It doesn't have to be this way.

And in a pre industrial society where we actually had more control over our day to day lives..., we probably all would have worked until infirm in a field while remaining illiterate. Life itself is the scam.

I might be an outlier, but I really enjoy the studying part.

Sort of.

The "free for 5 or 10 years" is an anomaly. The system was originally set up that you die before that. "Retirement" via Social Security was for a small fraction of people that beat the odds statistically and needed to be supported by the state instead of simply dying of starvation and exposure which was the norm for the day.

Modern medicine, worker safety programs, less smoking/drinking etc, has increase life expectancy and most people are living into the retirement years. The system isn't designed to handle that many people still alive in retirement with the declining population we have.

In short, its going to get worse and that "free for 5 or 10 years" may adjust down if not disappear altogether.

Seems genpop is reaching the self realization stage of mazlow's pyramid early in life. So the fundamental question is, do we as a society create what we need so we can work less? The answer is yes. Productivity gains have been enormous. Then why can't we work less? The value you create at your job goes not to you, but your employer's owner. It is funneled into wealth for the insanely wealthy who try to get richer still by investing in wealth growth, not productivity growth or growth in common welfare for all. So, no, it does not have to be like that, but you'll need a revolution to change it. Best of luck.

The purpose is to find a way around that.

Same except it's gonna be work until die

That's the purpose of being a Jesuit slave, honest to goodness.

Freelancing, and accepting things not fiat currency, is how you can live a good life if you want to go that route. Either that, or a trade (I can't do a trade due to my numerology).