Return the Sports Car — Science Says Mid-Life Crises Aren’t Really a Thing

We've heard about them, but have you or someone you know experienced one?  I'm talking about the legendary "midlife crisis."

You know, the classic "chuck the job, dump the wife and kids for a younger girlfriend, buy a hairpiece and a sports car, dress and act like you are still in your late 20s" kind of behaviors. Many have

However, Professor Nick Haslam of the University of Melbourne, Australia, says it doesn't really exist.

The Daily Mail reports on a Swiss study that found the older the participants, the older they reported having their so-called midlife crisis.  Professor Haslam says, "In general, psychological changes during midlife are positive. Personality becomes more steady and self-accepting, while positive emotion, on average, gradually rises through the lifespan."

He notes that the term "midlife crisis" refers to a time of growth for some that "requires a process of adjustment," and there really is no universally set mid-point in a person's life when these kinds of adjustments occur.

In short, it isn't inevitable.