I don’t know a single person who reaches their 50s and decides the right thing to do is go crazy and act like they are 24: divorce the spouse, buy a sports car, move to a remote island. It turns out that the reason I don’t know anyone like this is that they rarely exist. Daniel Levinson interviewed 40 people in his social circle in 1978 and concluded that 80% of men undergo a midlife crisis of some sort. Say what? This is all about 40 guys in 1978? In Barb Bradley Hagerty’s excellent book Life Reimagined, she quotes a much larger 1989 follow up study that concluded that 10% of men may have such a crisis. I wonder about the women. Humm. In any case, if you feel like you will not be complete without the orange McLaren, please, buy the car. But do it because you love the car, not because you are searching for deeper meaning in your life.
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The Myth of the Midlife Crisis
The ideas expressed here are solely the opinions of the author and are not researched or verified by AGEIST LLC, or anyone associated with AGEIST LLC. This material should not be construed as medical advice or recommendation, it is for informational use only. We encourage all readers to discuss with your qualified practitioners the relevance of the application of any of these ideas to your life. The recommendations contained herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. You should always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before starting any new treatment or stopping any treatment that has been prescribed for you by your physician or other qualified health provider. Please call your doctor or 911 immediately if you think you may have a medical or psychiatric emergency.