Mandatory retirement ages are an outdated tool that strips experienced professionals of their autonomy. My uncle, a meticulous civil engineer, was forced to stop at 65 even though his structural reviews caught errors younger colleagues missed. Age-related cognitive decline varies wildly between individuals, so a blanket cutoff ignores both the sharp 70-year-olds and the burnt-out 55-year-olds. Shouldn't competence, not calendar years, decide when someone steps back?