Erikson’s 8 ages of man (Chapter 1): please comment on one or more of his developmental
stages for adult life: intimacy vs. isolation; generativity vs. stagnation; ego integrity vs. despair.
Questions that might guide your Viewpoint contributions: What do they tell us about the
predictable crises of adult development? How do these crises relate to events in earlier stages
of development? What is the significance of Erikson’s epigenetic model of life cycle
development (covered in the last two pages of this reading)?
Erik Erikson’s “Eight Ages of Man” chapter dives deep into the different developmental stages
we go through aging from babies to adults. The stage I’d like to talk about is intimacy vs.
isolation. Going through the biological checklist as we age makes intimacy in all forms
something teens, young adults, and adults cherish. Puberty is the first step we humans go
through that tells us we’re “mature” enough to reproduce. All the urges and desires we have
stem from hormonal, physiological and psychological factors, “He is ready for intimacy, that is,
the capacity to commit himself to concrete affiliations and partnerships and to develop the
ethical strength to abide by such commitments, even though they may call for significant
sacrifices and compromises.” (Erikson, pg. 263). It’s very relative to see how one may fall into
complete isolation when letting the physicality of each body and ego work together to form
certain relationships. However, distance isn’t always a bad thing.
“The counterpart of intimacy is distantiation: the readiness to isolate and, if necessary, to
destroy those forces and people whose essence seems dangerous to one’s own, and whose
“territory” seems to encroach on the extent of one’s intimate relations.” (Erikson, pg. 264).
Growing up I had many friends, most of them were good but some did shady things that I didn’t
agree with. In high school, I was too afraid to speak up because I really wanted to get along
with everyone that it took away from me being my true self. At the time, I felt that maybe I
could help change these people but soon realized I couldn’t. Eventually I figured out that I had
to cut all of those people out of my life because they kept pressuring me into doing whatever it