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Trust versus Mistrust
When I was a baby I had to decide who I would trust. My older brother was one of the people I decided to trust. When I was almost 2 I would whisper his name after our parents had put us to bed and he would pull my crib over to his bed and pull me into his bed with him. -
Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt
When I was about 2 or 3 years old, I became a very defiant child. My younger brother was napping and my mother was outside gardening. I went in the house, locked all of the doors and grabbed a pop and a candy bar. I would not let my mother back into the house until she promised to open the pop for me. She was true to her word, but she took away the candy bar (sneaky mom). If I was overpunished for events such as this, it could have lead to shame and doubt. -
Initiative versus Guilt
I loved helping my parents as a child. As a 4 year old I couln't actually provide much assitance, but I loved doing what I could to help out. For example: I would be happy to help carry something. -
Industry versus Inferiority
In second grade I found a multiplication chart in the form of a toy. I came home and asked my mom to explain it to me. I had a hard time grasping the concept. When my mom told me maybe I wasn't old enough I started crying because I just wanted to be smart and understnd math. -
Identity versus Identity Confusion
In high school I placed my identity with my friends. I had friends who were in sports, theater, music, and college level classes. However, my best friends were from church and summer camp. Because I placed my identity almost entirely in my friends and sucess, it was hard to not have any of my best friends at my school. -
Intimacy Versus Isolation
This summer I worked at a summer camp. I have always been an extrovert and I recharge around people, but after living alone for a year, going to a place where I was constantly surrounded by people, I found that alone time became very valuable to me. This confused me, because I am an introvert.