The number 65 gained global influence when the United States adopted it for Social Security in 1935, during the New Deal. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration looked at existing models, and the German system provided valuable information. The choice made financial sense at the time—with 1930s life expectancy, the system was designed so most people would contribute more than they would receive.

The choice of 65 as retirement age traces back to Otto von Bismarck’s social insurance program in Germany in the 1880s. In 1889, Bismarck established the world’s first national social insurance program, initially setting pension eligibility at 70, later reduced to 65 in 1916. The choice was politically motivated, not humanitarian.

Choosing 65 was somewhat arbitrary, influenced by practical considerations such as government finances and existing pension plans, rather than scientific studies on when people might stop working.

Today, many countries are raising retirement ages as life expectancy has increased dramatically, but 65 remains deeply embedded in how we think about the transition from work to retirement.

How does the retirement system affect you as you grow older?

What changes do you want to see?

How kind is our aging retirement system?

What if, instead of arbitrary age cutoffs, we considered energy, purpose, contribution, and financial need?

Kind systems would be flexible, individual, and supportive—not one-size-fits-all.

Let’s not lose sight of gratitude for Social Security, but “65 and done” isn’t what I wanted for my life. It seems bureaucratic, not based enough on human needs and goodwill.

65 is a flashing alert number in our culture’s aging system. Does it inspire freedom and support for aging opportunities, or do we still build our lives around government math from nearly a century ago?

I’m not just critiquing a retirement system—I’m questioning our cultural narrative, also called the status quo, about aging and worth. Instead of managing decline, I’m talking about continued growth and contribution with deep respect and unlimited support for our sage-ing community.

Somewhere right now, a 62-year-old is feeling pressured to wind down their business, or a 71-year-old is apologizing for wanting to start new projects. Let’s give ourselves and all maturing people permission to reject that status quo timeline and live something better.

At 58, I went back to school, became a certified life and career coach, and opened my business. At 70, I was hired to coach in “The Creatives Workshop.” At 73, I wrote the award-winning book “The Next Act,” and now I’m building an online aging workshop with plans for a second book.

I’m not done yet!

We’re not done yet!

Thanks – Michael (he, him)

Please share this Daily with your tribes.
This is also thought provoking – The Sage-ing Renaissance.

#2039