Is mid-life crisis real or is it an excuse to break free and enjoy life?

1. 69

   Joan Kingposted 11 years ago

   Is mid-life crisis real or is it an excuse to break free and enjoy life?
   
   Mid-life crisis is blamed for all sorts of things; having an affair, quitting a job, riding a motor cycle, sky diving but is it real and shoud one act on the urge to do seemingly crazy things.
   
   

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2. 92

   cam8510posted 11 years ago

   Yes.  I'm tempted to stop there, but that wouldn't be like me.  I'm not advocating having an affair, but everything else looks pretty good.  MLC is just a time to finish what got interupted by starting a family.  Family is right and good, but so are all of the exciting things this world has to offer.  Starting next summer, I have a list of things to start on. Skydiving,Wingsuit flying,scuba diving and traveling the country with a dodge ram and a fifth wheel.  By the way, I'm advertising for a partner for all of the above.  How's that for a mid life crisis.

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   1. 79

      joanwzposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I'm with you. Starting families ties you down for decades. Then you reach a point where your kids are grown - or almost grown - and you now have disposable income and alot of time freed up to do the things you've been wanting to do 4 decades.

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   2. 69

      Joan Kingposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, it is obvious that the feeling that life is short and slipping away can propel one to make the most of what is left.

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   3. 0

      lisasuniquevoiceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      cam8510,
      You go dude! I love your attitude. Have fun in all that you do.
      Lisa

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3. 96

   chef-de-jourposted 11 years ago

   The term mid life crisis - crisis what crisis?! - was invented by psychologists and counsellors to help explain unusual behaviour in 40-50 year olds, both male and female. It's a modern phenomenon. People just used to cope with their lives before the human race became obsessed with categorising everything or giving it a fancy name!
   
   As you mention such things as having affairs, changing sex, exploring sexuality, becoming adventurous, doing crazy stunts, buying wacky cars and motor bikes etc etc etc are common features of this so called MLC. I see it as a self fulfilling trend amongst mostly urban western people - it's to do with living life to the full and throwing off the mask of convention - you do something outrageous because:
   
   1. In mid life you start thinking about the end of life for the first time so you decide to do something about it - quick!
   2. Your kids have grown up and gone off to uni/college/jobs so you're faced with your partner ONLY!!!! That can be quite a shock. You now begin to realise just who it is you married and what they're really like!
   3. You've got more cash, space, time and opportunity.
   4. Isn't everyone else doing something outrageous?
   
   So to answer your question, I think there is a MLC of sorts but alot of people take advantage and use it as an excuse to flee their partners or go to where the grass is greener!!

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4. 60

   MickSposted 11 years ago

   It is a malady inventerd by some pathetic people to apply a problem to men that is similar to the mid life problems that women have on reaching the menopause.

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   1. 69

      Joan Kingposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I don't think it applies men only, women even more so have the same mid-life crisis feelings.

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5. 61

   nightwork4posted 11 years ago

   it's about as real as the tooth fairy. it's just a way to justify stupidity.

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6. 0

   lisasuniquevoiceposted 11 years ago

   Whatever  the reason you're doing things later in life that you haven't done yet, does it matter?  What really matters is that you're out there living your life. People shouldn't get down on those who try new things, and start having fun in their lives when they're older. Maybe these people just didn't have time to live their own lives while they were young.
   
   Lisa

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      newyorkawarenessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Joseph Campbell, a renown mythologist, said, the life itself has no meaning other than the meaning you give it. Get out there and experience your life, and make whatever you want out of it. The purpose of life is to experience life itself.

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7. 90

   ChitrangadaSharanposted 11 years ago

   I do not consider mid life as crisis. Rather, men and women are more stable and settled in life---having a good job, their own house etc. Having settled their children, this is perhaps the phase of life, when they are more relaxed mentally and financially.

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8. 73

   Li Galoposted 11 years ago

   There are two kinds of people... the people that always knew how to live life fully and did so and the people that didn't know they could do that until "mid life."
   
   Basically, if you were raised with the understanding that life is what you make it and you live by those principles, there is no "mid-life crisis" to ever endure.  Kids and family are not things that get in the way - they are excuses the other people use when they want to blame something else instead of acknowledging that they themselves are the ones to blame for not following their own heart.  Life is truly what you want it to be and living life fully is not age-based!
   
   However, if you never knew that about life (no one ever told you, you never learned it on your own that you could do and be anything you wanted) and had an "awakening" later, when the kids left home, your spouse left home or you realized one day that life had passed you by, then yes, you may act out in ways that others would label as a "mid-life crisis."

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9. 60

   Mark E Lampkinposted 11 years ago

   Well...I guess that I am in the throes of MLC.  This year I have preformed a stand-up comedy routine in front of 500 people and did a tandem skydive from 13,000 feet.  I have grown children and a 9 year old daughter.  Having been a father at an early age, I was much more reserved and not willing to tak some risks that I now untertake...because I believe that there are fewer days ahead of me than behind.
   
   So, live fully now, while you can.  Tomorrow is truly not promised...

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