They have remained flying throughout the pandemic, being at the top of the seniority list, whilst others have lost their jobs. They could have retired but didn’t.
Their own conscience will have to deal with this for years to come as they, in their 40’s, thought they were retiring at 60 so they’ve had an extra five years.
Cry me a river. You want to live by the seniority rules you have to accept its pitfalls as well as the upside, your place on the list for command for example. Perhaps seniority list should be done away with and the upgrade based on merit. Chief pilot would be getting so many invites he'd need a social secretary as folk suck up. Fail to see why anyone should toss their job, irrespective of what they do, so that another can retain theirs. Just because someone is nearing retirement doesn't mean they don't need the cash - people who have seen their retirement fund disappear with airlines going bust, chapter 11, world financial crisis etc etc Why should they say some thing, especially about how bad the job has become?
I'm afraid the lesson I draw from the quote, right or wrong, is that you come across as a Me, Me, Me.