There is a Chinese traditional saying among the aged that there are three real assets when one retires: aging spouse as a companion asset, your old good friends as social asset, and your financial asset for retirement. Some people may achieve good financial assets even before retirement, but they kick their spouse off and remarry someone younger or prettier, or they may trade their old friends off for more obedient new.
However, for most people, the financial cake shrinks in size with each passing year, due to rising living and health cost. Your spouse or bosom friends may die long before you, shrinking your social circle and interactions, due to reduced mobility and physical deterioration. Irrespective of how well you may take care of your health, there are simply many factors beyond your control or desire. You have limited choice ultimately, and have to accept whatever comes along. For those who can accept the changes, life may be easier for them; or those who reject the changes, life goes on, whether positive or negative. Is it the individual DNA or neuro circuitry that explains the differences? Or is it multi factorial that defies a simple answer? Or the chemistry in our limbic? Would drugging makes a real differences?
What makes the differences between the two groups? How do we “wager” the assumptions beyond Pascal belief in God? Beyond cognitive behavior and rationalism? Beyond logotherapy? Beyond System Thinking? It will be good to explore from readers.
NB: Pascal Pensee by Orwell 1627 is worthy of reading. If we don’t have time and energy to read “Great Books of The Western World”, read all the excellent summaries. In the same spirit, please read Yi Jing, the great Chinese classic, which I have written some brief introduction.
wonkywizard 