Erik Erikson’s theory states that each stage of life has psychological crises that need resolution; how we resolve each crisis determines how/if we move on to the next stage.  To illustrate, consider this Autonomy vs Shame & Doubt stage situation: a chore needs to be done, but the child does not know how to do it. They are going to either learn how to do it for themselves, or the parent could say “Oh, you’re just going to do it wrong, I’ll just do it for you.” With the first option, the child feels proud of their effort and is empowered to continue doing things by themselves~ resulting in Autonomy. With the second, however, the child will doubt their own abilities and not be motivated to take initiative or accept challenges in the future~ resulting in Shame & Doubt.  A fixation in either of these could result in self-esteem and motivation issues later in life. I, for one, remember distinctly my mother telling me a similar phrase when trying to teach me how to do laundry  when I was younger- “Oh, forget it, it’ll be easier if I do it myself.” Ten years later, lo and behold, I have extremely poor self-motivation, and I struggle to complete even the most menial tasks, especially if it’s a task I don’t want to do. I would say that this Erikson guy was on to something.

Throughout my childhood, I was thrust into a world of competition that eventually taught me to seek my self-esteem from the opinions of my peers and teachers. From this I kind of got stuck in the Industry vs Inferiority stage of Erikson’s psychosocial development theory. I am currently in the age range for the Identity and Reputation vs Identity Confusion stage, but mentally I am still struggling through Industry vs Inferiority. My goals and reality are demanding I come to terms with my identity and make serious decisions impacting my future, but how am I supposed to do so when I can’t even determine my own worth for myself? This is something I combat daily. However, I have acknowledged and accepted my challenges, and I strive every day to become better. I am a work in progress, and that is okay. I will be okay.