Nine lives?

Few people today work at the same job throughout their 40 or so years of working life, and many economists and sociologists have pondered the effects of this development. No doubt there is something lost. But there is also gain. Rosenstock-Huessy suggests that, due to technical efficiencies, doctors can stuff what used to be a lifetime of medical work into a decade. No wonder they have to take a break. After a decade of work, it’s time to retire. Rosenstock-Huessy’s observation applies to many other vocations. Instead of lamenting the world we have lost, perhaps we should gladly accept the freedom we have gained. Add to this the dramatic increase in life expectancy over the last century or two, and you increase the options dramatically.

We have the freedom to embark on a calling, retire at 35 or 40 with a sense of satisfied closure, and start again in an entirely new line of work. We have the liberty, and the time, to live 2, or 3, or 9 lives in 1.