Article: The Afternoon of Life

For the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, human development did not end in childhood or adolescence. He proposed that the "afternoon of life," a period beginning around age 40, these days perhaps 45, has its own set of psychological tasks. I believe they are the leftovers that were not completed when we were children and adolescents.

Unlike the "morning of life," young adulthood,  which is focused on showing up in the world (with as much character as we were able to develop through adolescence) to build a career and/or family, the second half of life is a time for finishing that human development.

From what we understand now about development and values, the depressions and anxieties that surface in midlife are a signal that the internal values are not satisfied with the goals set in early adilthood.

This period calls for a fundamental shift in perspective to more growth in our personhood again, as we did when we were children. If we don’t do this U-Turn during the Afternoon of Life we end up as wrinkled, unhappy, grumpy whiny children in old bodies.

Here are some developmental tasks for those of us in the Afternoon of Life:

1. The U-Turn: Completing Development

There is often unfinished business from childhood that needs addressing. Insufficient parenting must be fully acknowledged so that the older adults can complete the parenting missed. This includes self-compassion, personal growth opportunities in the arts, in nature, and repair or reframing of old relationships.

2. Individuation: Completing Unique Identity

Individuation is not about becoming perfect, but about becoming whole by embracing all parts of oneself. Besides repair, there is a defining of who one is that requires knowing your needs, wants and preferences. Even within whatever financial or social limitations there are the afternoon of life is the time to step up the specific activities and experiences we value and putting limits on those that drag us away from being our best self.

3. Healing : Compassion toward suppressed childhood and adult wounds

The adternoon of life is a time to revisit pains of the past and compassionately heal the wounded parts. Allowing the inner child to cry, grieving loss of relationship, acknowledging parental failure sets us free to parent ourselves and live as whole, treasured adults.

4. Integrating Masculine and Feminine Cultural Constructs: Reducing Imbalanced Toxicity and Self-Abandonment

After living for 20 years in the gender construct that our culture has placed us in, the afternoon of life is a time to give space to the other gender constructs of our culture. As gender activities are often constructs, it is enlivening to the brain to engage in activities that are opposite to what you have usually done. It is like becoming ambidextrous. Although bi-genderedness is not the goal, there is a strength and sweetness that is added to life as we throw off some of the cultural constraints that were needed and useful during family and career building.

5. Existential or Spiritual  Peace: Seeing Birth, Life, and Ageing as a Whole, Organic Experience

This is not necessarily adherence to a specific doctrine, but rather the development of a personal connection to something larger than oneself—the transpersonal or the divine. This helps a person come to terms with death and see their whole life as a part of a greater story.

6. Generativity: Becoming a Person Who Supports the Next Generation

The second half of life is about decentering the self and establishing connection with the wider universe. By the afternoon we have accumulated experiences that equip us with resources to give to others.

Research assisted by Gemini AI

References
For those interested in exploring Jung’s ideas further, the following works are recommended:

● Jung, C. G. (1933). Modern man in search of a soul. Harcourt, Brace & World.
● Jung, C. G. (1961). Memories, dreams, reflections. Pantheon Books.
● Jung, C. G. (1971). The portable Jung (J. Campbell, Ed.). Viking Press.