A friend was visiting tonight who in her words, is "barely working" anymore, because while she isn't filthy rich, she is comfortable, has enough invested and coming in and, doesn't have a high overhead on her life. So in her mid-50s, she made the decision to slow down a lot and just have things tick over, donating her time to women's shelters and with friends and family.
It is an enviable position, but how many of us are ever going to be able to make that decision, even if we had enough money to do so? Because when that money is coming in, it is hard to give it up and turn away from it.
Greed?
Maybe.
But also, not necessarily. They say the happiest people are those who get paid for doing what they love, so why is it wrong to keep doing it, just because it is earning money? Should musicians and artists be forced to retire at 65? Should they stop charging for their work once they have enough money in the bank? Slow down, stop being so greedy? Why is there a difference in the way we see for example, someone creating art, and someone managing a company?
We are greedy.
We all want more of something, whether it be money, sex, power, pleasure, free time, intimacy, love...
Right?
This is human nature. We are hardwired to want more and likely, to never be completely satisfied with what we have. Because if we were to accomplish some kind of "perfect harmony" where we all had precisely enough of everything and were 100% content, we wouldn't do anything more, we wouldn't change. And because change is a constant pressure in the universe, ultimately, no matter how perfectly created something is, once it is created, it start to become imperfect, as the environment changes around it.
Still content with a failing creation?
This post seems to be heading off track, but my point is that with a lot of people looking to retire from their jobs because they don't like them, they simultaneously seem to have the impression that those who are earning well are also only doing it because of the money, not because they like what they do.
Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n Roll.
The Rolling Stones are still rolling.
The funny thing is, that those without money (people like me) will see those who are earning well in business as greedy if they keep working, if they have enough. Yet, when we look at a different profession, we want them to keep working, because we enjoy what they are producing. It is a double-standard based on our opinions and own greed to get our own Satisfaction. When we don't value the work they are doing because it doesn't impact on our lives, they are greedy.
But, since most of the work in this world is irrelevant for the survival of the species (and likely threatens it anyway), we are largely trying to make enough from it so that we can retire and never have to do it again. However, most of us will never get to that point and probably, through economic mismanagement or technological development, we will be forced out due to our growing unsuitability for the changing environment. We won't be in demand, because we aren't fast enough, strong enough or smart enough. We can't keep working, because we can't meet the needs of the moment.
Irrelevance.
I think that my friend is enjoying her professional irrelevance (by choice), however, she is also recognizing that she needs more of something in her life. And as such, she is finding meaning in her life by connecting with women and children struggling with abusive relationships, and making herself more present in the lives of her family and friends - something that she neglected to do for decades. However, if she had done all of this prior to doing all the work that allows her retirement, her ability to actually help would be diminished, as would her time, because rather than helping, she would be working in order to pay for the groceries and mortgage.
There is a cost to every action and there might also be a return on every action too. However, it is up to us as individuals to try and make meaning from our life, which generally requires, *doing more of something in one area, and less of something in another. However, that hierarchy of what is important and what is not, is going to vary from person to person.
An artist might sell a painting for a million dollars and get global praise. A researcher could develop cure a type of cancer, and not even get a mention in the local newspaper. Should the researcher become an artist instead? Can the artist become a cancer-curing researcher?
There is never enough in this world.
Which keeps us creating more.
More of what though?
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]