The article, “Retirement: Is 80 the New 60?” discusses how the national retirement age of 65 is trending higher these days. They say that people are planning to continue to work well into their “golden years” with the expected age of retirement to be more around 80 years old! Reasons cited for this delay in retirement center around financial security but some 35% surveyed said they just wanted to keep working.
We have recently read The Anxiety Cure that was all about
stress, worry, and anxiety disorders. The author, Dr. Archibald Hart, quoted the
National Institute of Mental Health saying, “more than twenty-three million
Americans suffer from some form of anxiety disorder, including panic anxiety
disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder,
phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder.” (Hart, 1999, p. 7). In addition to
the benefits of medication and therapy, Hart gives practical methods to reclaim
tranquility in an over-anxious world. Among a myriad activities, situations,
and foods to avoid, and those to add to your lifestyle, Hart says we do not get
enough sleep, we experience long periods of stress and conflict, and are under
assertive. He says to combat anxiety we need to slow down, take time to rest,
meditate, and break out of the type A personality rut.
I believe the attitudes of the generation that are at
retirement age are indicative of the society that is addicted to adrenaline and
stress. The article states that 80% of the people surveyed believe the age of
retirement should have nothing to do with age, but about how much money is set
aside. Only 20% said we should just pick an age and then retire. Many people
simply do not want to retire. Why is this? Perhaps these people have never
learned to settle down and relax and they simply do not know what to do with
the time that could be theirs in their golden years. Then there is the subject
of money. “Americans are bad at saving,” says the author of the article. I
would propose this is due in part with “keeping up with the Jones’” syndrome of
our American dream mindsets. Keeping up with the standards in our heads and
those around us costs money and so we spend, we work longer, harder, and we
spend more. This cycle drives us to work longer hours, experience greater
stress, and feel guilty when we are not busy and filled with adrenaline. “Pleasure,
like a mountaintop, is only pleasurable when surrounded by valleys of tranquility,
calmness, and peace.” (Hart, p. 97). This enjoyment certainly doesn’t need to
only come at retirement and according to this article, without taking time for
tranquility, calmness, and peace in the midst of our over anxious lives, we may
never even get to that relaxing retirement we look forward to.
There does seem to be a balance that is required when it comes to working. Karl Marx and Alfred Adler and 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.) all have something to say about the value of work. I agree with Dusty, that the golden years are not to be thought of as after they have retired. Working is a very valuable part of what it means to be fulfilled as a person. When we elevate that to a position of idolatry, we start to feel the anxiety and stress that it brings.
ReplyDeleteMy grandpa is retired and still has a part time job at the age of 76. His brother-in-law is pushing 80 and still works part time. It's an interesting generation that is at retirement age. They have a different kind of mentality regarding the value of working it seems. I do think that finances also comes in to play here too. Fear over financial stability and provision from social security definitely leaves people 65 and older on edge.
ReplyDeleteI think you have an interesting point about how retirement may be due to that fact that people have never learned to slow down. I think that does hold some truth to it. I look at my grandpa on my mom's side versus my memaw on my dad's side; one is content with living at home whereas the other cannot go one day without doing something. She is technically retired, but she doesn't act that way for she is always claiming that she's busier now than when she was working. Maybe it is because she never learned to slow down.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, many of these people who won't retire really don't know what they would do with their time- mostly because they don't know what they are here on earth for in the first place. I have literally heard family and friends say that they already don't know how to spend "extra" time they have. What would they possibly do with even more extra time due to retirement? I feel that if we are saved and know how God has gifted us, we should joyfully be involved in whatever makes good use of our gifts for God's kingdom. I truly shudder when I think of what it will be like sometime on the future when we look back and realize how much time we wasted on completely frivilous activities- time that God gave us to make a difference in this world.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting perspective on retirement. I knew that fewer people were retiring at the standard 65 or so, but I had always equated it to the fact that Americans were just bad savers. I never took into consideration the idea that we have also become adrenaline junkies, and the idea of rest and relaxation has become some foreign concept.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that the more modern addiction to adrenaline and constant action plays a part in putting off retirement. I also wonder how much identity has to do with it. I believe that many people don't know who they truly are apart from their professions. As Aris said, work is valuable and was given to us by God, but we should not make an idol out of it, and we certainly should not center our identities around it.
ReplyDeleteYou make an interesting point. I do believe that a large part of the reason that people are delaying retirement is lack of financial savings/preparation, but the idea of retiring and slowing down, no longer being a part of the face-paced, adrenaline producing rat race most people are used to may be frightful to many. Of the people I know, I know very few that truly take the time to rest, reflect, and enjoy life from a healthy perspective.
ReplyDeleteI think you make a very relevant and interesting point here. I do agree that our society is extreamly stress/adrenaline oriented, and alot of that has to do with our fallen nature in that we have to keep up with the jone's so to say. By that I mean we are envious when we see a fellow coworker or friend get a new and exciting gadget, home, car, etc. So we continually push ourselves to the limit to make a little extra money to pay off our current debts so that we can continue to add more on. I think that has a big part to do with the retirement age going up, we as a country and individuals have accumulated so much debt that we have to keep working if we want to live comfortably or within our means.
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