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Dear Philosophers,

Given the chilly temperatures of the past few weeks, I have decided to hold an online meetup (this will be the only one I do this year) on the issue of retirement. I will email the group members that RSVP to this event the zoom link the day before. Attending does require access to zoom with camera and microphone/audio.

For myself, retirement is still something quite far off on the horizon (1-2 decades away), but I know many of our members are retired, or partially retired, so I thought the discussion might interest many members (another reason for moving it online as more folks can attend),

Here is the assignment for this online meeting, First, watch this 12 mins Ted Talk video on the 4 stages of retirement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH_Pa1hOEVc

Second, read is the short summary (below) of the speaker's insights. I then invite you to think about your own experience and insights on these issues. We will do some breakout room discussions so you can share thoughts/insights with 3-4 others members. And then we will re-group together at the end to compare notes between groups.

What are the emotions and lived experience of your own retirement? Were there things, positive and negative, you thought would happen that didn’t occur? Or things you didn’t expect that did occur?

This is a summary of the speaker’s 4 stages of retirement

Stage 1: the vacation phase: wake up when you want and do what you want. No set routine. This is the ideal most people have about retirement when they are still working. But the reality is that, after about a year, many people get bored and ask “Is this all there is to retirenment?” That sentiment is the transition to stage 2.

Stage 2: Feel loss and feel lost. Lose the “big 5” associated with retirement- routine, sense of identity, many relationships established at work, sense of purpose and loss of power. Because these happen all at once the impact can be profound. Also, many come face-to-face with the “3 Ds” of the retirement age- divorce, depression and decline (physical and mental). Before one can appreciate the benefits of stage 3 people will feel fear, anxiety and maybe depression. At some point most people turn a corner, to phase 3.

Stage 3: Time of trial and error. How can I make my life meaningful again? How can I contribute? Do things you love to do and do really well. This stage will also entail failures (plans you tried pursuing that didn’t work out). Keep trying and experimenting with different activities (to avoid slipping back into stage 2).

Stage 4 (not everyone gets here): Reinvent and Rewire. Entails answering big questions. What’s the purpose here? What gives us meaning and sense of accomplishment? Usually involves service to others.

Look forward to seeing some of you there for an interesting conversation!

Cheers,
Colin

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