And that struck me as both emotionally and philosophically perplexing.” Setiya explains that “there was a sense of very puzzling repetition and futility, even in doing things that seemed worth doing. Jonathan Bastian talks with Setiya about his book and how reaching that midlife milestone affected his work and personal life. “I enjoyed telling people that, and it was a way of talking about something that was quite difficult with a little bit of levity and irony.” “It's sort of funny to describe yourself as having a midlife crisis,” he says. Setiya, a professor of philosophy in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, shares his own experience reaching his 40s in his book “ Midlife: A Philosophical Guide.”

So how does it feel to have a “midlife crisis?” Is the feeling different across gender identities? And that's something they see around the world for women and for men.”ĭelve deeper into life, philosophy, and what makes us human by joining the Life Examined discussion group on Facebook. “It starts high in early adulthood, bottoms out in your 40s, roughly, and then goes up again in older age. “Economists working on … happiness discover that life satisfaction over the lifespan takes the form of a gently curving U,” says philosopher Kieran Setiya. And while the stereotypical solutions - a luxury sports car or an affair - may offer some folks hasty remedies, for others, entering middle age can be a challenging and difficult time unalleviated by quick fixes. It became a popular expression used to describe aging and loss, such as that experienced by middle-aged adults despondent with work, unhappy with relationships, and detached from family responsibilities. The term “midlife crisis” was originally coined in 1965 by Canadian-born psychoanalyst and social scientist Elliott Jaques. No longer young but not yet old, reaching our life’s relative mid-point provides a moment to pause and assess. In a culture obsessed with youth, beauty, and trendiness, turning 40 can be a daunting milestone.

Setiya midlife