Men's Take on the Female Midlife Crisis

Last year Time Magazine ran a cover story on the female midlife crisis by Nancy Gibbs entitled "Midlife Crisis? Bring It On!". It addressed (in Time's words) "how women of this generation are seizing that stressful, pivotal moment in their lives to reinvent themselves." Included in that issue was a humorous take on one unexpected side effect of female midlife crisis--the reaction of their male counterparts to this intrusion by women to this once male-only "affliction."

As the article states:

First they want to join golf clubs. Then they want to be on the Supreme Court. Now this?

Funny yes, but is it true?

First we have to ask whether male and female midlife crises are the same. LifeTwo discussed this in Are Male and Female Midlife Crises Different" and found that there are differences.

Even so, should men feel threatened? Are men worried that women are going to dump them for trophy husbands? Or turn the Dodge Caravan in for a sporty convertible, leaving men to shuttle the kids around on weekends? I don't think so.

I think the real answer is that men don't resent the female midlife crisis ... like most everything involving the other sex they view this as one more thing certain to confuse them. Since men barely understand their own midlife crises, it is impossible for them to understand someone else's.

But we do know this: midlife transition can a turbulent process fraught with dark moments. If a spouse is going through it, men should help them navigate the process.

Even if they don't understand it.