The other day, I was browsing the internet and came across an article about retirement in the UK. The statistics it presented left me quite shocked. On average, people only draw their state pension for about eight years before, inevitably, life reaches its end.
It made me pause and reflect. Is this the pinnacle of human wisdom? Most of us spend the majority of our lives working—giving our time, energy, and, of course, our taxes—only to enjoy a few short years of retirement. And then we’re gone.
As a society, this balance feels profoundly unjust. We dedicate decades to contributing, often sacrificing personal fulfillment and health along the way, all for a fleeting period of rest in our later years. Is that really the best we can aspire to? Shouldn’t life be more than just toil followed by a brief pause before the inevitable?
Perhaps the real question isn’t whether humans are misguided, but whether our societal structures reflect our true values. If we valued life itself—time spent with loved ones, pursuing passions, and simply being—surely we would build systems that allowed for more of it. Instead, we’ve designed a world where work dominates and rest is a mere afterthought, tacked on at the end when it’s almost too late.
Something about that doesn’t sit right. Surely, we can do better.
