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New Sixty

Nice essay on aging and how that is evolving even as a concept. If  you don't feel and act your age, then could you actually be aging? What then happens to societal expectations of people acting their age. If people are staying healthy and active for longer and remaining in the workforce past retirement, they are also taking away room from younger people who will need to wait their turn. The opportunities that they deserved in their 30s and 40s may now come decades later. You have to wonder if that might breed resentment against seniors. Its like a guest overstaying their welcome or a comedian thrashing out lines long after the applause has ceased. 

Our social systems are designed for a certain level of life expectancy with some amount of elasticity. It would be a challenge to have that exceeded when being a centenarian turns more norm than exception. Add to that if people past seventy and fully active in the workforce - not only would that depress wages for younger people but more importantly they will miss out on opportunity to grow into roles and learn on the job. The retiree with decades of industry experience would easily beat them out specially if they are cheap.

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