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But how do you know when you’ve gone too far—or when someone else has ulterior motives? 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But how do you know when you’ve gone too far—or when someone else has ulterior motives? Subscribe Issue Archive Back Today News * + Is Altruism an Analgesic? + Is Attachment Insecurity Putting Your Sexual Health at Risk? + Daughters-in-Law and Mothers-in-Law: Boundary Ambiguity + Bigger Brains and Higher Peak Oxygen Uptake Go Hand in Hand * Essential Reads + Six Varieties of Sexual Disgust + Out-of-Context Biases All Have One Solution + Our Hands Hold Weapons That Our Minds Can’t Comprehend + How Open Conflict Benefits Relationships * Trending Topics + Narcissism + Alzheimer's + Bias + Affective Forecasting + Neuroscience + Behavioral Economics + See All ____________________ (Search) Go [icon-check-circle-gray.svg] Verified by Psychology Today Identity Self-Image, Self-Concept What Is Identity? Identity encompasses the memories, experiences, relationships, and values that create one’s sense of self. This amalgamation creates a steady sense of who one is over time, even as new facets are developed and incorporated into one's identity. The pioneering identity researcher Erik Erikson proposed an enduring theory of development. Erikson divided the lifecycle into eight stages that each contained a conflict, with the resolution of those conflicts leading to the development of personality. The conflict that occurs during adolescence, Erikson believed, is “identity versus role confusion.” Adolescents grapple with so many different aspects of identity, from choosing a career path to cultivating moral and political beliefs to becoming a friend or partner. Role confusion pertains to the inability to commit to one path. Adolescents then go through a period of experimentation before committing, reconciling the pieces of their identity, and emerging into adulthood. Identity formation is most acute during adolescence, but the process doesn’t stop after the teen years. Taking on a new role, such as becoming a parent, can make self-definition a lifelong process. Erikson also coined the term “ego identity,” which he conceived as an enduring and continuous sense of who a person is. The ego identity helps to merge all the different versions of oneself (the parent self, the career self, the sexual self) into one cohesive whole, so that when unexpected disaster strikes, there's a stable sense of self. As a person grows older, the overall trend is toward identity achievement. But major life upheavals, such as divorce, retirement, or the death of a loved one, often lead people to explore and redefine their identities. Gurby/Shutterstock * How Do We Define Ourselves? * In Defense of Authenticity * Genuine Self-Esteem and Well-Being * How to Stay True to Yourself in Your Relationship Who Am I? Defining An Identity Everyone struggles with existential questions such as, “Who am I?” and “Who do I want my future self to be?” One reason why may be that the answer is so complex. Identity encompasses political opinions, moral attitudes, and religious beliefs, all of which guide the choices one makes on a daily basis. Identity includes the many relationships people cultivate, such as their identity as a child, friend, partner, and parent. Identity also involves external characteristics over which a person has little or no control, such as height, race, or socioeconomic class. People who are overly concerned with the impression they make, or who feel a core aspect of themselves, such as gender or sexuality, is not being expressed, can struggle acutely with their identity. Reflecting on the discrepancy between who one is and who one wants to be can be a powerful catalyst for change and growth. CONNECTED TOPICS Personality Change, Relationships, Gender Essential Reads Divided We Fall By Steve Taylor Ph.D. on December 21, 2019 in Out of the Darkness Ultimately, the way that human beings will transcend the need for group identity, and the conflict which it creates, is by transcending our sense of ego-separateness. Ultimately, the way that human beings will transcend the need for group identity, and the conflict which it creates, is by transcending our sense of ego-separateness. We Are Each Other By Steve Taylor Ph.D. on December 04, 2019 in Out of the Darkness There is a type of spiritual experience in which we feel deeply connected to each other, and realize that our normal sense of separateness is an illusion. There is a type of spiritual experience in which we feel deeply connected to each other, and realize that our normal sense of separateness is an illusion. Utah to Ban Conversion Therapy for LGBT Youth By Jack Turban MD MHS on November 30, 2019 in Political Minds Utah will become the 19th state to outlaw conversion therapy for LGBT youth. Utah will become the 19th state to outlaw conversion therapy for LGBT youth. The Physical Sense of Self By Scott Grafton MD on November 13, 2019 in Physical Intelligence How well do you know your physical sense of self? How well do you know your physical sense of self? Recent Posts The Role of Narrative in Psychotherapy By Molly S. Castelloe Ph.D. on January 02, 2020 in The Me in We A case study of group identity conflict and ancestral trauma. A case study of group identity conflict and ancestral trauma. Trauma and Transgender Identity By Sam Louie MA, LMHC on December 31, 2019 in Minority Report Some health care professionals don't know how to best treat transgender patients. Some health care professionals don't know how to best treat transgender patients. Treatment for Transgender Youth Banned? By Jonathan Stevens, M.D., M.P.H. on December 30, 2019 in Mind Matters from Menninger A proposed state law causes alarm. A proposed state law causes alarm. How Is Individual Identity Shaped by Collective Knowledge? By Grant Hilary Brenner MD, FAPA on December 23, 2019 in ExperiMentations The fog of mysticism evaporates in light of research showing how the brain connects us with collective sources of information, invisibly shaping who we (think we) are. The fog of mysticism evaporates in light of research showing how the brain connects us with collective sources of information, invisibly shaping who we (think we) are. Divided We Fall By Steve Taylor Ph.D. on December 21, 2019 in Out of the Darkness Ultimately, the way that human beings will transcend the need for group identity, and the conflict which it creates, is by transcending our sense of ego-separateness. Ultimately, the way that human beings will transcend the need for group identity, and the conflict which it creates, is by transcending our sense of ego-separateness. Dean Drobot/Shutterstock You're the Boss of You Show who's in charge A Stronger You Want to Be More Assertive? The Hardest Word How to Stand Up for Yourself Who's the Stranger Home from College for the Holidays? By Jane Adams Ph.D. on December 17, 2019 in Between the Lines The young adult's search for identity is a key task of psychological growth but often confuses their parents. The young adult's search for identity is a key task of psychological growth but often confuses their parents. How a Global Identity Can Be Good for the Environment By Marianna Pogosyan Ph.D. on December 16, 2019 in Between Cultures New research explores the link between having a global identity and pro-environmental behavior. New research explores the link between having a global identity and pro-environmental behavior. Hooligans Aren’t Destroyers—They’re Protectors By Josh Gonzales M.A. on December 12, 2019 in Points On the Board Research shows fan violence is motivated by group commitment and not a need to destroy. Research shows fan violence is motivated by group commitment and not a need to destroy. We Are Each Other By Steve Taylor Ph.D. on December 04, 2019 in Out of the Darkness There is a type of spiritual experience in which we feel deeply connected to each other, and realize that our normal sense of separateness is an illusion. There is a type of spiritual experience in which we feel deeply connected to each other, and realize that our normal sense of separateness is an illusion. Utah to Ban Conversion Therapy for LGBT Youth By Jack Turban MD MHS on November 30, 2019 in Political Minds Utah will become the 19th state to outlaw conversion therapy for LGBT youth. Utah will become the 19th state to outlaw conversion therapy for LGBT youth. More Recent Posts Meet Psychology Today's Bloggers on Identity Steve Taylor, Ph.D., is senior lecturer in psychology at Leeds Beckett University. He is the author of several best-selling books, including The Leap and Spiritual Science. Jack Turban MD MHS is a writer and resident child and adolescent psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, where his research focuses on pediatric gender identity. Scott Grafton, MD, is a cognitive neuroscientist at UC Santa Barbara who uses MRI to map how the brain organizes action. F. Diane Barth, L.C.S.W., is a psychotherapist, teacher, and author in private practice in New York City. See All Bloggers Identity Resources Get Help Find an expert in identity. ____________________ (Search) Diagnosis * Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder) * Gender Dysphoria * Borderline Personality Disorder Test Yourself * Locus of Control * Self-Esteem Connected Topics * Locus of Control * Personality * Personality Change * Relationships * Self-Esteem advertisement Find a Therapist Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today. ____________________ Search Cities: * Atlanta, GA * Austin, TX * Baltimore, MD * Boston, MA * Brooklyn, NY * Charlotte, NC * Chicago, IL * Columbus, OH * Dallas, TX * Denver, CO * Detroit, MI * Houston, TX * Indianapolis, IN * Jacksonville, FL * Las Vegas, NV * Los Angeles, CA * Louisville, KY * Memphis, TN * Miami, FL * Milwaukee, WI * Minneapolis, MN * Nashville, TN * New York, NY * Oakland, CA * Omaha, NE * Philadelphia, PA * Phoenix, AZ * Pittsburgh, PA * Portland, OR * Raleigh, NC * Sacramento, CA * Saint Louis, MO * San Antonio, TX * San Diego, CA * San Francisco, CA * San Jose, CA * Seattle, WA * Tucson, AZ * Washington, DC Are you a Therapist? 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