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Even if you are a plumber or an electrician, the job gets physically very demanding and hard when you are in your late 40s and early 50s. It is near impossible

Even if you are a plumber or an electrician, the job gets physically very demanding and hard when you are in your late 40s and early 50s. It is near impossible when you are 60+. The charm of white collar labor is, you can keep doing it till, say, 65. With the same productivity, if not more. Say, you are a bank teller or a cashier. You can be as effective, if not more, as you were in 35. That's why almost all people, who have even a slight chance, want a white collar job. If you know a plumber or electrician, in his late 40s and early 50s, or older. Talk to them. Ask about their reality and situation. Some of your misconceptions might go away. Electrician is not sitting in a heated room and working on a toaster. It is also wiring industrial buildings, apartment buildings, etc. standing on stools and ladders before those places have heating or AC or lights- in ten degrees or hundred. That's just one example.

Fire-Dragon-DoL 2y ago
My wife's dad, electrician, did it all the way into the 70s
keiferski 2y ago
I know many people with these jobs, almost certainly more than you, as I grew up around them, not white collar people. Almost all of them worked just fine until their late 60s. People seem to forget that being mobile into your 60s used to be an entirely normal thing. It’s only fairly recently that obesity, reliance on cars, and sedentary lifestyles have made being mobile in middle age a difficult thing.
Ekaros 2y ago
Or alternatively they are kneeling on the floor. Just look at your average room. Where are the outlets usually? Even with kneepads that can't be good for your knees. And most outlets are in pretty easy to access locations with reasonable amount of room around them.
beej71 2y ago
> Even if you are a plumber or an electrician, the job gets physically very demanding and hard when you are in your late 40s and early 50s. It is near impossible when you are 60+. Exactly like software development, then, except for the physically-demanding part. :)

Fire-Dragon-DoL 2y ago

My wife's dad, electrician, did it all the way into the 70s

keiferski 2y ago

I know many people with these jobs, almost certainly more than you, as I grew up around them, not white collar people. Almost all of them worked just fine until their late 60s. People seem to forget that being mobile into your 60s used to be an entirely normal thing. It’s only fairly recently that obesity, reliance on cars, and sedentary lifestyles have made being mobile in middle age a difficult thing.

Ekaros 2y ago

Or alternatively they are kneeling on the floor. Just look at your average room. Where are the outlets usually? Even with kneepads that can't be good for your knees. And most outlets are in pretty easy to access locations with reasonable amount of room around them.

beej71 2y ago

> Even if you are a plumber or an electrician, the job gets physically very demanding and hard when you are in your late 40s and early 50s. It is near impossible when you are 60+. Exactly like software development, then, except for the physically-demanding part. :)