Quarterlife Crisis (Khủng hoảng đầu đời) là gì?

Quarterlife Crisis là một khái niệm bắt nguồn từ mid/middlelife crisis. Các bạn Mỹ nghĩ ra khái niệm này. Dịch sang tiếng Việt kiểu Quantum of Solace = Định mức khuây khỏa thì Quarterlife Crisis = Khủng hoảng đầu đời.

Quarterlife = 1/4 đời = ~20 năm. Những người gặp Quarterlife Crisis rơi vào trong độ tuổi từ 20-30. Khoảng thời gian đó là khi bắt đầu trở thành người lớn, bắt đầu biết đi đêm, biết have sex, biết đi làm, biết tự sống, biết gần như rõ mình muốn trở thành một cái gì đấy, biết yêu.

Những người gặp Quarterliffe crisis cảm thấy: không biết mình nên làm gì, không biết mình sẽ trở thành cái gì, không dám mơ ước vì sợ không thực hiện được; cảm thấy tuyệt vọng khi mình sinh ra không bằng người khác, và mãi mãi không bao giờ bằng người khác; nhìn mọi thứ ngổn ngang ra đấy, nhìn gánh nặng mình phải gánh, bất giác cảm thấy cô độc và tuyệt vọng; hoặc như một bạn nào đấy mình biết thì tự thấy mình born stupid và không thóat ra được… Tóm lại là cảm giác giống như của một Loser, và Desperate, khoa học hơn thì dùng từ emotional sickness.

Quarterlife Crisis có thể kéo dài trong vài tháng, trong một năm, trong vài năm, hoặc kéo dài từ Quarter thành Middle rồi thì khi đời vào chung kết vẫn crisis.

Có người cho rằng chỉ đứa nghĩ nhiều học nhiều mới gặp Quarterlife crisis. Có cái đúng, và có cái sai. Người ta cho rằng, người học ít hoặc không học hoặc đầu óc đơn giản thì vô lo vô nghĩ, sống đến đâu biết đến đấy và cần đéu gì phải nghĩ nhiều cho nặng đầu. Okay. Nhưng đã là người thì éo ai chả có lúc thế này thế khác, éo ai chả muốn làm được một cái gì đấy, éo ai chả mơ. Ai cũng gặp quarterlife crisis, chỉ là những người chẳng may nghĩ nhiều một tí thì sẽ gặp crisis trầm trọng hơn và kéo dài hơn -> thằng nghĩ nhiều là thằng ngu! (me)

Lý do của Quarterlife Crisis thì vô số, vì mỗi người có một hoàn cảnh khác nhau. Phần lớn đều sẽ vượt qua và giải quyết được. Còn không thì éo biết. Tóm lại là fải thử mới biết được. Cũng vì lý do của mỗi người khác nhau nên mỗi người sẽ bị tác động và có biểu hiện khác nhau trong giai đoạn này.

Thế nào là vượt qua?
Vượt qua là tìm được một cái gì đấy khác để nghĩ/làm chứ không ngồi tụng kinh tự kỷ trong cái shitty circle đấy.
time only heal if you let go. Let it go = Kệ mẹ nó, đi làm cái khác.
Các bạn nào chưa vượt qua được hay chẳng may còn đang trong vũng bầy nhầy thì cũng đừng có cố hide it from yourself. Làm thế rất ngu, mà còn đau nữa. Hơn thế còn rất là risky. Các bạn cố quên nó, cố giấu nó, cố đè nó, cố ép nó, cố nén nó, rồi các bạn đi tìm cái khác để quên, rồi các bạn lấy chồng lấy vợ rồi đẻ con rồi abcabcabcabcabcabcbabc. Hơ hơ. Nhưng thế k phải là vượt qua. Các bạn vẫn ở trong crisis đấy. Đôi khi nó còn comes back dưới dạng midlife crisis. Thế thì sẽ rất bỏ mẹ.
Nguồn: http://ub.com.vn/
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Quarter life crisis? For many of you, this may be the first time you hear of this unwanted state. You may be wondering why this unforeseen exponential to the already challenging midlife crisis, has been imposed by society. And so you ponder, reflect and ask: “Do we lead such empty lives that consequently we feel the need to create these dilemmas? Or, are we simply trying to fill this void in our lives by victimizing ourselves?” Whatever the answer, I among many young people believe strongly in the quarter life crisis and chose to voice my cries of helplessness by labeling it so dramatically.
For those of you who do not know what our generation is going through (approximately 22 to 29 years old, note: for males it can conflict with the mid-life crisis as they never get over their quarter life crisis, let alone their 14 years old identity crisis, therefore males 0-death), this article will introduce you to our world, our vision and most importantly our troubles. For those who understand where I am coming from, I am sure you will enjoy this article and easily relate.
This un-welcomed crisis usually begins right after you graduate from university. “Ok so what’s up man? Ok crap really what’s up man?” Yup that’s right, this time no more summer classes, no more routine schedules, no more back to school specials. 
You suddenly realize that this is the stage in your life that society’s trend left blank. AKA you need to make your own decisions. Should you travel first, get a job, go back to school or clearly get married?

OPTION 1: TRAVELING
If you were smart enough during your university years, you would have worked and saved up enough money to pay for your graduation trip. I would root for Europe, Australia or South East Asia. Most Quebecers will root for Cuba. And lots of Montrealers will simply want to live through the Cancun, lets whore it up, lose my virginity(note: if not yet lost, it may imply that you have an interpersonal or hygiene imbalancement or well religious beliefs which I respect, but do not follow). Simultaneously you will get drunk, 24/7, and celebrate the fact that “I am now an adult with responsibilities.” 
Many choose to backpack somewhere around the world. They travel the student way, with a tight budget, nasty conditions and a backpack (not a suitcase for you inexperienced travelers). This is the route I chose. Here are a few personal anecdotes of miserable penniless circumstances.
Imagine sleeping in a slow speed night train that smells like horses (frankly I thought that horses were the ones pulling the train), and with Italians who do not shut their trap. Imagine having your period and diarrhea while you’re hiking for three days in the jungle in the north of Thailand and having to do your business in these Turkish toilets that are so dirty that you end up going in the forest with the risk of having a venomous snake bite your rear end. Imagine taking a shower and feeling dirtier after. Imagine taking a shower and realizing that your hair is infested with ants as there is an ants’ nest in the shower head. Imagine not taking a shower. Imagine sleeping at 4am on a mountain to see the sunrise when you are suddenly interrupted by three, not one but three wild dogs. 
Those who are afraid to dirty their Diesel shoes, Armani glasses or Seven jeans and who prefer to carry their Louis Vitton suitcase may decide to work first and then travel the luxurious way. Everyone is different, but we all still share this unique period in our lives: the quarter life crisis.

OPTION 2: KEEPING YOUR STUDENT JOB PERMANENTLY
Those who decide to work right away face the harsh reality too fast. After three or four years of university studies, you finally admit you despised your program and that you don’t want to work in your field. You also know it’s too late to change. You suddenly find yourself asking yourself never asked before questions. “What do I want to do? Where do I want to work? Who do I want to work for?” You might slip a few. “Who am I? “What is my mission on this earth” and then back to the “How do I proceed with my job search.” 
There are those who are too afraid to face this new and unwanted challenge. They decide the best thing to do is to keep their current part-time job and make it full time convincing themselves they have a career.These people are generally fond of routine and dislike change, thus this period may last long. They will find themselves at 26, either still in customer service with a university degree or possibly promoted from a sales person to assistant manager at the Gap. 
You have those, usually men, who try to escape being corporate slaves and start their own business. How many of you young ladies asked a recent male graduate what his plans are, and heard: “My friends and I are starting our own business.”? At this point you know that the guy is either doing something illegal or starting a website, which well could also be illegal.

OPTION 3: BACK TO SCHOOL
There are those who acknowledge the fierce competition out there and feel unprepared to face it. Those are usually highly motivated and ambitious individuals who are very studious. These students register for school once again and complete a Master’s degree. What they don’t want to realize is that the unsympathetic quarter life crisis will in any case tumble down on them.

OPTION 4: APPLYING FOR A REAL JOB AND THE ¼ CRISIS PEAK
Then there are those, you brave ones, who decided to face up to the challenge and look for a real job.This is probably the most miserable time of your lives when the summit of the quarter life crisis is reached. You enter this phase full. You tell yourself you will send your CV to at least five companies a week, until you realize all companies require a cover letter. At this point, you reach a plateau. 
It takes you approximately two months to write a good generic cover letter, something that could have taken you one hour tops, but that you were too terrified, anxious and lazy to complete. Once that is done, the applying begins hardcore. You begin to go to career fairs. Your learn how to sell yourself. You send more CVs and modified cover letters. You network. You catch yourself saying words you never pronounced before, Synergy, I fit your profile, I am an asset to your company. And then you wait… and wait… and wait…You continue to apply for jobs, jobs you know you would never accept. You try to stay positive and then you realize it has been two weeks of full time job searching and you are still at square one, until you get your first phone call. Unfortunately it’s the company and position you applied for out of desperation and that you knew and knowyou will reject. You will still go to the interview to convince yourself that your job search is progressing and simply to practice for future interviews, which by the way are scarce. 

Some of you may be lucky and get a job in the first month. Most of you may go to a small number of interviews, reject and get rejected. 
You sway yourself that more interviews will sway your way. You decide to go shopping for “work clothes”. You know that you have no money to buy a new wardrobe and no insured job to insure your visa payments. You find yourself in a vicious circle. (Pause) You reach your quarter life crisis peak!

More of you along the way finally find a job. Others, like me, brainstorm for alternative moves in your lives. Women finally come to the conclusion that they must marry a rich man. Even men come to the conclusion that they need to marry a rich man. This is where gold diggers and homosexuals are born.
Meanwhile, a large void in your life is growing. You decide to change, change your hair, change your style, just change. This is where VISA and Master Card come in handy. You start to dye your hair every week and put it on your VISA. You buy a new line of clothes on your VISA. You even enroll in all these activities you always wanted to do, but could not because of your studies. You begin to take cooking classes, dance classes, painting classes, all that on your VISA. You max out your VISA, realize that you will soon go bankrupt and resume your job search and apply for unemployment.
Unfortunately I am in this juncture in my life and cannot end this article in a positive light. For those of you who are living in this hopeless stage, we must keep strong and never give up. For those of you who have jobs, your quarter life crisis has ended and you must now reach your hand down to us feeble individuals and help. We count on you.