Lesson 33: Midlife and the Midlife Event


Attention

Midlife is about making decisions...sometimes these can be radical, at other time they are small adjustments.

We will examin what the mid life event is all about.


Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

  • Identify the concept of Mid Life Event
  • Identify the concept of Mid Life Crisis
  • Identify areas in their life which may be subject to mid life consideration

Teaching

Mid Life

It is difficult to discuss when exactly mid life begins...because we really don't know when our life is going to end so we don't know when we are halfway there!

If the average lifespan is 75, then right around 37 we might be halfway there...but, it has more to do with the evidence of aging.

We might FEEL like we are in midlife when:

  • We have aches and pains we didn't have before
  • We hurt more easily
  • We begin to gain weight
  • We see wrinkles
  • We have gray hair
  • We don't have the "get up and go" we used to have

Mid Life Event

For this lesson I am going to support the notion that EVERYONE goes through a Mid Life Event (we MIGHT go through a crisis...but that is for later).

At some point, either because we notice we are aging or because of some life event, we realize that we are not going to live forever.

Events that might trigger this kind of thinking include:

  • death of parents or grandparents
  • death in general (friends, etc.)
  • personal near death experience
  • change in work status
  • change in marital status

The Mid Life Event is simply this...we realize that we are mortal so if we have some unmet goals, we better get started on them now because we realize we only have so much time.

If we are unhappy with some aspect of our lives, it is time to make a change.

We might look at our lives and feel just fine and carry on...Mid Life Event happened, ended, and we move on.

However, we might feel that we need to make some changes...

Mid Life Crisis

For the discussion on Mid Life Crisis, I would like to bring back the concept of Marcia's Identity Status Theory. Remember that we had Achieved Identity status in some aspect of our lives when we both had a CRISIS (looking at the options) and a COMMITMENT (selecting an option).

IF we reach the Mid Life Event and feel that we need to start looking at some options...we then enter into a CRISIS....or looking at the options for one or more aspects of our lives.

Radical Departures

For the most part, a Mid Life Crisis can be very healthy and a refocusing on the important things in life. However, sometimes they can be selfish and destructive.

In Erikson's thoery we know that Mid Life involves the Generativity vs. Stagnation stage. If we succesfully navigate the Mid Life Event, we then enter Generativity where we produce our life's work, that which will be a legacy to us.

If we do not succesfully navigate the stage we may slip into Stagnation...this can be seen as a regression into a more adolsecent way of thinking...consider it a return to Elkind's way of Adolescent Thinking.

Do you know any ADULTS who think this way? Perhaps they are having a return to childhood due to an unsuccessful transition to Generativity?


Assessment

Lesson 33 Discussion

In this discussion I would like you to incorporate your understanding of Marcia's thoery. You will find this information in Lesson 34. Consider the areas in your life that are currently Foreclosed and in Diffusion. These are the areas that you are NOT in crisis about. Discuss what events might bring about a "crisis" in these areas. Describe which aspects of your life MIGHT be subject to consideration at midlife.

If you are at midlife now, discuss what aspects of your life did engage you in the mid life event...did you have a mid life crisis? Is KVCC a realization of your mid life crisis?