Human beings have always worked, from the days of hunter-gatherers to the development of agriculture to the industrial revolution to the urbanization of workers to technological advancements and now AI will no doubt change our world and our work.
Perhaps as a result of our changing culture, our work has also changed dramatically, or maybe it’s the other way around. The way we worked, where we worked, and the skills needed have changed through the years, but we have always worked.
Cultural changes dramatically affect how we look at work, and not surprisingly, they also affect our perspective of retirement.
Many many years ago, hunter-gatherers simply obtained their food, well, by hunting and gathering. They had limited resources, their basic needs were met, and their wants probably didn’t extend beyond them.
When humans began to cultivate crops and raise herds, food became more available and people began to settle down, live among other people, and build towns and cities. A New York Times article, How the First Farmers Changed History, puts it this way:
The agricultural revolution changed our species and our planet. As bands of hunter-gatherers began domesticating plants and animals, they quit the nomadic life, building villages and towns that endured for thousands of years.
This went on for centuries and as better ways of farming, new technology, and growing industry became available, many took advantage of these advancements, and the result was the Industrial Revolution, which changed the culture dramatically.
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, much of life happened in and around the home. Men, women and children worked together to meet their needs. Everyone contributed, everyone knew what work was, and it may have been drudgery, but it was necessary and meaningful work.
As the Industrial Revoution expanded, incomes rose, opportunities became more plentiful, and the family structure changed. Men began going to a factory or an office to work and women often stayed home to raise the children.
This was the period in which I was raised. My dad went to work; my mom managed the home, four kids, and various volunteer activities. It was a wonderful childhood, and I’m thankful for it. We didn’t realize that the digital revolution was right around the corner and would adjust the workforce once again. It brought new opportunities to many, including me. My first job was as a programmer, for which I was grossly underqualified, but there weren’t many who were highly qualified in those days, so I was given an opportunity to learn.
The digital revolution progressed swiftly, and we saw computers, personal computers, laptops, the internet, cell phones, smart phones, social media, and they all spread in multiple dimensions. We are now thoroughly digitized creatures.
And the intelligence revolution is coming. Just as we adjusted to the digital revolution, we will adjust to the intelligence revolution. Culture changes. Our work shifts. We adjust. Repeat.
It’s no different when we retire. We’ve adjusted to multiple cultural changes over the years, and retirement is just another one. We may not be working for a paycheck, but we are working.
God gave us the desire to work, produce, contribute, and bring order out of chaos. How we do that depends on our gifts, personalities, skill and health, but whether you are volunteering, taking care of family members, planting a beautiful garden, organizing closets, spending time at the library, writing, going back to school, or working part-time, you are working. Retirement doesn’t change the truth that we were created in God’s image to be creative ourselves. Retirement can be an opportunity to resurrect some forgotten artistry and creativity in your life.
Retirement is a relatively recent concept. The Social Security Act, passed in 1935, provided income for citizens beginning at age 65. Life expectancy at the time was almost 60 years for American men and 64 years for women. Over time, as health improved and lifespans increased, our culture changed to anticipate retirement as time to have all the fun and relaxation that was missed out on while working.
Research on one of the healthiest and longest living communities in the world, Okinawa, China, is reported in the Harvard Business Review to have a different perspective:
While we think of retirement as the golden age of golf greens and cottage docks, guess what they call retirement in Okinawa?
They don’t. They don’t even have a word for it. Literally nothing in their language describes the concept of stopping work completely. Instead, one of the healthiest societies in the world has the word ikigai (pronounced like “icky guy”), which roughly translates to “the reason you wake up in the morning.” It’s the thing that drives you most.
Our cultural view of work impacts our perspective of retirement. If you looked at your work as the reason to get up in the morning, a way to grow, gain knowledge, build up experience, and as a contribution, then you can take the same attitude into your retirement years.
Keep learning. Continue to grow. Use your skills to serve others. Continue working.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters… Colossians 3:23
Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash
You have packed so much into this one episode. This is not a complaint or criticism, only an observation. If you have the time, I would like to recommend a book for you to read; Leisure: The Basis of Culture, by Josef Pieper. I believe you find this short, but potent book substantiating your postulations and what retirement is really all about. I have read this book many times over and still find it inspiring.
Judy, I always find your essays insightful and thought-provoking. I do think retirement is a flawed concept. On the one hand, there is something to be said for gardening, golf, and grandchildren, although personally, I only enjoy the kids! But on the other hand, living for my own pleasure feels so empty. I constantly pray that the Lord will allow me to be useful to someone through whatever opportunities he brings my way.