Thursday, August 14, 2025

Identity

 


This essay pertains to  Erik H.  Erikson's psychosocial  theory ,in understanding the  crisis “affecting our  society.  Statistics pertaining to loneliness; suicide rates and lone wolf attacks are  associated with ta mental health sickness with  our young “ adults .”   


This  crisis  is reflected in our culture .For instance, Hollywood provides some insight into our values, ethics, morality and ways of being .To compare the past  to differences with the present are a short list of   motion pictures ,depicting significant unions and love affairs : 1.  Casablanca with Rick and  Isla  2.  Gone with the Wind with Rhett and Scarlett  3.  An Affair to Remember with Nickie and Terry 4.  The Way We Were with Katie and Hubbell , 5.  Doctor Zhivago with Yuri and Lara 


.However, today's action filled motion pictures do not primarily promote terrific unions and mature love affairs . Generally, they tend  to portray the stereotype of the self-sufficient action protagonist masculine male. These heroes are aggressive,friendless, and may display  brief sexual ,non love  encounters. A few of these motion pictures include:  Rambo, Jack Reacher, James Bond and Jason Bourne .They are solitary men.


Erik H. Erikson in Childhood and Society presented a psychosocial model of Sapiens development from birth through old age. His theory is based on the idea that we humans encounter 8  psychosocial crises during our history. And,  If the individual is successful at mastering the first of his  psychosocial issues ,he then has an excellent chance of  engaging with the next  and successive stages. However, if there's  a non successful resolution in that first stage ,he has  difficulty  with the next succeeding stage and stages.In stage 1, the  initial crisis for the child is being able to develop  a sense of trust vs. developing a sense of mistrust. With that being said, this essay only addresses stages 5 and 6  of his model. Stage 5 is developing an Identity versus Role Confusion and Stage 6  is developing a sense of Intimacy versus Isolation.


identity occurs in a series of  introjections  identifications or internalizations beginning early on. With continuity ,these become  synthesized resulting in an unique self that occurs despite  all the contradictions , inconsistencies , barriers, failures and  endures with a degree of fidelity throughout the many experiences within his life space .A "successful" identity configuration,results in the ability to form meaningful associations ;a genital union ; a career path; energetic competitiveness ; a psychosocial  self definition  on the path to a sense of  Integrity. 


Failure at this stage of  identity development is characterized by a  weakened ego’s , executive and the super ego's moral functioning, severed intimate  social connections ,self absorbed energy ; being attracted to toxic anti society causes and being prey to anonymous social media sources.This is called Role Confusion.


For me, my many introjections , internalizations,and  identifications began with  mother and father. Then as an American Jew living in the East Side of Detroit with the likes of   Gordy Howe ,the Red Wings, Ted Gray  and Johnny Groth the Tigers, Doak Walker the Lions, Hank Greenberg, Samson, King David , Steve Reeves, Marlon Brando,Norm Shamansky,Bert Ruby , ,Eugene Sandow,Coach Rutherford, Denby High .Wayne State University, Sigmund Freud, Carl Rogers, University of Detroit , Wayne State University ,University of Michigan, PhD Psychologist ,residing in  California with Linda .With that being said, I am an American Jew, a Detroiter,  an athletic  psychologist living  with Linda in California . In essence,I have maintained  consistency and continuity with the past , present and anticipated future  by a multitude of  activities , maintaining long-term relationships with family and friends with  periodic visits  to Detroit.


Today, forming and maintaining entities has been problematic, as result of the rapid changes occurring in our society .These consequential changes  interfere in forming one's identity and as a consequence  often result in  role confusion.  In our  replacement society, residences shift,  neighbors come and go, nuclear families disintegrate,serial marriages, fragile relationships, kids , step kids,daycare centers , baby sitters are exchanged resulting in  anxiety and a failing sense of  belonging ,drifting , anywhere  and nowhere or to no one.occurs  Home becomes defined where one is residing,  “ Papa was a Rolling Stone  wherever he laid his hat was his home,” sang  The Temptations. There are also career and employment upheavals as well as the changing  societal values. What is right,wrong, good , bad ,truth, lies ,abortion,  democracy, rule of law and gender inequality are some of the ideas that  become blurred.


Toxic dependency on computers ,Internet, social media,and  AI add to diminish the feeling of  authentic relatedness making it difficult to identify with parents ,as parents become  easily outdated.  The rapid changes which resulted in making a link to them.becomes severed  The future becomes more unpredictable and the past irrelevant . With that being said, fidelity and continuity become   inconsistent and tenuous resulting  in a weak ego. With  anxiety and incomplete  identity, one looks for a deviant  anti-social group to be faithful.too. 


The impact of role confusion results in difficulty in establishing  the ability for intimacy which directly affects the inability to meet the ego need of affiliation with a multitude of  stereotyped ,anonymous and non-human contacts.This means there's interference , a fear, mistrust and with  a weak  ego’ ,there’s an inability to  cooperate with  another; to please ,win affection and remain loyal. With . Isolation,there’s  severe intimacy  issues which have  serious implications for one's mental health. Also , it interferes with the failure to commit oneself ; to  mutual orgasms with a loved partner;and the strength to abide and endure such commitments despite all the significant sacrifices and compromises .The solidarity of close affiliations and sexual unions cannot be overstated.


Freud was once asked what he thought a person should be able to do well. Freud responded to love and to work.  Freud meant the importance of genital love and  the ability for productive work.General work productivity does not preoccupy the individual to the extent that it interferes with him being genital and a  loving human being.


Moreover, these mistrusting, suspicious, conspiratory ,,isolated, suicidal and lone wolf terrorists,  with an incomplete  or negative identity are associated with the following characteristics although there is more to the suicide ,loneliness and Lone Wolf story These negative identity individuals  all share to some degree the following characteristics: 1.  Their inability ,despite being intelligent, lack of focus, inability to concentrate and  engage in  a meaningful career choice direction.  Likely it's the result of being unable to re-identify , introject and able to successfully compete in the areas of commitment ,achievement and perseverance with their highly  successful parent or parents.  Or, they have re-identified and introjected with those negative, lazy,victim-like parental qualities associated with not  having a successful  working career of the parent or parents.  This individual failure of  being successful , engaging in productive work  and career direction is often associated with the  unsuccessful resolution at the oedipal stage characterized by the necessary ability to identify  and compete with the powerful ,achievement oriented parent.  2.  A sense of despair, boredom, anxiety and ,depression translated “is a wish to die”  as suicide becomes that point of no return, a better option  as a negative identity choice.  It's an identity of  a self destructive preoccupation that becomes fixed  when one loses the out of reach  capacity for intimacy, growth, exploration ,future , sociability, and well-being. What misery were they leaving?  3.  There are a series of undesirable and dangerous  negative identifications relating to destruction and  death fantasies in the unconscious.  It's also a defense against the excessive ideals demanded by ambitious parents.  In other words, it's societal contempt ,a rejection of moral and ethical norms  with rationalizations ,arguments ,opposition and engaging in drugs ,alcohol and other acting out behaviors . As a result , it’s no surprise that they are drawn towards negativity  resulting that these individuals are easily pliant and susceptible to causes , groups  associated with anti establishment  resentment , hate, destruction , violence and death .And ,with the Internet- social media  it becomes  much  to easy to become an anonymous  "member" with no real tangible commitment.  And, Lone Wolf attacks often result in a “glorious “ suicidal death shoot out . It reminds me of Richard Gere’s death scene shoot out. In  Breathless. 


 Additionally, another implication for the difficulty to  meaningfully connect was found in the July 6, 2025 edition of The New York Times.  The article "The Science Of Making Better Decisions" highlighted the importance of human associations and that our brains are configured to pursue rewards that come as soon as possible. The following four  points were made  1. Our  brains are configured to pursue rewards, especially social awards 2 . Our brains seek short-term  rewards as opposed  to long-term rewards.  For example, it's easy to eat a doughnut compared to thinking about  one’s long term health  3.  Individuals are more productive and better able to handle difficult and challenging tasks when working together.  While working together, one sees what others value , what others model ,what others accomplish which is an important and powerful influence 4 The most powerful source of reward is working with others, especially in goal choices and achievements.  In essence, affiliations, friendships become extremely important in goal setting and goal success. Don't forget what Bo Schembechler said. It's about The Team, The Team, The Team..


One example of the disastrous effects for isolation relates to trends of suicidal behaviors for males and females . From 2011 to 2021, the following was reported:.  The percentage of females who seriously considered suicide increased forboth males  and females . A similar trend was observed in suicide planning . The percentage of females andmales who made suicide plans rose . Also, suicide attempts for both increased However, the percentage of females who had injuries,from  suicide attempts also exhibited an overall upward trend while the percentage for males slightly decreased.


Loneliness in the United States shows that social connections are declining and  some groups have higher rates for social disconnection. The  disastrous impact of technology on  inauthentic social connections result in isolation and interfere with physical and mental health and well-being. For example, survival mortality, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, infectious diseases, cognitive function, depression ,anxiety, suicidality and self-harm are examples  of the physical and psychological harm occurring in the US associated with severed connections 


Lone Wolf terrorism from 2001 through 2013 included 45 Lone Wolf attacks, killing 55 people and injuring another hundred 126. Interestingly, 12 law enforcement officers were killed or wounded by lone Wolf terrorists in the 60 years preceding 9/11.  This figure doubled in the first 13 years following 9/11, when the number of law enforcement personnel killed or wounded by lone wolves rose to 24.  Statistics on loan Wolf terrorist are associated with  unemployment,  single white males, with a criminal record, less educated,and more prone to mental illness and suicide .


In summation, identity, role confusion,  and isolation are significant psychological issues with grave implications..  It's clear that the negative effects of isolation affect one's physical and mental  status.  Also, the current political, moral and ethical divisions are also associated with role confusion. To illustrate “ I Pledge Allegiance to the flag...... with liberty and justice for all,” is far from the truth.  That pledge is meaningless and false. Also, being born in America does not necessarily translate to being an American. The toxic messaging of authoritarian politics and oppression  today is an expression of Anglo-Saxon supremacy,a  desire to dominate the world but not to  be held accountable by the world. And, unfortunately  there’s  a consensus for this negative identity formulation.


Reference

Erikson,Erik H. Identity Youth and Crisis.


PS

For a sad fairytale  about loneliness , I refer you to Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Match Girl." 


No comments:

Post a Comment