3 Myths About Retirement + Why You Shouldn’t Retire

Is retirement necessary? What are myths about retirement that make people believe it’s the last step in a career?

In Thou Shall Prosper, Daniel Lapin teaches that you shouldn’t seek to retire. He says that people commonly believe three things that lead them to think retirement is not just necessary, but also desirable.

Take a look at three myths about retirement and why Lapin argues they’re not true.

False Belief 1: Work Is Meaningless

Lapin says one myth about retirement many people hold is that work has no value; it’s just something they have to do to survive. People who believe this only work to make enough money to eventually retire and don’t see any reason to work a day longer than necessary. 

However, Jewish wisdom teaches otherwise: Work gives meaning to the worker’s life, and helps to improve the world for everyone. Remember that your money is a reflection of your accomplishments and your contributions; therefore, if you choose to stop earning money, it means you’ve chosen to stop contributing to society and to limit what you’ll achieve in your life. 

(Shortform note: Whether it’s accurate or not, the belief that work is meaningless is quite common; according to a 2015 survey, nearly one in five US workers feel that their jobs are useless and that their work does nothing to improve the world or society. Many people also reject the idea that their job is what gives their lives meaning. For example, in Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl says there are three ways to find meaning in your life. First, find it through achievements and accomplishments (which could be work-related, but don’t have to be). Second, find meaning in positive experiences like finding love and beauty in the world. Finally, derive meaning from negative experiences such as a difficult job—but only if you can find meaning in your suffering, like working that job so you can support your family.)

False Belief 2: You Won’t Be an Effective Worker Anymore

The second false belief people commonly hold is that you’ll become less productive as you age. However, unless your career relies almost entirely on your physical abilities, Lapin argues that you’ll actually get more productive as you get older. This is because you’ll have more money to invest, producing ever-increasing returns. You’ll also continue to grow your network of contacts throughout your life, which will provide more and more opportunities to generate wealth.

(Shortform note: You won’t necessarily become less productive as you age, but you might find that the kind of work you’re able to do changes. In From Strength to Strength, Arthur C. Brooks says that your creativity and reasoning skills will decline as you enter middle age and beyond; however, your experience and knowledge will continue to grow throughout your entire life. Therefore, you should look for a career path that will let you take advantage of your changing skill set as you age. According to Brooks, this typically means finding some sort of coaching or advisory role where you can use your accumulated wisdom to guide others.)

False Belief 3: People Are Supposed to Retire

The third false belief is that people aren’t meant to spend their whole lives working; they’re supposed to spend their last years relaxing and enjoying the life they’ve built. 

However, Lapin argues that as you get older, you might find that you don’t want to retire. Instead, you may want to be as productive as possible up until the end of your life, to make as much of an impact on the world as possible. 

Further, he notes that people commonly become more spiritual as they age. Continuing to create wealth can be a spiritual endeavor because your work benefits the whole world.