play, relax, and have fun. Social housing probably doesn't allow for any form of play, and it's just scrapping by level of "surviving". I don't think it's a good example, and letting those people instead work 12h days, 7 day a week, at some repetitive, low pay, job, isn't gonna be all that better, and might be even more horrible.

… had he never heard of hobbies?

Hobbies are often personal, or at least self serving. Unless your hobby is volunteering. You can hear this in how people talk about out them. "I do this for me."

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