Although, humans and your dog share the ability to show empathy, and think conceptually, we are all still motivated by our own self interest.

Afterall, if dogs were not an empathetic creature, they would have remained wolves, and likewise would be on the endangered species list right now.

Empathy, like many other altruistic behaviors are developed because they enhance a creatures survival, not inspite of it.

And getting back to the central theme, of work life balance. When creatures see work life balance as a benefit to themselves, they endorse it. When they don't they don't.

As such a fellow like myself, with a wife and child, and numerous family and house chores todo, will advocate for work life balance, and pass up other more lucrative opportunities to achieve that balance.

The problem is that when I was a younger fellow without these obligations I would seek out these more lucrative opportuites because I had the time to do so. My seeking of work life balance now, isn't caused by desire to write erotic epic poetry in moonlit forrests, it is caused by the numerous other obligations I have to take up.

So long as the old must compete with the young, work life balance will be kept to a minimum. The young will work harder to gain more, and to stay even the old can not show weakness and ask for more time.

When there was a delegation of responsibilities (if such a time ever existed) I would of course expect my wife to care for all those work a day things, that require my work life balance, but since we both work, we both have to find jobs that offer work life balance, passing up better opportunities, and competeing where ever we go with younger unattached persons that can work late, eat out of vending machines, and drink clients under the table at the drop of a hat. Things we ourselves can nolonger do.

So I guess, it's not women who ruined the work place, it's kids!

I realized after publishing that whole screed that I forgot my central point.

Since we control our own human capital we spend it as we see fit.

This is why the young and old must compete, because the old have no gaurantee against the young and the young owe no fealty to the old.

In a centralized economy or evena union shop, the old can use their established power against the young to keep them in their place, this system only works however as long as the young see benefit in it for themselves. If the young see an opportunity to outshine their elders they do so, to collect rewards and benefits (in what ever fashion they appear, even more time off for example) that are bestowed on them for their extra effort.

The perfect work life balance seems like a good idea on paper, until you ask who must sacrafice so that others can enjoy it. Those that sacrafice will require additional reimbursement for their suffering, that reimbursement leads to a greater requirement from others to keep even.

As individuals we can make a choice about what's important to us, and what we'll sacrafice for, but the system as a whole will always push people in their own self interest to trade more time for more luxury.

As to wolves, they are clever little animals, though not so clever as their competitors (humans).

Dogs likely derived from runt wolves, frozen out by their pack and adopted by humans. The dogs joined the pack, because it was beneficial to their survival, the humans adopted the wolves because it was likewise beneficial.

As to the wisdom of age, I would like to first point out that (I belive it was socrates who said) From learning, not age, does wisdom come (that may have been Plato though).

Given the advance rate of skill set creation, deletion, and repositioning, there is not very much wisdom that an old timer can offer, that a new comer can't surpass with their shiny new degrees.

As to why we keep the old alive, the answer quite simply is that they can afford it. If you have the money in your declining years (either through wise savings or the manipulation of voting blocks to your own interest) young men and women will gladly trade that wealth for hours of their young life to find new and better ways to help you cling to this mortal coil for one more day.

In my opinion, I've always felt that the suicide scene in soylent green was very beautiful, very tasteful, very dignafied. That one's death, even unknowingly can provide life for those that come after is a beautiful notion, and in a world in which you have been squeezed out of resources and no longer have the ability to earn wealth, or demand fealty through political clout, shuffeling off to buffalo of your own accord as it were seems like a prudent choice, and the one that is possibly most beneficial for you.

The point is, nothing acts contrary to its own self interest. Granted often Social Justice and Charity may seem selfless, but if one looks deeper one realizes that we simply don't want to live in a world without these things. We want a better world for ourselves and our children. We act in our own self interest.

At the end of the day, one can not predict an individuals actions, because one can not know all the factors influencing an individual. But regardless of those factors, in the final annalysis they are making the choice that benefits themselves the most. Thusly all societies and all groups act in a similar fashion. There aren't colective wills, only groups of likeminded individuals, acting in tandem for their personal self interests which momentarily run parralell.