In a society which emphasizes youth, the changing body contours of the middle-aged man, his receding hairline, his sagging chin, and his enlarging belly make him aware that he is no longer young.
In a society which stresses health and vitality, middle age is a time when health becomes of increasing concern, and when physical disabilities become more common. A middle-aged man becomes more conscious of the diseases which may attack him or his friends.
In a society which stresses sex, the sexual relations of a man with his permanent partner may have become routine, unimaginative, and dull over the years. The shock of the realization that they are both middle-aged may lead to a reduction in his sexual activity, or to a relationship with a younger woman.
In a society which accentuates competition, the middle-aged man may be less able to compete in his job, in sport, or in appearance, with younger men. This may make him feel that he has not been as successful as he had hoped he would be. He may think that he is being superseded by younger people. He may feel that he will not have fulfilled himself before he dies or becomes senile.
These feelings of anxiety affect many middle-aged men. They induce doubts about the man’s own significance, and, as important, about his significance to others. He may wonder what has gone wrong. He may ask himself whether it is due to his own failure or to the conspiracy of others. He may wonder if his youthful dreams were just fantasies. He may lose his self-esteem and become depressed and uncommunicative.
In other words, he is in a period of emotional instability, and undergoing a crisis of identity. This is the crisis of middle age.
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