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Midlife crisis or narcissistic jerk?

By Ann Althouse

Here's a piece by psychiatry professor Richard A. Friedman that's ranking well on the NYT most-emailed list. There are different reasons why a piece might get emailed, one of which is that it's a surprising or brilliant article, but another is ? and I think that's the case here ? that the article says exactly what you'd like to say to somebody or ? in this case especially ? to say to a lot of people about somebody. The theory Friedman is putting his professional stamp on is that the term "midlife crisis" is a lame excuse for selfish, destructive behavior and a fear of getting old.

That made me think of this dialogue in the movie "Moonstruck":

Rose: Why do men chase women?

Johnny: Well, there's a Bible story... God... God took a rib from Adam and made Eve. Now maybe men chase women to get the rib back. When God took the rib, he left a big hole there, where there used to be something. And the women have that. Now maybe, just maybe, a man isn't complete as a man without a woman.

Rose: [frustrated] But why would a man need more than one woman?

Johnny: I don't know. Maybe because he fears death.

[Rose looks up, eyes wide, suspicions confirmed]

Rose: That's it! That's the reason!

Johnny: I don't know...

Rose: No! That's it! Thank you! Thank you for answering my question!

Full post as published by Althouse on January 17, 2008 (boomark / email).