Many Americans try retirement, then change their minds

[dixonge]

I'm gonna have to research this personality type thing. Somehow all of you managed to run across this in your work careers and I didn't. No idea what those letters mean, but I have been running across this on this website for years now and clearly I am missing out on important stuff.

Maybe not...

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/give-and-take/201309/goodbye-mbti-the-fad-won-t-die

 

[MichaelB]

I'm continually surprised at how few seem to be able to find any sort of challenge or fulfillment outside of a paid job.
./.
Why in the world would I want to go back to a J-O-B? And how would I fit it into my schedule?

I think there are all kinds out there. Folks like us, who have no problem at all leaving the working world behind, and others who fit better within that structure.

Among those who return to work, there is a sub-group of folks that prefer to be with work colleagues rather than spouse. They don't admit to it, so we don't see it in these studies, but it's there. I'm pretty sure my DM did that. As my DF transitioned into spending more time at home, she went from part time to full time, and there is no doubt (in my mind) that she felt more recognized and appreciated at work, and enjoyed the social structure. She didn't need work to maintain her social life, but it was a convenient and non-confrontational excuse, and the money was helpful.

 

[HadEnuff]

I think there are all kinds out there. Folks like us, who have no problem at all leaving the working world behind, and others who fit better within that structure.

Among those who return to work, there is a sub-group of folks that prefer to be with work colleagues rather than spouse. They don't admit to it, so we don't see it in these studies, but it's there. I'm pretty sure my DM did that. As my DF transitioned into spending more time at home, she went from part time to full time, and there is no doubt (in my mind) that she felt more recognized and appreciated at work, and enjoyed the social structure. She didn't need work to maintain her social life, but it was a convenient and non-confrontational excuse, and the money was helpful.

I used to know a nice old fellow, now deceased, who continued to run his business long after he could have very comfortably retired. He liked to say to me that at work he was a chief, and at home he was just an indian, and he liked being a chief much better. Maybe not politically correct, and maybe not exactly saying he preferred work over the company of his wife, at least for a few hours every day, but close enough.

 

[MRG]

I think there are all kinds out there. Folks like us, who have no problem at all leaving the working world behind, and others who fit better within that structure.

Among those who return to work, there is a sub-group of folks that prefer to be with work colleagues rather than spouse. They don't admit to it, so we don't see it in these studies, but it's there. I'm pretty sure my DM did that. As my DF transitioned into spending more time at home, she went from part time to full time, and there is no doubt (in my mind) that she felt more recognized and appreciated at work, and enjoyed the social structure. She didn't need work to maintain her social life, but it was a convenient and non-confrontational excuse, and the money was helpful.

I w*rked with a guy who was in his 70s, still pulling 60+ hours every week.
I know they had money problems, but the biggest factor was he was afraid of his wife. He'd accidentally stepped on their old dog and created some issues that ended up with the dog being put down. She wouldn't forgive him.

I don't know how long that dog had been dead, but she wasn't letting go.

 

[ncbill]

From what I've seen, some people simply don't know what to do with themselves and so go back to work.

My old accountant retired at 60 and 6 months later was back at work (at another firm given the terms of his buyout)

Some "retire" to work for themselves.

A relative did this by opening his own business. His wife retired from her sales job to serve as his bookkeeper.

Neither of them now work anywhere near full-time hours.

They travel extensively, using the business to pay for their travel costs.

 

[jfn111]

I retired from mega corp 6 years ago at age 55. Since then I helped out a friend at his installation company, that was to much work, then I got into real estate. I'm FI so I don't need the money, I won't turn it down either, but I enjoy working.
My wife doesn't enjoy travelling and doesn't like going out to eat. I would go stir crazy of I didn't have something to get me out of the house and interacting with people. I was in sales during my 33 year career with mega corp. so RE turned out to be the perfect solution for me. My schedules determined by customer needs, nobody wants to look at houses at 8:00 AM so I can relax in the mornings and avoid traffic.
suum cuique pulchrum est

 

[scrabbler1]

Anything I have done since retiring 4 years ago that might be construed as w@#k I would do for nothing nd I chose the when and where. If people want to pay me something, I'm hardly going to say no. I still consider myself retired.

Most of the volunteer work I do would fit this description. There is no agreement for those who benefit from my services to pay me, nor are they obligated to even morally. However, some of them pay me a small amount for my day's volunteer "work," maybe $25-$50, sometimes I get the remainder of the pizza lunch (1-2 pies) which was uneaten. Any compensation I receive more than covers my gas expense, too.

 

[Huston55]

There are some interesting observations in the article which would resonate with many members here.




The implication that many people are retiring, then unretiring, is the headline and a key point of the article, but is not supported by the data. First, the journalist links two studies, presents them as independent, with one supporting the other. She neglects to mention that the lead researcher (Maestas) in both is the same individual, they certainly are not independent. The second study (RAND) barely mentions retirement, does not provide any data, and is entirely unsupportive of the “unretirement” conclusion.

The data set is a group of people that reported themselves as retired in 1992, and then tracked for 10 years. Of this group, about 19% said they went back to work, either full or part time. The largest cohort to return to work was people in their early 50’s. Not clear how long they worked, nor if they were “really retired” the first time around.

All of the other larger numbers thrown around the article confuse part time and fully retired. No real conclusions can be drawn, and it takes some real imagination to get to the 40%.

It’s a shame, really, because without the weak data, an interesting article could be written about how some people leave jobs they dislike, take some time off, then go back and find jobs they enjoy more. This allows them to find more balance in their lives.

^This.

I read both the NYT article & the Rand study (and then reread the Rand study again) but, never found the 40% or any quantification of workers who ‘did return to work.’ All I could find was the study’s conclusion that: These results raise the question of whether working conditions could play an important role in unlocking the substantial work potential of retired workers or those close to retirement; which makes me think the researchers had a bit of built in bias.

 

[6miths]

Maybe not...

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/give-and-take/201309/goodbye-mbti-the-fad-won-t-die

Thanks for this. I knew of Myers-Briggs from school but was never subjected to it myself likely because I was never in the business world I guess. I'm always intrigued when people lead with their INTJ status here. This is the first place I have ever seen it used as a personal descriptor.

In the article, it looks like 'The Big Five' or HEXACO will replace the MBTI. I know in sessions I have done related to student support and education that they have been talking about 'The Big Five' rather than the MBTI. It's hard to believe that a test used by so long by Big Business could fail to assess 'emotional stability' and 'honesty-humility'... on second thought.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

Maybe not...

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/give-and-take/201309/goodbye-mbti-the-fad-won-t-die

Yes- I took the test and wondered how it could assign me to a category based on a score of 51% on a really subjective questionnaire. I tend to think the article is correct.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I have used the MBTI for career counseling and workplace disputes. When people see how different everyone's types are if helps them to understand that others view things at work differently then themselves. It is great for marriage counseling too. When people answer the questions with their first response it works well. But if people agonize over the questions and debate back and forth they will not get good results. In my experience people tend to get the same results when taken more then once. It is just one of many tools that can be helpful if used correctly.

 

[Teacher Terry]

7 months after retiring I started to do some consulting. About that time I was asked to teach an online college course which I have done for 5 years. I recently gave up the consulting but still love the course.

 

[braumeister]

The first time I retired I was just 43. I fully expected it to last, but within 3-4 months I started getting antsy and wanting some more structure in my life. I was fortunate to find the perfect job for a second career and was w*rking away at it within six months. Did that happily for 12 years (for a variety of employers including myself) and then retired permanently.

So what I learned is that not only does the mindset vary between individuals, but also within each person at different stages of their life.

 

[brucethebroker]

Why are people doing this?

“It looks like something people are doing intentionally, instead of an oh-my-god response: ‘I’m running out of money; I have to go back to work,’” she said. “It’s much more about a choice.”

” Earning money, while welcomed, rarely proved the primary incentive.

Yep, and I have a bridge to sell you, too....
How many people, who can NOT afford to stay retired, are going to admit it? The last election polls are proof that not everyone tells the truth when asked.

 

[Music Lover]

I'm not surprised by the findings in the article. Lack of social engagement can be very isolating for some people, and for those who relied heavily on work to provide it, retirement can feel lonely. I've had to really work hard to replace my work activities with enough social activities to feel satisfied. It's getting a lot better, but I continue to feel like I could use more social stimulation, which surprises me because when I worked all day I couldn't wait to get home and have some alone time.

I don't think your situation is all that surprising. You required a certain amount of social stimulation each day but work provided too much which is why you were happy to get home and have time to yourself. But, once you retired "too much" social stimulation instantly became "not enough".

 

[Shanky]

In the same boat as many other responders. I would feel that taking compensation for anything at all is a failure to embrace retirement. It has taken me out of my comfort zone, but the engagement, pride, purpose I got from my career is outweighed by my need to develop new interests, competencies and some humility. My professional self was well developed, working on the "human" self now.

 

[Prime Number]

Lack of social engagement can be very isolating for some people, and for those who relied heavily on work to provide it, retirement can feel lonely. I've had to really work hard to replace my work activities with enough social activities to feel satisfied. It's getting a lot better, but I continue to feel like I could use more social stimulation, which surprises me because when I worked all day I couldn't wait to get home and have some alone time.

I feel the exact same way, even down to the needing some alone time after work.

I retired early and moved to a foreign country so that my partner could take care of his aging parents. I feel pretty socially isolated, even though I've made a few friends and have been diligently going to school to learn the language. Every now and then, I half-heartedly apply for jobs because I really miss social interaction and also feeling competent/accomplished/respected, but then sigh from relief when they don't call me back. I'm not 100% sure I could go back to the crazy rat race of my (former) profession; I worked a lot of hours and spent very little time on outside of work activities. I think not cultivating hobbies before quitting also contributes to my feelings. If I were back in the US, I would probably volunteer, but there aren't a ton of volunteer organizations here, since it's a socialistic country.

So, to answer JustCurious's original question: I haven't gone back to work, but I really do think about it a lot.

 

[ER Eddie]

Thanks for this. I knew of Myers-Briggs from school but was never subjected to it myself likely because I was never in the business world I guess. I'm always intrigued when people lead with their INTJ status here. This is the first place I have ever seen it used as a personal descriptor.

In the article, it looks like 'The Big Five' or HEXACO will replace the MBTI. I know in sessions I have done related to student support and education that they have been talking about 'The Big Five' rather than the MBTI. It's hard to believe that a test used by so long by Big Business could fail to assess 'emotional stability' and 'honesty-humility'... on second thought.

Just FYI, the Myers-Briggs really isn't well-respected by people who know personality assessment. Hasn't been for decades. It's been a pop-psych phenomenon, more the result of good marketing than good science.

Credit where it's due, though -- the first factor, Introversion, has stood the test of time and is very important (tho M-B over-represents it). But Big Five is a much better way to understand personality. It's well-supported by decades of research.

 

[Lawrencewendall]

Just FYI, the Myers-Briggs really isn't well-respected by people who know personality assessment. Hasn't been for decades. It's been a pop-psych phenomenon, more the result of good marketing than good science.

Credit where it's due, though -- the first factor, Introversion, has stood the test of time and is very important (tho M-B over-represents it). But Big Five is a much better way to understand personality. It's well-supported by decades of research.

I came across the Jung personality test about 15 years ago. I found the results interesting but didn't agree with everything. It felt more like a horoscope and could apply to anybody. I printed it out and showed the DW and pointed out things I disagreed with. She said heck no! Those areas fit me to a T. who knew? I've probably taken it at least 10 times since then with the same results and my w*k has aligned with that assessment. YMMV

 

[Scuba]

In the same boat as many other responders. I would feel that taking compensation for anything at all is a failure to embrace retirement. It has taken me out of my comfort zone, but the engagement, pride, purpose I got from my career is outweighed by my need to develop new interests, competencies and some humility. My professional self was well developed, working on the "human" self now.

Well said for me too. I’ve been enjoying exploring how to redefine myself outside of my previous work identity. I’ve turned down several consulting offers and don’t regret it. If I still needed the money, I wouldn’t have RE’d.

But YMMV. I do believe there are different strokes for different folks and it’s not “wrong” for someone who retired to go back to work if that is what makes them happy. Retirement is all about making fulfilling choices.

 

[superdave]

I started a small concert and wedding photography business after retirement. Gets me into some great concerts and makes some pocket money. Good fun.

 

[albireo13]

Anything outside MegaCorp will be good.

 

[eytonxav]

I retired at 54 due to a favorable voluntary retirement offering, that lasted two months, then retired again at 57 because my entire organization was eliminated and that hiatus lasted 1 year, and finally retired for good at 63, as I was sick and tired of driving 35 miles to and from work thru 2 major construction projects.

I suppose I could have stayed in my initial job for another 10 years as I was being paid a lot, but after our company went through a so-called merger of equals, the newco was such a toxic environment that it was killing my mental/physical health.

 

[Huston55]

I retired at 54 due to a favorable voluntary retirement offering, that lasted two months, then retired again at 57 because my entire organization was eliminated and that hiatus lasted 1 year, and finally retired for good at 63, as I was sick and tired of driving 35 miles to and from work thru 2 major construction projects.

I suppose I could have stayed in my initial job for another 10 years as I was being paid a lot, but after our company went through a so-called merger of equals, the newco was such a toxic environment that it was killing my mental/physical health.

Practice makes perfect!

 

[Rianne]

FIRE is a term that means you don't have to work for money. I think there are many FIRE people who still work because they enjoy it, gosh so many! To me, FIRE is freedom, freedom to choose. If the forest preserve offered me a paying job, I would certainly consider it. I love it there and spend most of my time there because I want to.