The document discusses how conventional ideas of retirement are outdated and no longer appropriate for the modern world. It argues that for many people, retirement is not a choice they make because they want to stop working, but because they dislike their current jobs and industries. However, quitting work entirely is not the solution and will leave people without purpose or fulfillment. The document suggests that people should reconsider pursuing work they are passionate about rather than simply counting down to retirement from a job they despise.

1. The
New
Retirement
Story
in
Paris
(1)
By
Peter
de
Kuster
Retiring
Old
Ideas
About
Retirement
.
Musee
Delacroix
Face
it
–
retirement
is
not
a
great
idea.
Especially
at
the
present
retirement
age.
In
fact,
retirement
as
we
know
it
today
is
a
relic
from
a
time
and
a
world
that
have
long
passed.
In
the
context
of
our
modern
age
and
economy,
conventinal
ideas
about
retirement
are
not
only
inappropriate
but
they
are
counterproductive.
The
concept
of
retirement
is
hopelessly
out
of
touch
with
our
times.
We
have
to
liberate
ourselves
from
it.
Delacroix’s
Liberty
We
are
subjected
daily
to
messages
that
pummel
our
brains
with
warnings
that
we
should
save
more
if
we
hope
to
leap
off
the
economic
cliff
known
as
retirement
date.
And
many
of
us
have
been
convinced
that
we
want
to
jump
off
that
cliff
earlier
–
if
possible,
much
earlier.
But
do
we
really
want
to
quit
working?
Sadly,
because
so
many
people
are
working
in
jobs,
industries
and

2. offices
they
hate,
they
have
convinced
themselves
that
the
answer
is
the
end
of
their
working
days
(retirement).
But
the
fact
reamins
that
they
wouldn’t
be
obsessed
with
the
idea
of
quitting
if
they
were
doing
what
they
wanted
with
their
life
in
the
first
place.
Many
people
think
that
the
answer
is
to
quit
working
altogether,
because
they
don’t
like
the
working
circumstances
they
find
themselves
stuck
in.
This
is
akin
to
getting
a
frontal
lobotomy
simply
because
of
a
headache.
Many
others
want
to
quit
what
they
are
doing
now
to
be
able
to
do
something
else;
they
need
or
want
a
change
but
are
convinced
they
need
a
mountain
of
money
to
make
the
switch.
So
they
decide
to
postpone
their
dreams,
assuming
that
when
they
do
finally
acquire
the
required
money,
they
still
have
the
desire
and
drive
necessary
to
follow
their
dreams.
Delacroix’s
Dante
Divine
Comedy:
on
the
half
of
my
life
i
was
haunted…
People
in
these
circumstances
–
and
there
are
many
–
should
stop
and
think
about
the
tragic
story
that
they
drive
themselves
in
a
career
they
despise,
they
are
running
on
tires
with
a
slow
leak.
The
ride
gets
rougher
and

3. tougher
until
they
find
their
aspirations
in
the
ditch
and
little
energy
left
to
begin
a
new
journey.
The
same
could
be
said
for
those
who
have
a
lukewarm
approach
to
their
work.
Such
a
tragic
story
results
in
a
lack
of
growth,
a
lack
of
incentive
and
mental
application
and
compromised
energy
levels.
When
this
tragic
story
becomes
our
life,
we
are
well
on
our
way
to
a
life
and
career
of
underachievement.