Midlife Crisis: a Worldwide Woe
Welcome to middle age, a developmental milestone that bypasses all cultural barriers.
In America they’re getting tattoos, in England they’ve taken out loans for hair transplants, in Scotland they’re hitting the discos and in Japan, they’re having their colors analyzed. Welcome to middle age, a developmental milestone that bypasses all cultural barriers. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Europe, North America or the Orient, adults between the ages of 35-55 have come to the same conclusion, “Life is halfway over.”
A sobering thought to say the least. Midlifers start asking the hard questions: “Have I accomplished all that I planned?” “Am I willing to finish out the rest of my life as things are?” “Am I leaving a legacy that matters?” Surprisingly, men and women in this age group are seeking the answers regardless of their culture of origin--unless of course you’re in a Third World country--then it’s about food and shelter. But for the majority of the more industrialized world, midlife is a stopping point where individuals pause to evaluate where they are and how to make the best of the remaining years.
Midlife Abroad
We all know the typical American stereotype of someone going through a midlife crisis. Men wearing open-collared shirts with gold chains and driving a red convertible. Or women scheduling Botox appointments and attending Yoga classes. The reality is that other cultures share experiences similar to our own.
According to a recent BBC article, a survey of middle-aged British men, conducted by Virgin Money Loans, found that a third said they were taking drastic action scheduling plastic surgery, Botox or other cosmetic treatments. Additionally, 40 percent of the men had hired a personal trainer or joined a gym when they turned 40. In Japan, various department stores have been catering to middle-aged men by educating them on clothing colors and offering tips on face cleaning and basic skin care. And in Scotland many midlifers are tying to return to their roots. For some that means recalling the vibrant joy of youth, but for others it unfortunately means severing marital commitments.
In America, having a midlife crisis has been typically seen as a male issue, but in this day of equal opportunity women too are jumping onto the midlife crisis wagon, or in this case sports car. Vehicle registration records compiled by Mark Al Pauze, a consultant at R.L. Polk, reports that midsize sporty cars purchased by women over 45 years of age are up 277 percent since 2000. These “me” mobiles as they are called in the industry are making the auto dealers take a new look at how they market to women.
Crisis or not?
So why does midlife need a crisis? Ever since German psychologist Erik Erikson introduced the characteristics of stage seven middle adulthood, there has been talk about a crisis of identity. According to Midlife Dimeons President Dr. Jim Conway, a nonprofit organization ministering to people at various life stages, the crisis part has to do with the sphere of influence.
“When we look at teens, we know they are having a crisis. They can disappear into their rooms for hours with an iPod and we accept that. But when the president of a company acts out his midlife crisis in an unhealthy way, you have a whole group of co-workers and employees that are affected by this guy’s trauma. Also, by midlife you have a person who is married, so his or her spouse is also affected by this trauma.”
Disciple in Crisis
If you go to the Scriptures in search of midlife crisis examples, you can’t help but think about the apostle Paul. He thought he was on the right path. He was at the top of his game, raised in the right family, educated with the finest teachers and gaining popularity amongst his peers. Then came the crisis. Paul discovered he was going the wrong direction. Everything he had dedicated his life toward was, by his own definition, a complete loss. He had become an enemy of God. But rather than giving up, Paul made a few changes--ones that altered the course of history. It seems that God isn’t hampered at all by crisis; instead he uses them as opportunities for change and a call to holiness.
Opting Out
For those who want to bypass the whole crisis thing altogether, you may want to reconsider. Dr. Conway says the crisis part is a gift from God.“There are some positive things about this transition. People get focused on the crisis part of it but there are extremely positive things. You don’t want to miss the fun of having a midlife crisis.”
Besides the joys of greater independence from childrearing, or taking that trip you’ve planned for years, Conway says many positive adjustments are made at this stage in life--things like diet and exercise, reconnecting with old friends and spiritual evaluation or a reaching out toward God.
“What if you didn’t wrestle with these things until you get up into retirement era?” asks Dr. Conway. “Then you’d say, ‘why didn’t someone kick me when I was in my 30s and 40s so I could have made some adjustments?’ That’s the advantage of midlife; you get a chance to refocus.”
Midlife Depends on Where You Live
Due to life expectancy in some countries midlife occurs in your early twenties.
| Country | Avg. Midlife Age |
| Afghanistan | Age 23 |
| Bolivia | Age 32 |
| Canada | Age 40 |
| China | Age 36 |
| Egypt | Age 32 |
| Ethiopia | Age 23 |
| India | Age 31 |
| Singapore | Age 40 |
| Somalia | Age 23 |
| South Africa | Age 26 |
| Uganda | Age 21 |
| United Kingdom | Age 39 |
| United States | Age 39 |
*2000 average life expectancies for both sexes in each country of the world, data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s International Data Base.
Lynne M. Thompson is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Focus on the Family publications. She lives in Modesto, Calif.