The hustle culture has long been derided even when it continues to be the greater reality in ironic assertions of prevailing. The irony does not seem to be losing out anytime soon as yet, with the clawing back even of those hustlers who had once looked forward to bask in the bliss of retirement.
So appealing had the prospect of retiring been at one point of time that early retirement was something actively sought out. It seemed only reasonable enough that roughly a couple of couple decades after one had pursued their careers in all professionalism, the option in retiring would be one immensely attractive. The general assumption too would be one of considerable conduciveness- after all these years of working and hustling and even burning out, one could not but covet indeed a chance to enjoy life and live it to one’s heart content. And despite that sounding like very traditional a concept to adhere to, retirement has by and large managed to hold on to its appeal even through this turn of the times.
Not so much perhaps in the current times, or even in its timelining through quite some years of the recent past, when it instead is the notion of unretirement finding greater fancying. The nature of its occurring thus in contradicting what would be an established practice of all generality arouses in itself the sparks of interest. For the very idea of retirement being one relatively modern- first introduced only towards the late years of the 19th century, would emerge then as the non traditional route the world would once again choose to set out on.
‘Back to the roots’ would be one narrative then lending itself to the eruption of what has been called The Great Unretirement. But the actual, more pressing concerns of this case would be as modern as could be. Because while actors and sportspeople coming out of retirement had been quite a reasonable reality, unretirement, in the scheme of manifesting for more ordinary earthlings would come to be a breakthrough phenomenon only in the newer phase of existence made possible by the havoc wreaking character of the coronavirus pandemic.
It then is much practical a basis upon which unretirement presented itself to the world as an option of not so much choice. The irony returns to rule in such context as the world scrambled to find entry in that very order of existing it had been looking to shun for so long- or so it seemed. As a state of affairs pushed into by needs as practical and real as could be, brought upon indeed by the vulnerable nature of the entire world economy turmoiled in existence, unretirement came to be almost the norm for a vast majority of retirees seeing all their savings and investments be reduced to almost nothing through the frightening power of the prevailing uncertainty.
There of course has been other as essential causes contributing to the emergence of this ‘passion’ to hustle indeed, with everything ranging from sheer boredom to a more enthusiastic desire in indulging one’s ‘do what you love’ spirit largely favoring the prospect rested in unretiring. Or it might even be a greater realisation afforded by perhaps all the prime years of life spent hustling and working to such extents that one ceases to find resonance in the non working mode of an existence, even when it tends closer to the dreamy domain of utopia.
One would be jolted out of their reverie in much harshness of viewing a retired life as the ultimate moment they have yearned and wished and desired their entire duration in working. Because no sooner had this lot of people courted retirement, they found themselves grappling with more that one issue of considerable concern. It did not help indeed that much of these retirements happened to be induced or forced even by the grim dictations of a global crisis. Unemployment did consume a significant chunk of these workless identities but it seemed like a certain section of them was more than comfortable with this situation they found themselves in- of the realisation in not having to attend to a job occurring in so much assertion of freedom and living and ‘breaking free’ that they chose then to bask in such joys of retirement.
Not for long though. The ravage that has since come to characterise the world in only furthering the devastation of the pandemical has seen savings being decimated and even wipe out at a pace faster than what one would have expected. That, along with an assertion of losing all sense of oneself in a time and state of existence that left us with practically nothing to do in the way we were most used to only had millions all over contemplating if they could ever ‘afford’ to retire indeed. And by the time the buzzword of the times had shown some losing out on intensity, the impact of it had already manifested in dramatic versions of that mandate in dictating so that unretirement came to be the more natural mode of hustling.
Income then, and subsistence therefore is a prime consideration in dictating the unretirement trend. And essentially so as well. It still isn’t the one sole reason though that has retirees decide to return to their long lived identity in professioning. Somewhat surprisingly, it can also sometimes be socially motivated a course of action that individuals choose for themselves. And in between these two ends of the wholly gainful vs the essentially beneficial, there rests as well a great variety of reasoning in which unretirement can come to find furtherance.
Even when money in indispensability of its very essence in securing life might not be the factor that has one give in to their nonchoice then in unretiring, retirees can still be driven by the prospect of earning. No one minds an extra, second source of income to be even greatly indulging in their fanciest of the fancies and working indeed is the recipe cooking up this version of living. Of course, the necessity might manifest as well of no money ever ending up as too much and the ever increasing rates of inflation and prices making even crucial essentials of healthcare and education become more and more expensive, working one’s way through life- or at least as long as they can has come to be one decision very logically undertaken today in all universality.
It also is the nature that work assumes in the current day and age that makes unretiring an easy choice. Lesser demands of strenuous physicality, the conveniences brought in by works of technology as well as the flexibility flowing in notions like remote work or customised patterns and shifts in working has mean that jobs today do not stir so much intentions in retiring from them full-fledgedly. Throw in also the element of passion that might have been the ultimate factor in leading one to work in such capacity at the first place and retiring would be but an uninviting prospect in giving up a part of one’s very essence.
Unretirement can also be encouraged by more informed facts of existence, such that equates retiring from job with a life of inactivity. With physical as well as mental health possibly rendered unfavourable through extended periods of not much gainful activity to attend to, retirement can take quite a toll on the human being. As thoughts and feelings of hopelessness, unworthiness and depression begins to creep in along with bodily struggles in functioning, the once enthusiastic retirees of the world find themselves doing a backtrack and scouting instead an expression in unretiring.
It all might be somewhat messed up but working seems to have the edge in endowing life with a sense of purpose- something that might not make much sense itself but the fact of the matter, however sad or happy that might be, is what it is. With empirical evidence existing of working longer being positively correlated to longevity, and longevity also in such assertion of a fulfilling life, it is no wonder that unretirees are more common today than ever. It also helps one maintain a routine of life, without which living can go awry indeed with unhealthy habits and patterns taking over the idleness of existence.
Conversely even, people being much more conscious today of their lifestyles means that they generally are in a better space physically and emotionally which in turn makes it possible for them to go on working and get moving and hustling for longer than ever. And ultimately there also could be a regard for the connection that working as part of a greater community of professionals helps harbour.
Even when one would be more informal in their approach of working the second time around, they still would not be working in complete isolation. Even if it is only the clients one ‘engages’ with, it still would be sufficient validation, or let’s say comfort in fact of the knowledge of some kind of company. Striking then in such ploys of the psychological, while bearing sociableness of character, even when stirred still by the generous motive in contributing to the society and even the economy is this ‘rebelling’ almost identity of what unretirement arises as even when standing truer to the triumphs of the traditional.
The appeal also is diversely dictated through unretirement presenting a world of greater possibilities. People who do not have to unretire due to financial strains can take in fact greater risks in this second courting of the work privilege. That can mean everything from pursuing one’s hobbies professionally to embarking on an altogether newer avenue of exploring, with nothing to lose indeed from such shot at ‘switching careers’. The freedom finds even greater expression, with flexible and part time working being as obvious possibilities that one can consider in what suits their interests.
Unretirement can also be a feasible, even when temporary, addressing of the labour shortage that the job market faces due to various reasons or it can even be a way in ensuring that years of experience gained and expertise acquired do not come to nothing. This ‘uprising’ of sorts is a maverick indeed and one that only stabilises greatly the idea of the traditions coming to be fads in the modern time being as universal a truth as life itself.
