Working in the third age

The french “la troisième age” translates into the third age, but is broadly used to describe life after 60 as a time of exploring new interests and activities. Doing new stuff. Things that feel better than the stuff you did to feed your family and your career.

This is not for everyone. Many 60 year olds simply struggle to make a living, and many more who find that they are no longer attractive on the job market [marked in red on the "career" line above].

Like it or not: for most 60 year olds, career is no longer an option.

Kirkegaard offers a slightly brighter perspective. He describes the esthetic stage of life as a rather superficial and egocentric lifestyle where we strive to maximize immediate personal gratification. Discussing this in a class last year I thought back on my many years hunting for a career, and how constantly dissatifying that was. I think of this as a necessary Maslowian step toward something more satisfying.

The ethic stage is that. By letting go of the career plans we can become more useful to people around us. When most people are striving for money, position or power I have found that I can move mountains by sidestepping that scramble.

In 2015 Sweden experienced a virtual tsunami of immigrants. Many of us realized this was either going to be great for a country with severe shortage of working age population, or a catastrophy. Our ability to integrate the new arrivals would make the difference between the two scenarios.

As a (spare time) running coach I sat on a tool to make a difference. Running is a cheap upper class sport, and that makes it a uniquely great tool for social climbing.

Gradually I found that my years "in the mad scamble" had prepared me for a role as mentor for young people aiming for a career, and a guide on how things work outside the suburbs where everyone is either a first or second generation immigrant. This is immensely satisfying.

Research on happiness repeatedly finds that life takes a turn toward the better around 46 . I think that is a finding S?ren Kirkegaard would appreciate as a time when we start moving from the esthetic to the ethic stage.

When we let go of "the mad scramble" we see our fellow humans.

That prepares us to do more good than we could before.