When you think about someone having a midlife crisis, you probably think of a man getting divorced, stepping out with a younger woman, and buying a sports car. But my guest today says the often jokey, mockable trope of the midlife crisis we have in our popular culture discounts the fact that the sense of dissatisfaction people can feel in their middle years is quite real, and that the questions it raises are profond, philosophical, and worth earnestly grappling with.
His name is Kieran Setiya, and he's a professor of philosophy and the author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide. Kieran and I first discuss what researchers have uncovered about whether the midlife crisis really exists, how it might be better described as a kind of midlife malaise, and how Kieran's own sense of life dissatisfaction began when he was only in his mid-thirties. We then explore the philosophical reframing that can help in dealing with the existential issues that the journey into midlife often raises, including feeling like you've missed out on certain possibilities and feeling regret over your mistakes and misfortunes. We also talk about how to shift out of one primary cause of the midlife malaise — the sense that your life is merely about putting out fires and checking off boxes.
Resources Related to the PodcastLife's 10 Biggest Decisions
Rewild Your Life
The Character Traits That Drive Optimal Performance
Being a Man in the Lousy Modern World
College — What It Was, Is, and Should Be
Could Sleeping in Separate Beds Improve Your Relationship?
The Conquering Father Who Made an Empire-Building Son
How Moral Grandstanding Is Ruining Our Public Discourse
What a Man With 60,000 Books Can Teach You About Lifelong Learning and Building Your Home Library
Tips From a Top TED Talker on How to Be Heard
A Futurist's Guide to Building the Life You Want
The Hell-Raising Leader of WWII's Filthy Thirteen
How to Fight Internet-Induced Numbness
Improve Your Productivity With the Power of Deadlines
How Doing a Life Review Can Help Your Understand Your Past, Present, and Future
What's Causing the Male Friendship Recession?
The Curse of the Self
The Strange Science of Sweat
Men Without Chests
Think More Strategically
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Briefing with Albert Mohler
The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett