Personally, if I could stop working tomorrow I would. I have nothing against work, but I do feel that most jobs aren't particularly meaningful, and so they act as a pacifier that fills in our time so we don't need to confront the question of: what do we do with our time?
> I think if I could afford to retire tomorrow, I'd have no trouble keeping myself busy for the rest of my life.
Completely agreed. I took 6 weeks off between jobs a couple years ago, the longest continuous span without work or school since I was 14. It seemed crazy long. My goal was to get bored so I'd be ready to go back to having a job at the end of it. I completely failed, I filled those 6 weeks and would eagerly have filled many more self-directed months. Maybe it'll be different when I'm older but right now, I could easily spend years and years keeping myself busy if I didn't have like bills and stuff to pay.
> but I do feel that most jobs aren't particularly meaningful, and so they act as a pacifier that fills in our time
For like 99% of people, work exists so they can buy a food and a roof over their head.
> the question of: what do we do with our time?
I've got a growing Steam library of games that I've bought but haven't gotten around to playing.
It always surprises me when people complain about being bored after retirement. If you've got disabilities or fading health so don't have the energy or ability to do the things you want, that's understandable. But I'll never understand the people that are able-bodied yet get bored only months into retirement. I just think...what did you do during your free time before you retired? Just stare at the TV?
Covid showed me that the daily ritual of getting up at the same time, getting dressed in proper clothes, and taking a train somewhere all massively helped my mood and level of willingness to engage with life.
I can see how, in the absence of responsibilities, it's easy to slowly slide into a rut and become a depressed lump of a human that doesn't want to do anything. I also see that as part of the challenge: how do I stay disciplined enough to be happy, without being dependent on a job to force me out of bed?
