Is a life crisis inevitable?

It occurred to me that I can’t think of anyone I know well who hasn’t at some point gone through a pretty major life crisis. Maybe: adolescent withdrawal, a health trauma, professional failure, marital discord, economic hardship, a major loss or disappointment, a relationship fiasco; a sense of meaninglessness, foreboding of mortality. There’s garden-variety exhaustion, but then there’s feeling overwhelmed with It All to the point of dysfunctional meltdown.

On the one hand, life can’t possibly go all so smoothly decade after decade. And then: We tend to have childhood illusions and misconceptions, bubbles that necessarily burst as adulthood progresses. Most adults at some point recognize that we’re in some ways fundamentally alone. And it can seem unbearable.

Day-to-day is challenging, but I’m talking about . . . major crises of despair and dysfunctionality. There can be downward spirals that really seem endless.

Have you been lucky enough to avoid such?

Do you know anyone who you don’t think ever experienced a major life crisis?