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Molly (age 18) has just graduated high school and is deciding what she wants to do with her life. She knows that her strengths center around nurturing others, so she decides to attend college to become an elementary teacher. In Erikson's fifth stage, adolescents must realize who they are, where their strengths lie, and how they fit into society. For people (unlike Molly) who don't have a clear direction in life, identify confusion occurs. -
Molly (age 24) has completed her four-year teaching degree and has worked for two years. During this time she met a man named Josh and they have been dating for a year. They decide to commit their lives to one another through holy matrimony. In Erikson's sixth stage, people gamble their somewhat newly formed identities to form a committed relationship with another person. Those who don't/can't enter into a serious relationship remain closed off and it results in isolation. -
Molly (age 46) decides to write a book, as many parents and students at the private school where she teaches her 4th-grade class have raved about her curriculum and teaching methods. She shares the wisdom and knowledge she has gleaned over the years with future generations. In Erikson's seventh stage, people who focus only on themselves during this time and do nothing to further anyone else remains stagnant.