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Are you in a quarter-life crisis?

post #1 of 77
Thread Starter 
Saw DNW's midlife crisis thread but I thought something on the quarter-life crisis is more fitting for our forum.

MS had a thread like this about a year ago. I was wondering if this is still hitting close to home for forum-goers.

Quote:
"¢ Q: What is a quarterlife crisis?
"¢ A: The quarterlife crisis, or QLC, is essentially a period of anxiety, uncertainty and inner turmoil that often accompanies the transition to adulthood.

"¢ Q: Who coined the phrase "quarterlife crisis?"
"¢ A: Abby Wilner, co-author of Quarterlife Crisis and Quarterlifer's Companion, coined the phrase in 1997 after she graduated from college, moved back home, and couldn't figure out what to do with her life.

"¢ Q: What makes the QLC unique for twentysomethings today?
"¢ A: Essentially, it is taking longer to become an adult today based on traditional markers such as financial independence and starting a family. The average American job hops 8 times before the age of 32, the average college graduate accrues $20,000 in education loan debt, and the average age to get married is now 27.

Quote:
The Quarter-Life Crisis
by unknown

You look at your job. It is not even close to what you thought you would be doing or maybe you are looking for one and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and are scared.

You miss the comforts of college, of groups, of socializing with the same people on a constant basis. But then you realize that maybe they weren't so great after all.

You see what others are doing and find yourself judging a bit more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and add things to your list of what is acceptable and what is not. You are insecure and then secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you or you lay in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough to get to know better. You love someone but maybe love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you are not a bad person.

One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap and getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision.

You worry about loans and money and the future and making a life for yourself and while wining the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter-life_crisis

The QLC hits close to home for me. Growing up is so hard to do
post #2 of 77
I think this is just more proof that the concept everyone should go to university is a bad concept. If at least half of these people went and got some training vs. a university degree they would avoid these problems.
post #3 of 77
Hahaha, wow... that REALLY hits close to home - especially as I sit here unemployed and trolling monster looking for jobs. Almost scary accurate that at 28 its almost exactly how I feel. Well, except for the whole: "One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap and getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic." lol/ Im interested to hear from others...
post #4 of 77
I had this at 18. Dropped out of flying school, mediocre job and living at home. Now I'm at University, have a part time job and live in a shit-hole. Glad I got through that so easily...
post #5 of 77
I just convocated .. spent the last ~2 months trying to figure out what I was going to do this fall. Half seriously looked at joining the Military just for a change. But then .. Friday afternoon .. one of my favorite schools I applied to for Graduate school, got back to me saying I was in.
post #6 of 77
Still experiencing it but slowly starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
post #7 of 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by Piobaire View Post
I think this is just more proof that the concept everyone should go to university is a bad concept. If at least half of these people went and got some training vs. a university degree they would avoid these problems.

I have to agree with this statement. My sister-in-law went to school for nearly 8 years (she switched majors late in the game and got two degrees) and now works at a good job as pharmacy technician. She could have done this right out of high school and passed all the ridiculous debt she has now.

I am 27, so prime candidate for the quarter life crisis, but do not see where much of that applies to me. I have been married for nearly 5 years, in my current job for 3 years (had 2 other jobs prior lasting 6 months and 18 months), currently in a nice house and we have purchased land to build our second house on in approximately two years.

For me the biggest worry I have is seems to be....are we saving enough money. Will we be able to retire comfortably. We made some silly decisions with money regarding vehicles (thankfully nothing that was catastrophic!) but seem to be on a great track for right now.
post #8 of 77
I've been in a quarter-life crisis since I was 16.
post #9 of 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by dinted voice View Post
I am 27, so prime candidate for the quarter life crisis.
Only if you are going to live to 108.
post #10 of 77
I'm 35, and I have to say that this is bunk, at least for me. At 25, I was in graduate school at a very prestigious university, doing well, and the world was my oyster. Sure, had the usual romantic ups and downs, but they were about par for the course, though they seemed pretty catastrophic at the time. I went to Europe every summer, travelled for work pretty extensively, and got to go home to Southern California. No, I had no money, but I also had no debt, and I was living well and in good shape. I wouldn't want that now, but it was nice while it lasted.
post #11 of 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by yirayira View Post
Only if you are going to live to 108.

HA...good point. Though the OP does mention twentysomethings as those in the quarterlife crisis.
post #12 of 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by Davidko19 View Post
Hahaha, wow... that REALLY hits close to home - especially as I sit here unemployed and trolling monster looking for jobs. Almost scary accurate that at 28 its almost exactly how I feel. Well, except for the whole:

"One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap and getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic." lol/

Im interested to hear from others...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_return
post #13 of 77
Living in the city seems to alleviate some, if not all of the non-work related symptoms.
post #14 of 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by willpower View Post

eh, i dont believe in any of the astrology crap, but interesting I guess. I think it has less to do with planets and more to do with just natural maturation
post #15 of 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by LA Guy View Post
I'm 35, and I have to say that this is bunk, at least for me. At 25, I was in graduate school at a very prestigious university, doing well, and the world was my oyster. Sure, had the usual romantic ups and downs, but they were about par for the course, though they seemed pretty catastrophic at the time. I went to Europe every summer, travelled for work pretty extensively, and got to go home to Southern California. No, I had no money, but I also had no debt, and I was living well and in good shape. I wouldn't want that now, but it was nice while it lasted.

Crap. Now that you say that, I should have had one. At 25, I had just headed back to undergrad after having my sports dreams shattered and spending a few years selling cars. I was doing school full time and working in the scene in Bricktown Detroit full time. I had no money to travel, was going to a second rate state school, and really had pretty limited prospects.

Damn, I'm retroactively in a funk.
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