Earlier quoted context omitted.
The joints do get worn out with the age tho..
What's the best way to preserve them
Keep them active with loads that aren't too heavy.
A mobile lifestyle is good, obesity is bad.
Early Retirement May Speed Up Cognitive Decline: Study
241–250 of 292 posts
Re: Early Retirement May Speed Up Cognitive Decline: Study
#242My dad is a doctor in his 70s. He works 60 hour weeks (which he claims counts as retirement for doctors). He truly believes that true retirement is suicide. He wants to be found dead while doing rounds at the hospital.
I work to live not live to work.
I can certainly imagine having meaningful work that's the purpose of life, not just a source of funding for other activities. It's definitely not the case for many (probably most) people, but it is that way for some; there's probably a correlation with "high-status" jobs.
For the OP example of a doctor, it's quite plausible that their social and ethical goal in life is healing people and their home life is just there to support their work; instead of wanting to (for example) play golf and having to heal people for money to support that. Or for example, did Feynman work on physics in order to "live" or was that work a goal in itself?
Re: Early Retirement May Speed Up Cognitive Decline: Study
#243Earlier quoted context omitted.
I guess this is why you should work less hard and do more to cultivate hobbies. I can’t imagine retiring and doing nothing. So many projects.
I don't understand how so many people can anchor their lives to work. If you do that, when you retire, you've lost your meaning of life. I have a list of things a mile long that I just can't get to because 40 hours a week is already spoken for. Early retirement speeds cognitive decline? Maybe if you sit on the beach and/or watch TV all day long, but that sounds kind of miserable if done for more than a few weeks.
It's not the same. Work requires you to finish. Just having a list of things is not the same. You get lazy, you shift to the next thing too early, etc.
Re: Early Retirement May Speed Up Cognitive Decline: Study
#244Earlier quoted context omitted.
I totally agree. I have so many interests and so little time. I can't wait until I can retire so that I can focus on the things that really interest me. I'm hoping to form groups of like minded people with similar hobbies. I envision my future as one of those old dudes playing chess in the park, except chess would be replaced with one of my many interests.
I also have this intention. I am about 15-20 years from retirement but I have palpable fears that I will forsake my dreams of doing something creative, falling into the rut that I've seen my older relatives and friends follow. You do meet the odd creative and intelligent senior but they are the minority. I hope I fall into that category when I retire!
You do understand that your 65-year old self is radically different to your 45-year old self, right?
Re: Early Retirement May Speed Up Cognitive Decline: Study
#245This is something I think about a lot. I plan to never stop doing mentally stimulating activities, even in my old age. The difference you can see in cognitive ability between the elderly is staggering. One particular instance that sticks in my mind was a video filmed in the UK where for some unrelated reason four older men and women were interviewed, with ages ranging between 80 and the low 100's. The mid 80 year old…
My understanding is that social activities are even more important than mentally stimulating activities.
I wonder how that tallies up for introverts vs extroverts. Personally I'd rather stick sharpened pencils in my eyes than partake in social activities with a bunch of other retirees.
Re: Early Retirement May Speed Up Cognitive Decline: Study
#246Earlier quoted context omitted.
> People used to know how to type a url into an address bar. People used to know how to write in cursive too. Some skills just get obsolete.
>People used to know how to write in cursive too. Some skills just get obsolete. I heard this few times. Is it actually a thing that people don't know how to write cursive? Natural writing (cursive) has been a part of primary education in most(perhaps all) countries since the beginning. Did they actually remove it recently? That would be insane. How one is supposed to be able to write quickly, as in when taking notes…
I grew up in Greece, nobody is taught cursive. I kinda developed a horrible version of it as I went along though.
Re: Early Retirement May Speed Up Cognitive Decline: Study
#247Not only early retirement but any kind of retirement that gets the retiree in a mode that they don't have to try anymore will result in cognitive decline. I am seeing this in my dad who has been retired for ten years now. Throughout his work life he was a sharp hard working banker. Now he uses his age and retirement as an excuse for not trying. Just yesterday he wanted me to order something for him from Amazon. I tol…
"[Geometer] H.S.M. Coxeter lived to the age of 96, working and lecturing right until his death. He attributed his long life to a strict vegetarian diet and he did 50 push-ups every day. He said, I am never bored. " http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/history/Biographies/Coxet...
Well, that's what he said.
Re: Early Retirement May Speed Up Cognitive Decline: Study
#248Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't understand how so many people can anchor their lives to work. If you do that, when you retire, you've lost your meaning of life. I have a list of things a mile long that I just can't get to because 40 hours a week is already spoken for. Early retirement speeds cognitive decline? Maybe if you sit on the beach and/or watch TV all day long, but that sounds kind of miserable if done for more than a few weeks.
It's not the same. Work requires you to finish. Just having a list of things is not the same. You get lazy, you shift to the next thing too early, etc.
That’s part of cultivating an interest in other activities. Figuring out how to make time for them and following through till completion.
The external motivation is not succumbing to dementia.
I’ve seen people suffer from dementia. At the moment I’d rather have the option of euthanasia rather than live like that.
Re: Early Retirement May Speed Up Cognitive Decline: Study
#249Earlier quoted context omitted.
To the people downvoting this: why is this an unreasonable perspective? The commenter isn't advocating one way or another, only pointing out that there are people that exist who are content with work as their self-perceived life meaning. I can absolutely see how this can be true for people in the sciences. There are many academics who devote their entire career - and often their life - to finding the answer to extrem…
I don't even think you need to be in the sciences. Perhaps it's a result of a protestant upbringing, but I grew up in blue-collar America where virtually everyone was a tradesman. If I may generalize: these are people that while they might complain and dislike going to work, they feel deep satisfaction about contributing back to society. Or maybe it's that with trades you have a direct connection to the work you do a…
As a developer, I feel a deep disconnect between the work I do and any results. At home I make things and I get way more satisfaction from designing a simple 3D object that serves a function and printing it out.
I can see why tradesmen may have better job satisfaction. You can directly improve the life of someone else.
Re: Early Retirement May Speed Up Cognitive Decline: Study
#250Did you also read the study that said you may live longer if you retire earlier? I think the key is to stay physically and mentally active.