There has long been a debate about whether old people should be forced to retire from work at the
age of sixty or sixty-five, regardless of their own wishes. People in favor of this say that old
people, having worked for over thirty or forty years, should not go on working. Personally, I do
not feel that old people should be forced to retire simply because they are not as strong as they
used to be physically and mentally.
It seems to me that no one should be forced to change his/her life style unless he/she has
committed a crime. People,whether they are old or young, should have the right to decide their own
way of life. Just as young people can choose to stop working and enjoy their leisure time as long
as they can make ends meet, old people should also be allowed toc ontinue working, provided that
they are still qualified for their jobs.
Although old people are unlikely to face physically challenging tasks, there are many jobs that are
especially suitable for old people, such as jobs that call for more experience and wisdom than
physical power. With their rich experience in both work and life, many old people would make good
consultants, instructors, coaches, doctors and psychologists, to mention only a few.
Unlike young people who are burdened with the financial pressure of making a living, for old people
there is more to work than just making money. They simply enjoy working as an indispensable part of
their lives. Some of them even develop various mental and physical problems after retiring from
work, and it seems that the best way to keep them in good health and high spirits is to allow them
to keep working.
All in all, I believe that not only should old people's physical conditions be taken into
consideration but also their psychological needs should be respected. Therefore, letting them do
whatever they are fond and capable of doing will make them much happier than forcing them to stay
isolated from society and endure loneliness in their twilight years.