What Makes a Good Life?
We all carry around different perspectives of a family; some of us grew up in happy homes where others only managed to get by on the three jobs their parent had to take to support the family. In his study, Waldinger found that people with a support system are healthier and happier compared to those without a support system.
In the past decades, the concept of the family has changed dramatically. According to OECD, some of the causes include the increase in divorce rates and a decrease in fertility rates (2011). Parents no longer feel forced to stay in an unhappy marriage for the sake of the children; hence, a significant number of children are growing up in single-parent houses hardly ever seeing or knowing one of their parents. Unfortunately, this forms a trend of people losing faith in the security of a family.
In this case, when most people get older and in need of that companionship and support, it is nowhere to be found. Some people die, leaving a legacy of wealth and fame and yet no offspring to enjoy it or remember them. In the video, it is explained that having a support system in place reduces the impact of physical pain and vice versa (Waldinger, 2015). Therefore, the lack of family support leads to an increase in unhealthy older people who become the burden of the government.
This information is very useful at my age as I still have time to make things right. It has become vital for me to understand that the goals of fame and wealth are not just enough and that a full life comes from being happy and healthy. Therefore, I will work on creating a work-life balance so that while my career grows, I will also be building my social life. I will endeavor to keep my family and friends close by being helpful, caring, and present as much as I can.
Conclusively, while the rapture of the concept of a family is unfortunate, there is an entrepreneurial opportunity. While fewer and fewer people have family’s, they need to be encouraged to save up and invest so that they will be able to take care of themselves in old age as no one else will. Hence, one could open a fund management fund for retirement funds, which will act as insurance for happy sunset years.