Ben Franklin, one of America’s founding fathers, lived a long and healthy life, passing away at the age of 84, which was unusually old for his time. According to doctor and author Ezekiel Emanuel, Franklin’s secret to healthy aging was not a fancy new drug, fitness routine, or diet plan, but rather staying useful and engaged in activities that contributed to society.
Franklin’s life is a great example of this, as he continued to work on inventions and projects well into his eighties, including inventing bifocals to solve his own issues with failing eyesight. However, Emanuel points out that Franklin did not view this as “work” in the classical sense, but rather as a way to stay engaged and useful in his retirement. In fact, Franklin “invented retirement for working-class people” by retiring from his career as a printer at the age of 42 and pursuing a life of leisure, which for him meant focusing on science and social improvement activities. As Emanuel notes, “Not contributing to society is not good for the soul. You have to be useful. You have to try to make the world a better place. That’s key to wellness, too.”
Modern psychology agrees with Franklin’s approach, with research showing that a sense of purpose and staying useful are key to healthy aging. Studies have found that many successful entrepreneurs struggle after exiting their businesses, with a sense of aimlessness and boredom being a common problem. Similarly, research on retired Japanese salarymen and the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) movement has found that many people struggle with unstructured time and a lack of purpose. Neuroscience research has also found that a sense of purpose helps delay dementia, while an absence of purpose can speed cognitive decline. As Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, notes, “I was just kind of stewing and . . . not being sharp” after retiring, highlighting the importance of staying engaged and useful.
Even billionaires like Google founder Sergey Brin and Bill Gates have found that retirement can be a challenge, with Brin noting that he “was just kind of stewing and . . . not being sharp” after retiring, and Gates writing about the need to find a reason to get out of bed in the morning. On the other hand, action star turned Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger credits his peace of mind at the age of 78 to a simple life motto: “Stay busy. Be useful.” This approach is in line with Franklin’s philosophy, and is supported by research that shows that staying useful and engaged is key to healthy aging.
In conclusion, Ben Franklin’s secret to healthy aging is a simple one: stay useful and engaged in activities that contribute to society. This approach has been supported by modern psychology and research, and is a key factor in maintaining physical and mental health as we age. As we look to the future, it’s clear that Franklin’s wisdom will continue to be relevant, and that staying useful and engaged will be essential for maintaining a healthy and happy life. With the help of Nvidia, Ring, and OpenAI, we can expect to see new technologies and innovations that support healthy aging and provide opportunities for people to stay engaged and useful.
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