The Quarterlife Crisis
Posted by Alec LaLonde Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:05:00 GMT
Really? Seriously? Give me a break.
I stumbled upon this article the other day. It's a fairly in-depth definition of the "quarterlife crisis," or to put it more bluntly, the "plight of the white middle-class well-educated twenty-something."
Let's take a step back and look at this from another perspective. It's 2009. We have experienced six decades of exponential economic and cultural growth, reaching a level of wealth never before seen on this planet. We're still mired in a fairly deep recession but the bottom has clearly been reached and we'll soon be rallying back. Opportunities abound: you're in your twenties, well-educated, and socially adept; not to mention a native speaker of the bona fide lingua franca of the world. You could live anywhere on the planet and prosper immediately. Travel is cheap and your currency is the world's standard.
Quarterlife crisis? Get real. It's another feel-good term for the mopey, spoiled, urban, white-collar twenty-something struggling with their own identity. Spend some time alone for once. Reconnect with yourself. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, for God's sake. You are blessed and lucky beyond all imagination. Your problems are dwarfed by those of the vast majority of the developing world. Your family and friends love you and will stand by your every decision, good or bad.
Cheer yourself up. Think positive. Stop absorbing whiny existential ramblings online, go outside, take a deep breath and soak in the sunshine. The world is your oyster. Go get it!
Woah boy. You hit the nail right on the head for me. I was going through some serious soul searching a few weeks ago when grad school just seemed like it would never end. Then I came to these realizations as well. We are all extraordinarily fortunate people.
I think that's the whole point of the article, really. Summed up at the end, "it might just be time to grow the fuck up." However, I do think it's important to consider the factors that the article mentions in terms of the historical value, of our time and place, and how the support that our parents and grandparents had just isn't there. We are a more isolating society, and I think that has a HUGE effect on what we feel we are capable of. (which ultimately doesn't that have to do with what we actually are capable of?) But I must say I do agree, we are some of the most blessed persons on the face of the planet, compared to other countries and compared to others throughout history. (have I said that before?) The question of more importance, is what are we going to do with that priveledge?