Granted that this is a generally "office job" focused form, most people will transition into senior positions in their later years which are way higher salary/a

Granted that this is a generally "office job" focused form, most people will transition into senior positions in their later years which are way higher salary/actual hour worked, with lower stress and a lot more job security. Most people also will have runways in the form of house equity, dual income, e.t.c. You don't have to grind in your 40s at all. The bigger issue with your view is that in your case, your retirement will be essentially chilling, doing nothing. This is a big problem. It may seem appealing, but if you don't feel a purpose, even if you know you are doing nothing wrong, its going to accelerate your decline. Your younger self has a lot more neuroplasticity, which means you can do things like develop hobbies, try things, build relationships, quite a bit easier. This will carry on into your later years, where in retirement you will continue to do pursue those hobbies or relationships.