Why do people work till death?

Why do most  of us Want to work  till we Die ?

(even after retirement or even after age of Retirement)

• Ø       For Money?
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• Ø  For fear of Boredom from  doing  Nothing?

• Ø  Are We frightened to be alone with Ourselves?
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• Ø  Or for that matter ,what is the fundamental , lasting ‘Interest’ for anyone to         Work or pursue , what one is doing?

Many people work because of economical considerations, because , if they won’t work, they can’t survive, due to lack proper savings or due to poverty, etc., It is a necessity to work for those people.

But, I see , many people , having no economical compulsions to work, going on and on working even after retirement age or retiring from their jobs , till their death or due to ripe old age, where it is not possible to go any farther, due to some old age problems.

Why?

One may say, it is their choice, who am I or anyone , to question someone choices. Right.

But, The way , I understand , or my view about it , is ……..

It is understandable, if one is pursuing  an  ‘art’ or some other ‘passion’  till his or her death. The earning, here, is the byproduct of the passion of the Individual . Its altogether different from purely working for ‘Money’ . But, here, also, one can find people , who are in it, purely for earning purpose, and demand huge amounts for performances etc.,

Most of us are interested in our jobs, our Family, our House,  And , after that, More prestige, More Power, More Money, More Assets, More domination over others and so on. And , if that sounds, ‘Selfish’, and then , one  starts following some  ideological  concept or some charity work. All these activities basically satisfies , ones ‘Ego’. ‘Ego’ is the complete identification with forms, - physical forms, thought forms, emotional forms. This creates an ‘Illusory sense of identity’ of oneself .. Mostly, we  create our ‘Self-Worth’ through this Illusory sense of Identity of oneself with physical forms – Assets, Bank Balance, Power or Position in the society, etc., And , most fear the loss of this “Illusory sense of Identity” of oneself , if one ceases or stops ‘working’.

In my view, the above reason – ‘Illusory sense of Identity” of oneself ,is the main reason for people , who continue to work , even after Retirement age or even after retirement.

One more Question , I think, one should ask oneself is -- what is the fundamental , ‘lasting Interest’ for anyone to Work or pursue ,  & what one is doing?

What is the fundamental reason for my working , even after retiring --

• Ø    Am I bored , because of no work or engagement to look for , because of      Identifying myself with the work , I was doing and feel like a Fish out of water,     without that identity.
• Ø      Or any other reason, one should identify.

Each one of us has an image of what we think we are or what we should be, and that image, that picture, entirely prevents us from seeing ourselves as we actually are.

When you remove all the ‘labels’ attached to you, namely, your name, profession, lineage, place, roles in the society etc., what is that remains in “You” . A big ‘NOTHING’. ‘Shunya’. Shunya means ‘void’ or ‘emptiness’ or “Nothingness” in Sanskrit. It is the true nature of all phenomena, devoid of all individual Self or Substance. This Space of Stillness is deeply replenishing to life. When we allow ourself to rest for some time in this Stillness, we can get back in touch with the essential quality of pure being, just as we are –  “NOTHINGNESS” .  And nobody wants and fears to travel into Nothingess or emptiness or void . Hence we keep ourselves busy or engage ourselves with something or the other, to avoid entering to the true nature of the being- SELF.