What are people thinking about when they’re around 56 years old? What is their purpose in life?
I’m starting to feel like I don’t care about my own life. What are people thinking about when they’re around 56 years old? What is their purpose in life?
1. People whose lives revolve around their family
- Their children have become adults, and now they have grandchildren, and they’re looking forward to watching them grow up.
- They reevaluate their relationship with their spouse, and start to value the time they spend together.
- Many people look back and say, “I’ve spent my life working for my family.”
2. People whose identity is entrusted to their work
- People who are approaching retirement and think, “Only a few more years…”
- On the other hand, there are also people who feel a sense of mission, thinking, “What will happen to this company when I’m gone?”
- Some people are afraid of the “gap” after quitting their jobs, and hope to be rehired after retirement.
3. People whose purpose in life is finding new hobbies and learning
- Fishing, mountain climbing, pottery, photography, languages, travel.
- They are in the “now is the time to do what I haven’t been able to do before!” mode.
- There is a freedom that you didn’t have when you were younger, and the joy of moving forward at your own pace.
4. People who start to worry about the meaning of life
- “What was my life all about?”
- “Can I just end it like this?”
- In search of proof that they lived, they write diaries, talk to people, and turn to religion and philosophy.
5. People who enter a mode where they don’t care about anything anymore
- In a sense, they are philosophical. They decide to “live how they want.”
- They choose to live quietly, freely, and without comparing themselves to others, without forcing themselves to do too much.
- To others, they may look like they’re “not doing anything,” but they may be satisfied with their life.
