External crises such as wars, pandemics, and economic turmoil have a strange power: They jolt us out of our daily routines and trigger a state of deep self-reflection. In such moments, we suddenly stop and ask ourselves the big questions:Am I living the right life?Am I doing what I truly want?Am I satisfied with my relationships?Usually, we brush the thoughts aside in the everyday race of life, but when the outside world is shaky, and especially when you are at a certain age, they rise to the surface.

You're 40 to 45 and objectively successful and accomplished. But, somehow, you're feeling completely drained, like you've run out of fuel and can't go any further. Life starts to seem harsh and unforgiving - “nasty, brutish, and short”, as philosopher Thomas Hobbes would put it (2).

The unsettling realization might be catching up with you: All the things you've achieved, such as the career, the money, the status, the marriage, the parenthood, aren't going to make you happy forever. The thought might trigger a genuine sense of panic, making you wonder: If not all these things, then what will bring true fulfillment? Professor Kieran Setiya, in his book Midlife: A Philosophical Guide, calls this state "an uncomfortable blend of nostalgia, regret, claustrophobia, and fear." (2)

According to James Hollis, a Jungian analyst, our 40s is when we go through something called the "middle passage" (3). That's the time when the old ideas and beliefs that used to give our life meaning stop working, but we haven't found anything new to replace them yet. Calling it a bad day, feeling down, or being tired, you might miss the point, as the situation is much more existential. And this experience is known to have a clear mathematical confirmation.

What the Numbers Say: The U-Shaped Happiness Curve

Economists David Blanchflower and Andrew Oswald (1) analyzed more than 500,000 surveys from 72 countries around the world—from the United States of America to Zimbabwe. Their conclusion: When it comes to how happy people are with their lives, it follows a U-shaped pattern. The lowest point, the bottom of the curve, occurs........

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