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midlife crisis
中年危机

Date: Jan 05 2012

Themes: Time

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Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

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“I had a midlife crisis at 40, so 60 is wonderful.”

- Actor Robin Williams talking about his life. (Us Weekly)

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

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panic about aging that occurs in one’s 40s or 50s

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

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Every age has its pros and cons. When you’re a teenager, you’re young and full of energy, but you still have to listen to your parents (at least some of the time). In your twenties, you have more freedom, but there are typically a lot of uncertainties in your life. By the time you reach your forties or fifties, your life has probably settled down and become more stable. But for some, that isn’t a good thing. Instead, it’s the beginning of a midlife crisis.

When you’re in midlife, you’ve lived about half of an average lifetime. And when you’re in a midlife crisis, the idea that your life is half over, surprises and frightens you. People who experience a midlife crisis worry about the fact that they are aging. In order to try to make themselves feel young again, they might do things like buy a sports car, or date someone younger than themselves. They might also decide to make a major life change, like quitting their job or selling all their belongings and moving to a new city.

Anyone can experience a midlife crisis, even famous and successful actors. Robin Williams says that he had a midlife crisis when he was 40. But now that he’s 60, his midlife crisis is over. He feels happy and comfortable with where he is and what he is doing in life.

Do you know anyone who has had a midlife crisis? What advice would you give someone who was having a midlife crisis?

Examples

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“As soon as my dad turned 40, he had a midlife crisis and bought a red sports car.”

“I was surprised when my mom had a midlife crisis. She always seemed so happy and stable.”

“You’re too young to be having a midlife crisis. You’re only 25!”

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

	If you have a midlife crisis, you experience a wide range of feelings, such as boredom, dread, despair, discontent with life, questioning the meaning of life, etc. by candycandice
	period of your life (especially by men) when you are not sure if your decisions are correct. Yur feel as you were trapped. by Gellerke
	Psychological conflicts in your fortys by Manu4
	a crisis that people experience in middle age, they panic, get frustrated and feel pointless because of their goals not being completed by Bojana
	It means concern and deep thought in the middle age about what you achieved in your life by englishty
	a period of time which should happen when you are middle aged and you feel ill at ease maybe because you are getting close to old age by goodmahsa
	is when you question if so far you are a winner or a loser . What did I have achieve, what did I do with my life ? by julito

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Comments

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snoopyboy

Antarctica

Julito, you heard what they say about wine… I just want to sample a fine and well-aged wine before I kick the bucket, hehehehe!

I’m so wrong!

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Saenger D, I’m in love with your comment, enough of those sob stories, enough of those grumpy old person . We can make our lives better if we choose to live it for what it is. You are the prime concept of how I want to be when I get old, again that’s if I live to get old. 9:

julito

Argentina

Snoopy, hold your horses dude, there is a line up we should respect , she has just got married again, we´´ll have to wait until she divorce the new guy. hehe.

snoopyboy

Antarctica

...she gets hitched for a fourth time? heheheh!

ola33

Japan

Snoopy, too late, Duchess of Alba is happy with another one. You can wait though, What if… ;)

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Eureka !! Mid-life crisis that explains the rise in today’s May-December couples.

Hey ,Duchess of Alba , if you’re reading this, I’m available , hehehe

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Haha! For a moment I thought I was reading bloggers from the “AARP” website. I will pay for this statement one day, If I live long enough (:

Why the fear of getting old? Why stress out about it? Didn’t you want to get old when you were younger? I faced many crises in my early ages; I still do until this day, so my middle life crisis should be a breeze. I have no fear of aging whatsoever, it is part of life. One philosophy I live by is to not worry about the things I have no control over, simple. This had helped me to develop some sort of acceptance of God’s plan for me.

Anyways, morale of the story is: I want to get old and bent. I’d love to see my niece bloom into a lovely woman, my kids too if I’m blessed to have any. Grand kids too.

I think I knew of a guy who was coping with mid-life crisis, he was around 80 years, way pass his retiring age. So I asked him why not hang boots! … He responded that working busied his mind and having to work with younger colleagues made his aging more pleasurable. Most of his friends who had retired are either dead or terribly ill. He was a healthy old man, full of life and hope. But I called him “Old piece” just to tease him, he liked it.

On another note here, I tend to use Menopause and Mid-life crisis interchangeably. Or see menopause has the first symptom of mid-life crisis. Am I wrong?

dkattleya

Indonesia

Ola, well it’s okay.. we all will be facing and deal with gray hair and lines on face later haha

dkattleya

Indonesia

what a wise comment Catcher, great!

ola33

Japan

Dkattleya :), alas, I’m after another grandma ;)

dkattleya

Indonesia

Ola, what a surprised! your granda at 85 with no gray hair?? she was so lucky..maybe it will inherit to you as well :D

ola33

Japan

Julio :)), it will help… a little bit. I know some people gettting grey in their 20s. My grandma died at 85. No grey hair :))

julito

Argentina

Ola ,hello , what about dyeing our hair, would that help???? what is your take on this, please help. !!!

ola33

Japan

Yeah, kind of panicking which can start even earlier than 40. It can be about age, job, friends, family—anything. I think a person eventually after brooding over his/her misfortunes is getting used to the lifestyle that is not up to his expectations. Aging is one of the disturbing moments though. We’re not Benjamin Buttons :). So, dieting, exercising, positive attitude and midlife crises is over :)

AUL

Azerbaijan

But Catcher we can make it near to smooth :)

nothing is smooth but we can look smooth be kind always smile on the face as me :) and try to be happy

CatcheR

Iceland

Life changes, so the people as well hhhhhhhhhhhh…
BUt my friend AUL some of people don’t enjoy the marvellous of misery :D because Life not always smooooottthhhhh :)

AUL

Azerbaijan

LIFe is marvellous only enjoy it

CatcheR

Iceland

My lovely Buttafly ... Just go with the flow ! Just DO , feel it , never regret and Be always happy

CatcheR

Iceland

I think we shouldn’t have to worry about something which not happened yet, life crisis can be in early age I guess, this is life, everyone has their own path of life, sometimes we prepare everything properly because we worry too much about future, but who knows what would happen the next, anyway ONE that I can be sure IF we are sad,or we are having crisis life, we are not alone, more people out there having such situation, think widely, more open with people, be happy, do what you love, and don’t feel alone, build a bridge among people instead of wall,, I am sure everything will be fine