I am a bit surprised by often it is said that you will not be able to make money after being out of work for several years. Therefore you should aim for a 2-3% withdrawal rate instead of 4%.

But even if you aim for 4% or even a riskier 5%, I can't imagine it would be so hard to get back into the job market if the market crashes or something happens. It might not be as well paying as the job you had before, but with technical skills and the ability to learn, would really an employer say no?

If they did, could you not do a gig job, drive uber, work for Amazon, etc? Or start a company mowing lawns?

For me, it seems like people here are stuck in boring jobs for years because they want to feel 100% secure, but the fact is that you can never be 100% secure no matter how much money you have. You can get cancer, get in an accident, etc. As time goes by, the changes get higher and higher for something to happen.

Therefore, it seems safer to retire earlier with a higher withdrawal rate to enjoy life now, than to work longer and risk something happening to your health or life.