To ask WHY you work

[BeatriceAlbert]

Got in a discussion about retirement/early retirement and why people actually go to work in the first place. I know it seems obvious to answer ‘for money’ but this was off the back of the parody about a fisherman.

A businessman on holiday spots a fisherman lounging by his small boat after catching a few fish for the day.

Businessman:
“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?”

Fisherman:
“Why would I?”

Businessman:
“Well, with more fish, you could buy a bigger boat!”

Fisherman:
“And then?”

Businessman:
“With a bigger boat, you could hire a crew, catch even more fish, and eventually own a whole fleet!”

Fisherman:
“And then?”

Businessman:
“Then you could build a company, go public, and become a millionaire!”

Fisherman:
“And then?”

Businessman:
“Then you could retire, relax by the sea, and spend your days fishing!”

Fisherman:
“…Which is what I was already doing before you interrupted.”

How does the fisherman fund his fish bait, fishing rod, boat, food, accommodation without working?

nobody can just ‘relax on a boat’ without money.

Exactly. The idea of being self-sufficient - working only to directly produce (grow, catch, hunt) the food you need is attractive as a vague proposition, but in this country at least, even if you owned your house outright, had no electricity, drew all your water from a well, foraged fuel for heating, wove your own clothes, you'd still have to pay council tax. And to be honest, if you were 100% self-sufficient in other ways, it would be harder work than most full time jobs.

That's what I took it to mean too - in other words it's a load of patronising, unrealistic, tone-deaf crap. I presume this fisherman already had a property he owned outright so didn't have to worry about where he would live in old age, didn't have dependant children, and either secretly had enough cash stashed away to see him through if he wasn't able to fish any more, or was happy to starve instead.

It's basically 'If you can live a wonderful fulfilling life without working, then why are you working?'. Not many people are going to say 'My God! I never thought of that!'.

I’m exactly the same and often talk about retiring (I’m 18 years off retirement age), but I suspect that actually work does me good. Less of it would be great though, enough of a lottery win to work 3 days a week would be amazing.

Purely for the money.

In your story the guy was earning his money doing his hobby, that he would still be doing for enjoyment if he become a millionaire.

If I become a millionaire, I wouldn't retire to sit on my laptop all day most days. The freedom would be amazing if could quit work yet still have the money.

Although I would love to do property developing if I had the funds. Guess that is kind of work, but it would be for my own benefit, my own interest and on my own terms

I will still retire early, not massively early, but in my early sixties, as I am used to living more frugally.
I have enough pension to bridge the gap before state pension, then can manage on that with a bit of savings. I will have enough once our mortgage is paid.
Your two examples are extreme.
There are more than two ways to do it.
Some people will work harder, longer, spend, and not save much, then retire at state pension age, maybe with just a few years to enjoy before ill health hits.
Yes, in a highly paid job you could work hard and retire very early, but I'm talking about average people.
As someone else said, at work we are replaceable but not at home.
I value my time outside of work snd enjoy my job, it's a balance.

This. And I actually really enjoy my job and feel it has a purpose. It’s a way to leave my mark on the world and I’ll be able to look back and say that I did something good.

Self - respect, freedom, money and it keeps the CV full.

I always thought I would retire at the earliest opportunity, but when I reached retirement age/state pension I realised I was unlikely to join a gym or engage my brain enough (more likely to spend all day reading) and I would like to stave off dementia, so I worked on but very part-time. I am a self employed locum so could pick and choose. I probably work for about 3 months a year in all but it is getting harder now as some of my jobs are very busy and require speed of thought and long hours to get through workload and now in my early 70s, I am slower, not least because I have to double check my tasks as I am more likely to miss something than before. The commute is also much more tiring (though in crowded trains, tubes, I am almost always offered a seat), so I think next year will be my last working one.

Mainly because I enjoy it, money as a secondary reason. I don't plan to retire.