I wonder if maybe the reason we retire, i.e. set aside a very relaxing experience for the end of our lives rather than spread that utility across our entire lifespan, is the same reason that the idea of heaven was so appealing for medieval peasants. Perhaps the only way we can motivate ourselves to work is by irrationally believing that one day there will come a blissful time free of suffering where we never have to lift a finger ever again and can live in utter peace. In this way, we avoid accepting the essentially Sisyphean nature of reality.