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Liz begins school: Industry vs. Inferiority
In Erikson's fourth stage, Liz (age 5) enters kindergarten and excels academically. She picks up reading especially quickly and continues to love reading throughout her life, receiving encouragement and praise from her parents and teachers. Her ability to learn quickly instills an inner confidence. She has made it through the industry vs. inferiority stage, in which her academic successes and positive feedback from adults have fostered feelings of competence, rather than failure. -
Liz gets married: Intimacy vs. Isolation
In Erikson's sixth stage, Liz (age 27) chooses to join her life with her boyfriend, Henry, after dating for a while. After meeting through their work at a publishing house, they choose to marry by trusting in one another (intimacy) rather than remaining separate and emotionally unavailable (isolation). -
Liz has a child: Generativity vs. Stagnation
In Erikson's seventh stage, Liz experiences a desire to create something that will live beyond her. She and Henry start a family and watch their baby grow and develop her own unique personality (generativity). Liz enjoys these developments, knowing that she is making the most of her life and leaving a mark in the world, both personally and professionally, rather than not moving forward in any meaningful way (stagnation).