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The Forum > Article Comments > Men after retirement > Comments

Men after retirement : Comments

By Peter West, published 19/7/2007

What do we need so that men can have a happier and more productive retirement?

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It takes all types to make a world. I retired in 1988 and what followed was the best time of my life.

My advice is to stay away from retired persons clubs. I found the lack of mental energy to be astonishing. Young people will accept you if you refrain from talking about years gone by. The authors advice to get involved in the problems of young people is good advice.

The author seems to be a bit focused on money. You will not need nearly as much as you think – provided you do not like tripping overseas. Financial planers plan as if you will be as active at 85 as at 65. Forget about investing – use up the capital so that there is almost none left at 85.
Posted by healthwatcher, Thursday, 19 July 2007 9:15:05 AM
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"Unfortunately, retired men lose their sense of masculinity in the absence of three of the things that defined them as men: work, sport and sex."

I pity those men---perhaps the author is one---who are so shallow as to have based their masculinity on these activities or perceptions of them. It seems to me that they would certainly feel the pressures of ageing. But I do hear the author's cry for help.

I wonder if an academic's equivalent of a motorcycle is to enter pop journalism and write patronising articles like these.
Posted by PeterJH, Thursday, 19 July 2007 9:56:46 AM
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Peter JH

Why do men launch attacks on each other in these blogs?
It distracts attention from the article and the discussion soon becomes little more than
"I did! ..."
"You didn't!..."
"I did!... "

Is this something that women do not know about men - that when you talk you launch attacks on each other?

I thought Aussie men called each other "Mate" and avoided all disagreement?
Posted by Dealing With The Mob, Thursday, 19 July 2007 10:35:29 AM
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Retirement ? I couldn't wait. I can't understand why people are bored after their "working" lives. There isn't enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do and as for my working life, it just got in the way of pleasure and all the things I wanted to do. The only constraint I have is money, but even so I still play sport, swim, read, garden,sail,play with my computer and investments and yes, have even learned to to fly. I live alone but am never lonely and always have something to occupy my mind. Mind you, as an ex tradesman I do have a shed !
Posted by snake, Thursday, 19 July 2007 1:09:27 PM
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I think that men can think of work, sex and sport, (as I know that women think of such things), but I think that men also think of other things as well.

The situation is becoming more clear in time that the No1 issue for many men and women is divorce. The feminist ideal of divorce, the destruction of family and the raising of children by the mother is not good for men, women, or children and certainly not good for someone approaching retirement or in retirement.

“AUSTRALIA'S first wave of baby-boomer divorcees are far less happy as they approach retirement and suffer more physical and mental health problems than their married friends.”

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,22040289-2702,00.html

“PEOPLE who divorce, separate or lose a partner through death are more likely to surrender their homes, with the housing cost burden doubling for this group.”

www.rmit.edu.au

So divorce is likely to become the No1 issue for our aging population.
Posted by HRS, Thursday, 19 July 2007 2:15:37 PM
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An interesting and thought provoking article. I have been studying ageing in the workplace and various concepts of age for some time and the notion of 'retirement' or what constitutes retirement is fascinating.

I suggest women may be more social or rather have more established social networks. These are more durable than the workplace social/functional relationships that men have.

My dad was a dentist and when he retired, he started following my mum around the house until she told him to get a hobby. He did. He started sailing, which he'd learnt as a kid and he (he took me) had the time of his life.

Savings. The author is spot on here and Paul Keating has called for this time and time again. We must save more. Yes, '2 per cent compulsory every year over say the next five years' is the way to go. Make it 15 percent compulsory across the board.

I would suggest start thinking of retirement in 'nominal terms' in so far as there is no specific time to end work. Leave it up to individual choice and health to dictate scaling down or out of work.

It's a cultural quirk that us anglos don't make more and better use of the wisdom accrued by the older generations. Asian people tend to revere the elderly (or rather don't completely ignore them) and they're seen as valuable social capital. Try telling that to HR and employment agencies today.

There will come a time when we'll have to prop up the boomer infrastructure (roads, health, institutions) and unless we want an economy that contracts not due to unemployment but a labour shortage, then we need to change our mindset on age and ageing.
Posted by Cheryl, Thursday, 19 July 2007 2:32:05 PM
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