Ego identity is what it is ... Concept, definition, process of growth and development

“Know yourself, and you will know the world.” So say the philosophers. Throughout life, people ask themselves questions: “Who am I really?”, “Who will I be, overcoming the difficulties of life?”, “How do others see me?” In the 20th century, people began to pay more attention to their own souls, to the realization of their personality, therefore in psychology a direction of the self-concept, or ego-identity, appeared. This definition is not widely known.

As psychologists understand it

Ego identity is a subjective feeling when a person is aware of himself internally and externally. Rather, it is an understanding of the integrity of one’s nature in the process of growth or decline in different areas of life.

In simple words, ego identity is a combination of social roles by a person based on the image of his personality and interaction with society. That is, no matter who the person is at the moment, for example, he is a doctor at work, at home - husband and father, this is the same person.

At the same time, ego identity is the protection of the individual from environmental influences. If a person has a whole nature, then he does not fall under the influence of others, since he is aware of his individuality.

Ego identity is the development of a person throughout life. As a rule, it ends only at the time of his death.

Psychoanalysis and Ego Identity

This concept was first applied by the German psychologist Eric Erickson. His works are devoted to the theory of personality identity. Erickson's views differed from Freudian theories, but they were a schematic continuation of the basic concepts of a psychoanalyst. If Sigmund Freud believed that the Ego solves the conflict between instincts and morality, then Erickson in his works shows that ego-identity is an independent system, so to speak, a mechanism that interacts with reality through thinking and memory.

Erickson paid important attention not only to the problems of childhood, but also to human life, the historical features in which the individual developed in the social sphere.

Also, the difference between the views of Freud and Erickson is that the first was limited only to the influence of parents on the formation of the personality of the child. Erickson took into account cultural characteristics, the conditions in which the development of personality takes place.

Do not confuse psychoanalysis and personality identity. Ego-identity is without psychoanalysis as such an awareness of one’s essence, that is, these are two completely different directions. This is the key difference between the theories of Erickson and Freud.

Developmental stages

Erickson identified 8 stages of development of ego-identity through which each person passes. They come at a certain time. When moving to a new stage, a person experiences a crisis, which means that he has reached psychological maturity at his age. The crisis is resolved positively or negatively. With a positive resolution of the conflict, the ego gains new skills, and then the person is healthy. To positively overcome the crisis, close people should help a person to move to a new stage.

Stage One - Infancy

This is the first period in a person’s life. A child develops a sense of trust and security from surrounding people. Confidence arises not because of the care with which the parents relate to it, but because of the constancy of actions, recognition of the mother's face. When parents play with the baby, devote time to him, treat them gently, then the child trusts other people in return. With this development, the baby calmly endures the absence of the mother and does not fall into tantrums.

Distrust arises from inattention on the part of parents if he does not see the love of others. When the mother stops giving the baby a lot of time, returns to the interrupted affairs, the child experiences anxiety.

Sometimes the resolution of the first crisis occurs not in the first years of a child’s life, but a little later. The problem of trust and mistrust will manifest itself at the other stages of development, but it is fundamental during infancy.

The second stage - early childhood

From 1 year to 3 years, the child has an independence of action. Children begin to independently explore the world around them, get acquainted with their peers, try objects “by the tooth”, try to show independence. Understanding comes to the child that parental control is encouraging and punishing.

If parents do something instead of the child: they remove the toys or feed them from the spoon, then he has a feeling of shame. Shame also arises with elevated parental expectations of what the child still cannot do, for example, run fast, swim in the pool, etc. The kid becomes uncertain and is afraid of the condemnation of others.

Erickson believes that a sense of independence strengthens the child's confidence in others. With distrust, children will be afraid to make decisions, they will become timid. In adulthood, they seek support in the form of a partner or friend, perhaps the development of a persecution mania.

Third Stage - Age of the Game

At this age, the child is more often left to his own devices, and he invents games, composes fairy tales and asks questions to parents. So the initiative begins to develop. At this age, children understand that adults reckon with their opinion, they perform not meaningless actions.

When parents encourage the child for his actions, support, then the child makes plans for the future, who he will become, how he will live.

In parallel with initiative, a child develops a feeling of guilt that he is doing wrong. With strict parents who forbid children to commit independent acts, guilty feelings prevail over the child's enterprise. He will feel worthless and lonely. These sensations will manifest themselves in a mature state.

Fourth Stage - School Age

The child goes to school and acquires the basic skills of a community culture. From 6 to 12 years old, the child is inquisitive and seeks to learn new things about the world. At this age, children show and develop industriousness not only in science, but also in the household: cleaning the house, washing dishes, etc.

Along with hard work, a feeling of inferiority appears. When a child sees that knowledge is unimportant in his country, he doubts his abilities or understands that learning does not guarantee safety. As a result, the student does not want to study, academic performance decreases, because of which there is a greater sense of inferiority, which he will carry into adulthood.

Fifth Stage - Youth

This is the most important period, since the child came out of childhood, but has not yet become an adult.

A teenager gets to know other, unfamiliar social roles and learns to combine them in himself: a student, son or daughter, musician, athlete, etc. He learns to pass roles through himself and create a single person. This process is influenced by both society and peers.

Teenagers think about how they look in the eyes of other people. It is during this period that ego identity manifests itself. The fulfillment of a social role is compared with past life experiences.

To be sure of his ego identity, a teenager compares his inner integrity and the assessment of others about himself.

Sixth Stage - Early Maturity

In early adulthood or youth, a person receives a profession and starts a family. In terms of intimate relationships, Erickson stands in solidarity with Freud. In the period from 19 to 30 years, young people are ready for an intimate life both socially and sexually. Until this time, people were engaged in the search for identity. Now he is completely ready to create long-term interpersonal relations, and there is also a danger of protecting himself from close relations.

For Erickson, the definition of "intimacy" means not only sex life, but also the feeling of complete trust that a person has for loved ones. In his work, the psychologist talks about sexual intimacy, the ability to find out the true nature of a partner. This is important to do in early adulthood, because adolescent love is often a test of one’s identity with the help of another person.

To merge your identity with the personality of another person without fear that you are losing something in yourself is an important condition for achieving complete integrity.

The opposite of feelings of intimacy is loneliness or isolation. Then a person creates only formal relationships with people around him. He limits the circle of communication to a minimum, becoming a misanthrope. Such people do not share their own identity with others, which is why they do not enter into a long-term relationship.

To get out of isolation you need love. This romantic and erotic feeling will form a long-lasting and lasting relationship.

Seventh stage - medium maturity

A long stage in human life. Then he has a choice: productivity or inertia.

There is a feeling of concern for things that interest a person. Duty and desire to improve the world are features of a healthy maturity.

If a person does not become productive, then devotes more time to himself. Satisfaction of one's own desires, laziness ultimately leads to the loss of the meaning of life and hopelessness.

Eighth Stage - Late Maturity

This is the last stage in human life. Time to comprehend your life.

A person looks back and answers the question: “Am I happy with how I lived my life?” When he answers in the affirmative, then comes full maturity and wisdom. In this state, a person is not afraid of death; he is calm about it.

Wisdom is the opposite of despair and fear of death. There comes an understanding that there is no time left for a change in life. Older people become irritable and grouchy. Erickson suggests that such regrets lead to senile senility, depression, and paranoia.