Wellness Calendar: Tuesday 4 March

Stages of our self-development

Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson came up with a notion that we all face certain challenges or tasks at different times in our lives. How we navigate these will determine the person we become. Here is a brief outline of his model:

Infant. Hurdle: Trust vs mistrust. Question: Do I feel safe and secure?
Toddler. Hurdle: Independence vs shame/doubt. Question: Is it okay to be myself?
Young child. Hurdle: Initiative vs guilt. Question: Can I experiment, or do the attitudes of others hold me back?
School pupil. Hurdle: Industry vs inferiority. Question: Can I succeed or am I a failure?
Adolescent. Hurdle: Identity vs role confusion. Question: Who am I?
Young adult. Hurdle: Intimacy vs isolation. Question: Can I share my life with others?
Middle-aged adult. Hurdle: Purpose vs stagnation. Question: Can I make my life meaningful?
Older adult. Hurdle: Satisfaction vs despair. Question: Was my life worthwhile or a waste of space?

Taking a wide view of our life and the paths we have taken to date may be useful to help us to understand ourselves better. Also, if we identify certain tasks that we did not accomplish in the past, we may wish to revisit these stages with a view to overcoming the challenge. Plus, if you can see from this exercise where your life is heading and you want to change it, all good and well.

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