Mid-Life Crisis

The general attitude of a mid-life crisis it is a blip that you have to get over.  You're trying to escape from responsibilities.  You need to recognize the real world and this momentary lapse is a short coming.

Maybe this is true because of the stereotypical way some people react to it, buying expensive cars and getting divorced.

I think a mid-life crisis is more a reaction to the idea in this quote: "A man has two lives.  The second starts when he realizes he only has one."  When you realize that you only have one life there are a few different ways that it can go.  You can realize that it's up to you and you need to realize what is important to you.  You can realize that the way you were living before was inauthentic and you reject it with mimetic desires.  You can realize that you have only one life and double down on the life you were living.

The key is introspection.  You are responsible for your life, what will you make of it?  Are you willing to subsume what you really want?  Letting other people make decisions for you, either explicitly or implicitly through mimesis?

You can see a mid-life crisis as the opportunity for a hero's journey.  You can take that journey or you can refuse the call.  Your past is a sunk cost.  You need to introspect and make the most of your life going forward.