“What really matters is that some important things in your life, things you regard as sources of meaning, are atelic,” Setiya says. (The terms derive from “telos,” the Greek word for “goal.”) Too often, he states, we are consumed with “telic” activities: goal-driven projects that leave us unsatisfied in the present. Setiya believes “atelic” activities - things we enjoy for their own sake - make us fulfilled. Indeed, “Midlife” has a clear prescription for living well. In it, he examines the problems of middle-aged happiness, reaches some unusual conclusions - he thinks we should embrace our regrets - and explores how philosophy can help people find peace of mind. Now Setiya has woven these strands into a new book, “Midlife: A Philosophical Guide,” published by Princeton University Press. “There’s a sense of constraint and limitation and regret. “There are many midlife crises,” Setiya acknowledges. Then again, existential doubt in midlife can have other sources. You can be aiming to get things done and have an absence of satisfaction.” The thing that gripped me first was a sense of hollowness in pursuit of projects.

“I wasn’t wrong to think that teaching and writing and thinking about philosophy was worth doing, but nevertheless, something was amiss. “I was doing the things I had always wanted,” explains MIT philosophy professor Kieran Setiya, the fellow suffering through the midlife malaise. Instead, he went to his office and pondered matters. Could he grind away at the same job indefinitely? Would he have to abandon his older hopes and dreams? And wasn’t it disheartening to think his life might be halfway over?įortunately, this person didn’t quit his job, blow his life’s savings on sports cars, or sabotage his personal relationships. He was professionally successful and had a rewarding family life, but still had a “hollow” feeling. A few years ago, a man experienced a midlife crisis.

Midlife a philosophical guide