Theories of Adult Development

To apply three theories of adult development to my own life, it's imperative that I provide the obligatory information about myself, in order for it to even make sense. The information given is certainly personal, but as no point am I unwilling to provide it. The key to understanding one's self is understanding one's life, and all the good and bad parts of it. By ignoring, for example, certain events that you would rather forget, you are denying an in-depth and detailed look at yourself.

I am a 20 year old, Caucasian male of upper-middle class status. Physically, I am not tall, but of a slightly below average height. I have been dating one girl for almost four years now but nothing serious (i.e. marriage) has ever really been discussed. I still live with my parents, as they are helping me pay for college and my family gets along rather well. I have had several jobs, but right now I work at a sandwich shop making food for people. Someday, I hope to be a musician or artist, although a job in psychology has appealed to me.

As far as an education goes, I have gone through all the basic sub-structures of the educational system, and have still found that I dislike school. Elementary, middle, high school all offered nothing for me, rather, lumping me in to become just another faceless students amidst a crowd of thousands. I did not participate in anything school-related in my free time, but instead shunned anything that would make me have to stay there for more than six hours a day. I have enjoyed college and would like to complete as much as possible to obtain a job I can be happy with and support myself from. Oddly, many of the jobs that appeal to me do not require a college education, but I figure that I would rather be smart and educated than semi-smart and uneducated.

As for socially, I am considered by many to be shy but this is not really the case at all. Rather, I prefer to keep my mouth shut unless I have something I feel needs to be said. One of my pet peeves is people who just say things to either get a rise from others, or if they just talk because they are bored. I choose my friends carefully, and I have a small number of good, close friends, instead of a large number of people I barely know. I have never been one to follow the crowd, not by choice, but after years of feeling like I didn't quite fit in with many other people, I just gave up. Anyone who couldn't accept me for the way I am raises no concerns of mine. I do not need people like that in my life.

I am not bitter or sarcastic, I just don't like people who are "fake" and if a situation makes me uncomfortable I just leave, rather than trying hard to tough it out and be a part of the group.

According to Erikson's model of personalities, I believe that I am in stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation. According to the model, my body and ego must be in a constant mutuality in order for me not to fear loss of face in front of others. By avoiding these social