If you feel an urgent need to open all your hopes and dreams as well as worries and sorrows to some person or just close yourself from everyone in this world – congratulations! Now you have started a stage 6 according to the theory of Erik Erikson, an American psychologist.
We have collected the primary information about the concepts of Erik Erikson’s theory of a human psychological development to get to know closer how your personality develops and what you should do with the worries in your teen years’ period. In case you would like to order a paper on psychology from our best essay writing service do not hesitate to contact us. Enjoy!
Erikson’s Stages Overview
The world known theory that we encounter eight stages of our psychological development through life has gained its popularity as were influenced by Freud. The main prospective of those stages of development was to choose not right or left side but understand both of them. However, we are not going to interrupt the logical order and start with the short overview.
Erikson believed that since childhood till the late adulthood we all must pass the stages which help us to identify ourselves as personalities and learn to live in harmony with other individuals. Since the very birth, we are to make some choice and move on. The good thing is – we do not always have to stick to the chosen way of development and can always modify our variant which is basically a human development which is permanently altering.
Introverts still want to communicate. Most people usually think that extroverts are those who never get tired of communication with other people but introverts hate it and never want to be in public. However, that is not true. Maybe, you did not know but there are no complete introverts or extroverts, and every human being wants and needs to communicate with the society.
No, they are not ambiverts as this term became pretty much popular and indicates those who are in the middle of both sides (which means between introvert and extrovert behavior). Therefore, a young person will not necessarily get closed from the whole world and willing not to participate in everything surrounding their world. Even the biggest hermit needs a way to realize their identity, the other problem is that they oppress this natural wish…
Stages of our development. A theorist Erik Erikson’s theory social interaction throughout life. Young Adulthood is the life period somewhere in our 20s when a young person starts inquiring his or her own relationship with themselves as well as with other people, in particular their partners. This is the time they enter the phase of intimacy vs. isolation development. However, this stage is impossible to take place when the previous stage 5 is still not developed as well, the fifth stage is a realization of the person’s identity.
Once your identity is found and you can be observed as a true yourself, it is high time you proceeded with sharing your identity with other people.
Intimacy in All Its Aspects
Sexual feeling towards someone and deeply knowing the person you are living with. Self-disclosure level, mutuality of understanding each other. Sense of trust and dedicating to others.
This term usually includes friendship, love sex intimacy, marriage and other psychological aspects. Intimacy is meant to share it with another person. Think of your boyfriend or girlfriend as a person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Fuse your identity together with somebody else’s. This is what intimacy is about. The way you do this shows exactly your own attitude to your mate and to your personality.
Too much intimacy means, however, a high level of addiction. The person begins to be dependent on their partner or friend and loses their own perception of identity. Not losing your own identity as an independent person is very important in this case. You learn to trust and love somebody but remain true to yourself and your own principles, not relying on anybody else when it comes to making decisions but listening to other opinions and doing what you think is right (just as an example of making decisions).
Therefore, we should tell you more about such a term as “isolation” and its impact on human psychological development. Both terms are opposite but at the same time complementary as equally helping an individual to go through the stage of young adulthood.
Isolation: Does It Really Sound That Bad?
If you are not able to be truly close to somebody, both physically and psychologically, it does not really mean you are incapable of relationships, however, you may find it truly useless to love someone, take care of them and so on, which will definitely not add to your charisma.
Your beloved one (if you are lucky enough to have one) might suffer from your relationship like for example your behavior, attitude to other people, not willing to listen and tell your feelings, constant remissness.
This option can also occur in case you cannot find your identity in somebody else but need to have already a firm identity (stage 5). Identifying yourself as a personality is the best way to admit other people either close friends or partner as complete personalities too, which you would like to get to know.
Who is a person on the stage of isolation? Such an autonomous person can live their whole live with a mate but not tell him or her anything about their inner world. They usually experience distrust, suspicion of everyone, do not reveal information about yourself and not eagerly listen to others. They do not approach anyone, do not need anybody to feel complete.
Golden Mean?
Too much intimacy is a loss of the sense of self. Too much isolation is a feeling to know your boundaries. This is call as malignancy of excessive use which is basically the way we behave and what we choose that can be equally harmful for other people and the personality of an individual.
What is too much? None of these options must be taken as a pure choice, because as we all know, the middle of everything must exist. However, it does not always mean that your choice is undefined. No, during your life you still tend to show more of some side but not absolutely stick to one. This is, in our opinion the best of a human psychological theory: you are an owner of your life and only you are to decide who you are going to be.
Of course, none of these stages can be reached without taking into account and living the previous ones. Nevertheless, they might alter as much as needed because we all are different and we need different ways and acts to reach this or another stage and find ourselves in harmony with the surrounding world.
Remember that it is only your choice and only you can decide which side to take. No single person can choose it for you, therefore, when you feel like lost or empty only you can find the exit.
Enlightening,makes me think about myself really