exercise influence over the objects and events in their world, children develop
feelings of shame and doubt . They are unsure of themselves and become
dependent on others.
Initiative Versus Guilt
As children begin to interact with other children, they face the challenges thatcome with living in a social world. Children must learn how to play and
work with others and how to resolve the inevitable conflicts. Children who
seek out playmates and who learn how to organize games and other social
activities develop a sense of initiative . They learn how to set goals and tackle
challenges with conviction. They develop a sense of ambition and purpose.
Children who fail to develop a sense of initiative come through this stagewith feelings of guilt and resignation . They may lack a sense of purpose and
show few signs of initiative in social or other situations.
Industry Versus Inferiority
Most children enter elementary school thinking there is little they can ’t do.
But soon they find themselves in competition with other children —for grades,
popularity, teachers ’attention, victories in sports and games, and so on. Inev-
itably, they compare their talents and abilities with other children their age.
If children experience success, feelings of competence grow that set them well
on their way to becoming active and achieving members of society. But ex-periences with failure lead to feelings of inadequacy and to a poor prognosis
for productivity and happiness. It is during this time, before the turmoil of
puberty and the teenage years, that we develop either a sense of industry and
a belief in our strengths and abilities or a sense of inferiority and a lack of
appreciation for our talents and skills.
Identity Versus Role Confusion
At last —or perhaps too soon —we reach the teenage years, a time of rapid
changes and relatively short preparation for adulthood. Adolescence may bethe most difficult time of life. The turmoil of transcending from playgroundconcerns and simple solutions to a sudden bout with life ’s important ques-
tions can be disturbing, and maybe a little cruel. Erikson was well aware ofthe significance of these years. Young men and women begin to ask the all-important question, “Who am I? ”If the question is answered successfully,
they develop a sense of identity . They make decisions about personal values
and religious questions. They understand who they are and accept and ap-preciate themselves. Unfortunately, many teens fail to develop this strong
sense of identity and instead fall into role confusion .
In their search for identity, adolescents may join cliques, commit to causes,
or drop out of school and drift from one situation to another. A friend of minefrom high school bounced from devout Christianity to alcohol and drugs, to
Eastern religions, to social causes, and to conservative politics —all during his
high school years —in an effort to “find”himself. Ten years later, at our class
reunion, I learned that he had spent the decade drifting to different parts ofthe country, different jobs, several colleges, and was currently thinking of
becoming a rock star. His failure to develop a strong sense of identity clearly
impeded subsequent personality development.108 CHAPTER 5 The Psychoanalyt ic Approach