The Myth of the Midlife Crisis

"It's time we stopped dismissing middle age as the beginning of the end. Research suggests that at 40, the brain's best years are still ahead," says a George Washington University researcher in a recent Newsweek article.

Dr. Gene Cohen noted that in the process of doing his own work that what his friends perceived as a crisis was, in truth, the start of a thrilling new phase of his life. He realized that our view of human development in the second half of life was badly outmoded. We tend to think of aging in purely negative terms, and even experts often define "successful" aging as the effective management of decay and decline. Wrong!

Through studies involving more than 3,000 older adults, I have identified four distinct developmental phases that unfold in overlapping 20-year periods beginning in a person's early 40s: a midlife re-evaluation (typically encountered between 40 and 65) during which we set new goals and priorities; a liberation phase (55 to 75) that involves shedding past inhibitions to express ourselves more freely; a summing-up phase (65 to 85) when we begin to review our lives and concentrate on giving back, and an encore phase (75 and beyond) that involves finding affirmation and fellowship in the face of adversity and loss.

A big driver of these changes is our growing awareness of our own mortality as we gain new perspective on who we are and what we really care about.

There are natural neurological changes to support these processes. The brain of a typically mentally active 50-year-old has both deeper knowledge and better judgment than a younger brain. Age is an enormous advantage in fields like editing, law, medicine, coaching and management. Stated simply, there is no substitute for acquired learning.

This realization should embolden anyone entering the later phases of life. If we can move beyond our stubborn myths about the aging brain, great things are possible. Successful aging is not about managing decline. It's about harnessing the enormous potential that each of us has for growth, love and happiness.

Cohen's words put science behind what LifeTwo is all about. Namely, harnessing the power of the midlife transition so that it liberates the individual to embark on the balance of their life that maximizes their happiness, well-being and lack of regrets. As with everything on LifeTwo, please let us know what you think via comments, discussion topics or emailing us.