Mid-life Crisis?

I wonder why a particular sense of crisis is usually only associated with the mid stage, but not other stages, in ones life - as in early-life or late-life crisis. I guess a person is generally supposed to have plenty of opportunities to shape his future when he is still young and, on the other hand, just accept whatever life has to offer at older ages such that, in both relative stages of young and old, there is not much of a crisis to highlight, whatever difficulties one may be facing. But mid-life is the stage during which a person is transiting from a scenario of change to one of acceptance, hence the misgiving about "what could have been" and "what will be", and the sudden sense of urgency about what needs to be done right now.

This is of course just my intuition and an over-generalization of the meaning of the mysterious term. Thinking about it logically, I guess it generally applies to the age range of 35 - 50 (rather than mathematically divides an average life expectancy by half). But for the idea of mid-life crisis to kick in, a person in that age range must be exhibiting some symptoms of persistently feeling somewhat unfulfilled, puzzled, perplexed or frustrated.

Another assumption about mid-life crisis is that it is usually not about financial difficulties. On the contrary, it is usually about those perceived challenges people have to face when money for a comfortable level of living is no more an issue. Funny enough, though not necessarily true, mid-life crisis seems to be for men only - as menopause is for women.

Going along with the men-only convention here (as it is easier for me, as a man, to imagine), the question about mid-life crisis becomes thus: what could a man in his mid-age, when there is not much of a financial burden, be possibly vexing about?

Here is my intuitive list (welcome to anyone with any thought-provoking ideas to append):

• lack of recognition of ones self-perceived value, either professionally or domestically;
• monotony of routine, with no foreseeable changes in sight;
• unfulfilled childhood dreams;
• the physically aging process itself;
• in general, racing against time for catching up with unfulfilled fantasies.

It could of course be any kinds of fantasy for an imagination running wild. But crisis will only become real crisis when all these causes for "yearning" - which I believe all the symptoms of dissatisfaction are about - lead to some action of resolution AND, eventually trouble of some kinds. If, on the other hand, any course of change leads to a happier life, why not!

Whenever any of those considerable symptoms of misgiving may lurk, however, it is important for the person to take stock seriously about what he has and what else does he really want, before acting on any impulses for change. As a matter of economic fact, the opportunity costs of change tend to increase along with ones age. Again, like "what do you work for?", it basically becomes a question about a person's own value system - what makes him happy.

But there is a major difference. Thinking about ones life in general is broader than ones work only, and happiness is hardly just a selfish consideration, but increasingly also for the people around, particularly the family - though Ayn Rand might not agree.