You’re never too old

Bartleby wrote about the dangers of retiring, giving us the examples of some highly successful octo- and nonagenarian outliers who still work (January 27th). The problem for many successful (or mildly so) professionals who achieve some authority in the later stages of their professions is that they kid themselves into believing people genuinely appreciate their point of view, rather than the authority granted with long service.

Most of us aren’t really so gifted that our advice is really sought after. I’d like to offer an alternative view: embrace the later stages of life, have a purpose, be it a hobby or voluntary support to a cause, and let the next generation do things unencumbered by your suggestions and “wisdom”.

Jonathan Tottman

Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Thailand

For those of us not blessed with 89-year-old Giorgio Armani’s role as head of a multi-billion-dollar company (a rare counterfactual), the prospect of an eternity ingesting the soul-sapping gruel of corporate life is truly horrific. Endless meetings, ghastly hotels, budget reviews, office politics, technical committees, audit reviews, performance appraisals, terrible IT, wearying travel, egregious management, awaydays, policy forums, marketing initiatives, programme boards, risk sessions, customer complaints; all these combine to rinse out any joy or meaning you may experience from Monday to Friday (and frequently Saturdays and Sundays too).

I am retired and spent 35 minutes this afternoon staring at a large and majestic acacia tree in my garden, because I could and wanted to. I gained more spiritual nourishment from this episode than anything that had occurred in my 40 years in corporate life.

Will Moss

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

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