fei75766_ch07_206-241.indd 226  02/06/20 11:52 AM
Part II    Psychodynamic Theories226
Egointegrity issometimes difficult tomaintain when people seethatthey
arelosing familiar aspects oftheirexistence: forexample, spouse, friends, physical 
health, body strength, mental alertness, independence, andsocial usefulness. Under 
suchpressure, people often feelapervading sense ofdespair, which theymayexpress 
asdisgust, depression, contempt forothers, oranyother attitude thatreveals anonac -
ceptance ofthefinite boundaries oflife.
Despair literally means tobewithout hope. Areexamination ofFigure 7.2
reveals thatdespair, thelastdystonic quality ofthelifecycle, isintheopposite corner 
from hope, aperson’s firstbasic strength. From infancy tooldage,hope canexist. 
Once hope islost,despair follows andlifeceases tohavemeaning.
Wisdom: The Basic Strength of Old Age
Some amount ofdespair isnatural andnecessary forpsychological maturity. The
inevitable struggle between integrity anddespair produces wisdom, thebasic strength 
ofoldage.Erikson (1982) defined wisdom as“informed anddetached concern with
lifeitself inthefaceofdeath itself” (p.61).People withdetached concern donotlack
concern; rather, theyexhibit anactive butdispassionate interest. With mature wis-
dom, theymaintain theirintegrity inspiteofdeclining physical andmental abilities. 
Wisdom draws from andcontributes tothetraditional knowledge passed from gen-
eration togeneration. Inoldage,people areconcerned withultimate issues, including 
nonexistence (Erikson, Erikson, &Kivnick, 1986).
Theantithesis ofwisdom andthecorepathology ofoldageisdisdain, which 
Erikson (1982, p.61)defined as“areaction tofeeling (andseeing others) inan
increasing stateofbeing finished, confused, helpless.” Disdain isacontinuation of
rejectivity, thecorepathology ofadulthood.
AsErikson himself aged, hebecame lessoptimistic about oldage,andheand
hiswifebegan todescribe aninth stage—a period ofveryoldagewhen physical and
mental infirmities robpeople oftheirgenerative abilities andreduce them towaiting 
fordeath. Joan, especially, wasinterested inthisninth stage asshewatched herhus-
band’s health rapidly deteriorate during thelastfewyears ofhislife.Unfortunately, 
Joanherself diedbefore shecould complete thisninth stage.
Summary of the Life Cycle
Erikson’s cycle oflifeissummarized inTable 7.1.Each oftheeight stages ischar-
acterized byapsychosocial crisis. Thepsychosocial crisis isstimulated byaconflict 
between thepredominating syntonic element anditsantithetical dystonic element. 
From thisconflict emerges abasic strength, oregoquality. Each basic strength has
anunderlying antipathy thatbecomes thecorepathology ofthatstage. Humans 
haveanever-increasing radius ofsignificant relations, beginning withthemater -
nalperson ininfancy andending withanidentification withallhumanity during 
oldage.
Personality always develops during aparticular historical period andwithin 
agiven society. Nevertheless, Erikson believed thattheeight developmental stages 
transcend chronology andgeography andareappropriate tonearly allcultures, past
andpresent.Final PDF to printer