peter pan syndrome means you never actually did anything with your life (positive or negative), not that you've been beaten down by it. how can you be beaten down by nothing?
Take a man who is somewhat wealthy in India and place him into San Francisco while conserving the living conditions - he will feel poor and inferior.
Or one of those guys who feel betrayed by the US government and hence voted for Trump - their living standard is most likely superior to that of a (very happy) king in ancient Egypt.
Today's 50 y/o men are influenced by what media communicates - and that is essentially a message conveying a hedonistic and materialistic lifestyle.
Those guys feel bad b/c they don't look as ripped as some Hollywood actor, their spouse not as hot as some chick on a magazine, they can't buy that car b/c their children are expensive etc.
Mature men and women consume less - and our society is built on consumption.