**Especially if people don't enjoy the work they're doing, working your whole life doesn't seem fair.** - There are plenty of people who believe this life is all we get. Spending it working without time for anything else doesn't seem to me like the fairest thing ever, considering how little time there is for each of us even if we're lucky and how much, in my opinion, every conscious being truly, truly deserves to be as happy as they can be. - The economic structures of the world [support retirement](https://www.oecd.org/els/public-pensions/2429016.pdf) in some places, but many people need to work their entire lives to survive. And even if they can eventually retire, their best and most healthful years, sadly, are gone. Added to that is great sorrow if they didn't even feel meaning (or whatever it was they were aiming for in their lives) while in that job or career. - A change in living structures would probably be the only way I can think of right now to increase the possibilities for less work. The problem is trying to come up with a system that still meets our needs while achieving this. It may be possible, but it's hard to imagine anything could ever be foolproof. - If robots and/or [artificial intelligences](https://royalsociety.org/-/media/policy/projects/ai-and-work/frontier-review-the-impact-of-AI-on-work.pdf) do [take over](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329025467_Artificial_Intelligence_Jobs_and_the_Future_of_Work_Racing_with_the_Machines) more and more jobs, perhaps there will be people who are able to work different jobs for a shorter amount of time, thereby enabling them to increase their leisure/retirement time.

I believe people should work all their lives. However i would take issue with the definition of "work". Perhaps a new definition of what should constitute paid for work, should appear as machines take over more of our traditional jobs. I believe the assertion is meant to imply work as action that contributes or interacts with the world in a way that gives monetary gain, that insures a standard of living or a monetary contribution to it. My definition of work in relation the to the context of the opening statement , is: "an action where the actionee, has to bring what he/she acts upon, to a standard, that in some way contributes to society" In the below examples, in no way I mean't to imply this is what an elderly person should only do or mostly do, but are only examples so you can see what I mean. For instance, if I am elderly I should do "work" like interacting with my grandchildren or the young. When I interact with them, I teach them cultural values, customs on politeness and conversation. I create an emotional link, that means they are more likely to care for the vunerable and less able. I need not have a "lesson" to teach them, mere everyday interaction teaches. If I have no grandchildren, and don't interact with the young, well how about chatting to the neighbours? This promotes neighbourhood harmony and social interaction. For many people social interaction is necessary to feel happy and fulfilled. While chatting you are observing social rules, such as respect for conversational conventions and respect and interest in others. This is a social contribution to the whole community. What about if you do the gardening. Well doesn't that contribute to the beauty of the neighbourhood or country side if you are living surrounded by it. if you are doing your own vegetables, well isn't that a contribution to society, a lesson to all about independence and the benefits of learning something in enough depth, so you can become more self sufficient? My point is all actions, that require bringing things up to a standard, where it can be seen as in someway benefitting society, could be called work. Including working on the self in therapy. I believe we should undertake this kind of work however old we get and hopefully, one day society will see it as something that should be financially supported as worthwhile contributions to society. I