Here in America it's a Harley Davidson and getting really into grilling.
What do European men do when they go through a midlife crisis? But an Alfa and bake? Get really into trains?
23 comments
Not a Dane, but have lived there: In Copenhagen it’s buying a spandex bicycling outfit, polarized cycling sunglasses that weigh two grams and a bicycle made out of some space-age wonder-material that is almost weightless, then cycling about the city like you are on tour-de-France.
Harley Davidson and getting really into grilling 😉
..for some…
For others it can be getting a really expensive bicycle and go hardcore training mode. Also the same with skis in the winter.
And don’t forget the home brewing
My father in law married a woman closer to my age than his, bought a motorcycle, and painted everything in his house white and bought white furniture and white curtains and carpets
I’d say you’re on the right track with an Alfa lol.
In more general terms it often comes with divorce, gym, clothes and haircuts that are for younger men and so on. Not so much vehicles.
In more specific terms I’d say everyone has their own thing. Maybe a guy was always into cayaking but never got to do much of it because of all the obligations, young kids etc. So for him it’s a new kayak and a trip to his regions whitewater.
In the UK I’d say it’s a combination of buying a motorbike, buying a very expensive push bike with all the gear and “getting into” cycling for around 1 summer, before selling it on Facebook marketplace. I think a lot of garden shed/home pub projects were a result of midlife crises too
In the UK I’d say it’s a combination of buying a motorbike, buying a very expensive push bike with all the gear and “getting into” cycling for around 1 summer, before selling it on Facebook marketplace. I think a lot of garden shed/home pub projects were a result of midlife crises too
In my neck of the woods (Nordics):
Road cycling, hunting, cross country skiing and running. Often accompanied by an urge to spend an unhealthy amount of money on gear for their new hobby.
Some also get weirdly obsessed with biohacking, like fad diets, sleeping with a taped mouth, fasting, keto etc.
Others start a new family with their wife’s yoga instructor
Getting a motorbike or a sports car is the equivalent of that in Europe. You would never get a Harley though, that dries women up faster than anything here, so in that case you would do it exclusively for yourself.
Also a good bunch hunts their luck in Thailand (or Philippines), which is kinda sleazy, but in some ways a win-win for both parties. Those relationships are not known for being very turbulent, its just kinda frowned upon mostly. I’ve seen plenty of cases where both are happy though.
No idea about hobbies, I thought we all already had our own hobbies and had no time for them since we got actual responsibilities.. I don’t know.
Genuine question: what exactly is a midlife crisis? And how do you identify it? Could also be someone trying something new out.
My former medieval lit prof divorced wife no. 1, bought exactly this, a red Alfa Spider, and married his student. Matter of fact, he was one of four old farts in the department who married their students. Whereas I’m a woman in my forties and am buying gardening power tools.
Cycling honestly. Buying a road bike and getting weirdly into it.
When a European man has fully shaved his entire body (except for his face) for the sake of aerodynamics, you know then that he has transcended his midlife crisis and now is truly middle aged.
There is definitely the American style you describe here, alternatives would be getting into bike riding to a annoying degree with those horrible full body neon suits, some might start a new hobby like sailing or model trains.
Some of the people will try to recapture their youth and appear at rock shows, clubs, sport events and the likes (those are the most likeable ones from my pov.)
Another true classic is exaggerating their commitment to a local sports club or football club fandom.
I am in midlife crisis and rebuild the house into the U.S.S. Enterprise. Thermoelectric heat pump working on exhaust and a mechanical compenser, solar arrays, battery storage, wallbox and live monitoring. Automatisation and I still need robots plus a man cave.
Besides I got really into travelling and exploring with the kids after buying my first car ever last year and having kids in the last 3 years ago.
I have lived here most my nearly 38 years, I don’t know what one looks like for a man, Earliest memory of my grandad was him at like 60 and never really known my dad, only knew who he was 20ish years ago. Wouldn’t recognise him today if I held a door for him.
A lot of Harley Davidson riders as well here, which is even more ridiculous. Also a lot of vintage Porsches in some countries, or some form of vintage cars (especially among people with lots of spare cash). Also some dads who suddenly start wearing band merch and go shopping for edgy clothing at the mall with their metalcore kids (nothing wrong with metal, wearing what you like, and I am myself a 50+ rock guy, but some of them look as dignified as an old cougar trying to outdo the 20 year old while wearing a faux leather miniskirt)
In France I’d say, depending on your financial means, moving to the countryside, training for a marathon, getting a young lover, getting really into wine, going back to school
Not a Harley, but a BMW GS Adventure, with an off-road touring kit that should work from the Andes to Mongolia, but never go further than the most popular Alpine passes.
I’ve starting thinking if I trade in my new SUV, could I buy and afford to maintain a classic Mercedes.
We start grilling from our teen years, and we buy motorcycles in out 30s at the latest…
In our 50s we usually go to america an have a cultural shock and them come back to europe and experience ptsd.
I hit 40 and suddenly developed an interest in military history, model railways, folk music and garden sheds. I don’t even know why. It just happened overnight, along with my first grey hairs, making a sort of groaning noise when I stand up, and my Sunday afternoon nap replacing Friday night festivities as the highlight of my week.
On the other hand, I knew a chap who bought a motorbike, an electric guitar and a leather jacket. He split up from his wife, abandoned two kids, dated a woman a little over half his age for a while, and then committed suicide.
So I think my version of midlife crisis is at least a little more benign than that.
Get a Porsche 911 if you’re rich, get a South East Asian girlfriend if you’re cringe; or become a bicycle racing guy if you’re a boring ass motherfucker.
That’s the three.
Edit: I just accidentally rhymed for the first time in my life, *nice*.
Mine is
* to get back to serious running,
* practice calisthenics,
* learn music composition, electronics
* play the video games I wished to play when I was a teenager
* cooking
Kids got older, so I have more time for myself.
I know some guys who are now into edm. They didn’t go to dance parties in their youth. And now they are in to dance parties and festivals. Including the occasional molly.
So it’s a second youth, I guess.
I wouldn’t think of it, being in a dark place dancing till 4 am. I rather be in bed.
23 comments
Not a Dane, but have lived there: In Copenhagen it’s buying a spandex bicycling outfit, polarized cycling sunglasses that weigh two grams and a bicycle made out of some space-age wonder-material that is almost weightless, then cycling about the city like you are on tour-de-France.
Harley Davidson and getting really into grilling 😉
..for some…
For others it can be getting a really expensive bicycle and go hardcore training mode. Also the same with skis in the winter.
And don’t forget the home brewing
My father in law married a woman closer to my age than his, bought a motorcycle, and painted everything in his house white and bought white furniture and white curtains and carpets
I’d say you’re on the right track with an Alfa lol.
In more general terms it often comes with divorce, gym, clothes and haircuts that are for younger men and so on. Not so much vehicles.
In more specific terms I’d say everyone has their own thing. Maybe a guy was always into cayaking but never got to do much of it because of all the obligations, young kids etc. So for him it’s a new kayak and a trip to his regions whitewater.
In the UK I’d say it’s a combination of buying a motorbike, buying a very expensive push bike with all the gear and “getting into” cycling for around 1 summer, before selling it on Facebook marketplace. I think a lot of garden shed/home pub projects were a result of midlife crises too
In the UK I’d say it’s a combination of buying a motorbike, buying a very expensive push bike with all the gear and “getting into” cycling for around 1 summer, before selling it on Facebook marketplace. I think a lot of garden shed/home pub projects were a result of midlife crises too
In my neck of the woods (Nordics):
Road cycling, hunting, cross country skiing and running. Often accompanied by an urge to spend an unhealthy amount of money on gear for their new hobby.
Some also get weirdly obsessed with biohacking, like fad diets, sleeping with a taped mouth, fasting, keto etc.
Others start a new family with their wife’s yoga instructor
Getting a motorbike or a sports car is the equivalent of that in Europe. You would never get a Harley though, that dries women up faster than anything here, so in that case you would do it exclusively for yourself.
Also a good bunch hunts their luck in Thailand (or Philippines), which is kinda sleazy, but in some ways a win-win for both parties. Those relationships are not known for being very turbulent, its just kinda frowned upon mostly. I’ve seen plenty of cases where both are happy though.
No idea about hobbies, I thought we all already had our own hobbies and had no time for them since we got actual responsibilities.. I don’t know.
Genuine question: what exactly is a midlife crisis? And how do you identify it? Could also be someone trying something new out.
My former medieval lit prof divorced wife no. 1, bought exactly this, a red Alfa Spider, and married his student. Matter of fact, he was one of four old farts in the department who married their students. Whereas I’m a woman in my forties and am buying gardening power tools.
Cycling honestly. Buying a road bike and getting weirdly into it.
When a European man has fully shaved his entire body (except for his face) for the sake of aerodynamics, you know then that he has transcended his midlife crisis and now is truly middle aged.
There is definitely the American style you describe here, alternatives would be getting into bike riding to a annoying degree with those horrible full body neon suits, some might start a new hobby like sailing or model trains.
Some of the people will try to recapture their youth and appear at rock shows, clubs, sport events and the likes (those are the most likeable ones from my pov.)
Another true classic is exaggerating their commitment to a local sports club or football club fandom.
I am in midlife crisis and rebuild the house into the U.S.S. Enterprise. Thermoelectric heat pump working on exhaust and a mechanical compenser, solar arrays, battery storage, wallbox and live monitoring. Automatisation and I still need robots plus a man cave.
Besides I got really into travelling and exploring with the kids after buying my first car ever last year and having kids in the last 3 years ago.
I have lived here most my nearly 38 years, I don’t know what one looks like for a man, Earliest memory of my grandad was him at like 60 and never really known my dad, only knew who he was 20ish years ago. Wouldn’t recognise him today if I held a door for him.
A lot of Harley Davidson riders as well here, which is even more ridiculous. Also a lot of vintage Porsches in some countries, or some form of vintage cars (especially among people with lots of spare cash). Also some dads who suddenly start wearing band merch and go shopping for edgy clothing at the mall with their metalcore kids (nothing wrong with metal, wearing what you like, and I am myself a 50+ rock guy, but some of them look as dignified as an old cougar trying to outdo the 20 year old while wearing a faux leather miniskirt)
In France I’d say, depending on your financial means, moving to the countryside, training for a marathon, getting a young lover, getting really into wine, going back to school
Not a Harley, but a BMW GS Adventure, with an off-road touring kit that should work from the Andes to Mongolia, but never go further than the most popular Alpine passes.
I’ve starting thinking if I trade in my new SUV, could I buy and afford to maintain a classic Mercedes.
We start grilling from our teen years, and we buy motorcycles in out 30s at the latest…
In our 50s we usually go to america an have a cultural shock and them come back to europe and experience ptsd.
I hit 40 and suddenly developed an interest in military history, model railways, folk music and garden sheds. I don’t even know why. It just happened overnight, along with my first grey hairs, making a sort of groaning noise when I stand up, and my Sunday afternoon nap replacing Friday night festivities as the highlight of my week.
On the other hand, I knew a chap who bought a motorbike, an electric guitar and a leather jacket. He split up from his wife, abandoned two kids, dated a woman a little over half his age for a while, and then committed suicide.
So I think my version of midlife crisis is at least a little more benign than that.
Get a Porsche 911 if you’re rich, get a South East Asian girlfriend if you’re cringe; or become a bicycle racing guy if you’re a boring ass motherfucker.
That’s the three.
Edit: I just accidentally rhymed for the first time in my life, *nice*.
Mine is
* to get back to serious running,
* practice calisthenics,
* learn music composition, electronics
* play the video games I wished to play when I was a teenager
* cooking
Kids got older, so I have more time for myself.
I know some guys who are now into edm. They didn’t go to dance parties in their youth. And now they are in to dance parties and festivals. Including the occasional molly.
So it’s a second youth, I guess.
I wouldn’t think of it, being in a dark place dancing till 4 am. I rather be in bed.