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 PodcastHow 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
The Psychology of Effective Weight Loss
A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling
The Secrets to Making the Perfect Burger
The Surprising Pessimism of America's Founding Fathers
How to Use Digital Body Language to Build Trust and Connection
The Stranger in the Woods — The Story of the Last True Hermit
The Fraught, Relatable Relationship Between Winston Churchill and His Son
How to Make Your Life More Effortless
What's the Most Sustainable Diet?
Why Do We Want What We Want?
How to Predict the Weather (No Apps Required)
What Plato’s Republic Has to Say About Being a Man
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free