#psychosocial development

Blog Post #8 Preliminary Drafting: May 6, 2023 Blog Draft Created: June 3, 2023 Blog Posted: June 4, 2023 Post-Publish Revisions: Not Applicable

I claim that I have developed myself as compared to before. But just how much did I develop? Let us see here!

I think that I have developed ever since I took Psych 101, and I also think that my self-analysis based on some psychological developmental theories may be of help to affirm this claim. I am by no means an expert regarding these theories and as such, some statements may be inaccurate in the perspective of some people. However, I will try my best to be as objective in evaluating myself with the help of the theories I selected, namely: Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development and Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development. I will also make use of one mainstream personality theory, particularly, the Big Five Personality Traits. Lastly, I will also be explaining my overall health using concepts related to the mind-gut connection.

A. Pre-Analysis Thoughts

I honestly believe I have improved quite a lot compared to how I started the Psych 101 course. However, there were times when I regressed due to stress and pressure, although I think I have managed stress and pressure quite well now, especially considering my body does not show signs that I am stressed or pressured. In any case, I am pretty confident that I am more or less psychologically healthy. In terms of the concepts that I will be using below, I think that:

My moral orientation fluctuates between Stages 4 to 6.

I am currently in the Intimacy vs. Isolation stage and prefer intimacy.

I became less neurotic and less extroverted.

My mind and my gastrointestinal tract are both functioning well.

While many of these would probably be correct since I also observed that I am becoming more aware of myself and my environment, partly because of taking Self-Defense classes and mostly because of taking the Psych 101 course, some predictions may still be inaccurate due to bias. Additionally, besides the mind-gut connection that has a multitude of scientific bases, the other approaches are still theoretical and thus may not totally be applicable to my case. Considering all of these, there may be differences in the results and my predictions, hence why I also included the last part to address possible test-induced inaccuracies or my personal biases.

B. Before Taking the Course

To be completely honest, I did not have any expectations of what will be discussed within the entire course because I know that different instructors will approach the course differently. As such, I did not have any relevant test results that I have taken immediately prior to the start of the semester. However, analyzing my actions from before may be able to give insights into how I was before.

Even when I was still studying at my Senior High School campus, I already did not like conforming to norms, although this does not mean I break the school conduct. Instead, I do not like to follow what society considers normal—I do not follow fashion trends, I do not use trending apps, I do not play popular games, and many others. It should therefore not be a surprise when I say that I do not entertain beggars, I retaliate when Christians use their religion to justify wrong deeds, and I oftentimes intentionally leave people on seen.

Retrieved from https://www.psychologynoteshq.com/kohlbergstheory/

Therefore, I can say that my moral compass during this time is oriented toward Stages 4, 5, or 6 on Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development (or Theory of Moral Development). Mostly though, since I always consider the benefit of involved parties during this time but not the law, I think I used the Stage 5 orientation the most. Stage 5 of Kohlberg's theory is when a person acts for the benefit of him and other involved parties, hence the reciprocity.

Comparing myself to others, I am a very romantic person when it comes to relationships, hence why I generally tend to be careful with the feelings of my loved ones. I also try to spend as much time as I can with people, going so far as to stay awake until past 1:00 AM if the person I am talking to is dear to me. Additionally, when given enough time to prepare, I make sure that I can give little gifts to my friends when I am going on a trip. I do not really like being isolated from my loved ones, hence my clinginess to people I care for even when sometimes, this clinginess does not show up since I repress them when I think I may be going overboard. To tell you frankly, I used to have adult separation anxiety until as recently as last year. As such, my being clingy to other people, especially my friends and family is not out of the blue. In this case, I am choosing between intimacy and isolation and evidently, I prefer intimacy, even just with those whom I consider friends. For reference, this is the conflict of Stage 6 of Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development, the summary of which can be viewed below.

Photo by V. Sus (2023). Retrieved from https://helpfulprofessor.com/psychosocial-development-theory-erikson-stages/

These two previous theories are age-related and since I am in the respective stages appropriate to my age, prior to taking Psych 101, both my moral development and psychosocial development are not delayed.

The Big Five Personality is a holistic assessment of an individual's personality, although it tends to only be descriptive rather than explanatory according to some researchers (Lim, 2023). However, it remains the personality theory that is the most widely accepted by psychologists of the present day. In this theory, it is said that a human's behaviors can be modeled through five traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism, hence the acronym that is often used for the theory, OCEAN. I personally have taken this personality test although unfortunately, I was not able to take it immediately prior to the start of the course. However, I remember taking it last year and scoring quite high on both neuroticism and extraversion. Looking back, I agree with these results as before, I tend to get mad or upset quite easily and even outwardly express these emotions. Moreover, I was also very outgoing back then and connected a lot with the people I love and care about. In retrospect, this could have also been caused by my adult separation anxiety.

As discussed during one of my Psych 101 class meetings, there is a very strong link between mental health and gut health, which is coined as the Mind-Gut Connection. Since December 2021, I have suffered from chronic gastric inflammation called gastritis. Aside from this, if you can correlate it to my Blog Post #6, this is the same year I experienced the trauma related to my so-called "ex-M.U." Turns out, this bout of chronic gastritis could have been attributed to the aftermath of my initial heartbreak. This, in combination with the stresses brought about by the nearing application period for many universities like De La Salle University-Manila, University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University, the entire UP System, and many other universities, is what I claim to be the trigger of my chronic gastritis. When I consulted a gastroenterologist, he told me that he cannot pinpoint the cause of my gastritis through my lifestyle and eating habits and so, one of the most probable causes is stress. It can therefore be triangulated that stress is the real cause of my gastritis, hence anecdotally proving the mind-gut connection.

C. After Taking the Course and Comparative Analysis

After taking the course, I honestly learned so many things and while I know myself that I will not remember all the specifics taught to me, I do know that I will remember the concepts, especially those that can be applied to my life. Talking about these concepts, I will be writing below what I think I became in terms of my morality, social development, neuroticism, extraversion, mental health, and gastrointestinal health.

Moral Development

To supplement the definition of Stage 5 from before, the sixth stage of the Moral Development Theory means a person acts based not on acceptance or mutual benefit but based on what they think is right, uninfluenced by the sake of others. As such, this kind of action is fueled by an internal moral compass, adjusted to do things that do not benefit other people even just to some extent. Using this theory, I can definitely see myself fluctuating between Stages 5 and 6, although compared to before where I always use Stage 5, I now mostly use Stage 6 as demonstrated by my prioritization when taking action. Before, I always do group work first because it will benefit not just me but my groupmates too. However, now, I make sure I prioritize my individual work because the amount of work that needs to be done in this individual work tends to be much greater than in group work, thus needing more attention and focus. In addition, when choosing between responding to my friends and doing my academic outputs, I always choose my academic outputs now because while responding quickly to my friends would, to some extent, increase our closeness because they would think I prioritize them, I think academic matters are more important and are therefore my priority for the time being. And yes, I still retaliate when Christians use their religion to justify their wrong deeds and even their superiority complex. Although, instead of attempting to defend a person being attacked, I am retaliating because I think they need to be taught the hard way that anything immoral remains immoral even when any widely accepted book justifies it. In any case, I do not care whether other people agree or not with me, as long as I am doing what I think needs to be done—to prevent the justification of what I think is wrong.

Psychosocial Development

After multiple times of introspection, what I came up with is that I am still in the sixth stage of Psychosocial Development—Intimacy vs. Isolation stage, and I still choose intimacy over isolation even though I am not currently looking for a prospective lifelong partner nor am I looking forward to meeting one in the future. It must be important to note that this stage does not call for wanting a partner for one to desire intimacy over isolation. This intimacy may come from different sources like family, friends, pets, and many other similar beings. As such, my wanting intimacy with friends is enough to justify my desire for intimacy over isolation. As for my separation anxiety, it has thankfully gone away by now, although some of its manifestations like worrying about the well-being of my loved ones from time to time are still present since it has become second nature to me after suffering for so long from adult separation anxiety. Despite this, I still manage to contain my worry and I do not become controlling or overbearing when I am worried about the safety or happiness of my loved ones. Since I still desire intimacy and am also intimate with select friends, it can therefore be concluded that this separation anxiety only increased my wanting intimacy and not directly caused it.

Big Five Personality Traits

I had personally taken the test for this personality typing and if my memory serves me right, my previous test scores for both neuroticism and extraversion are higher compared to the values I received now. Screenshots of my most recent test scores that pertain to neuroticism and extraversion can be seen below.

My neuroticism decreased by a little bit while my extraversion decreased by a lot. Compared to what I can recall wherein I got 80+ for both neuroticism and extraversion, the values seen above are lower, especially the extraversion one. I think the cause of my becoming extraverted is that I am now able to know how important it is to make time for myself and what I actually need to do that benefits me, not that of other people. I used to be quite people-oriented, and I still am, the difference now is that I do not only see how important it is to connect to other people but I also see how important it is to connect to my inner self rather than ignoring it. The slight decrease in neuroticism though is much harder to explain, although I may have a lead as to why it did not decrease significantly. I am quite neurotic ever since I was a child even when I did not experience neglect, I am confident in my skills, and I do not overreact to many things. I think the reason why I still got such a high neuroticism value is because of the high-stress environment around me that causes me to constantly and deeply feel negative emotions. Although, compared to before, the level of stress I experience now is a lot more manageable despite being subjected to arguably a more stressful environment than in senior high school.

Mind-Gut Connection

I personally think my mental health is much more stable now compared to last year's—I do not always feel sad, I am not always stressed, I feel happy when doing daily things, I am interested in learning more than what was taught, and many more. Compared to before when I used to only learn for the sake of complying with the requirements, I only submitted on time for the sake of not being reprimanded, and I only kept my grades good for the sake of not being shouted at, my being curious now is a significant improvement. And my gut health also supports this, as evidenced by my overall healthier gastrointestinal tract. I now do not experience gastritis often, if at all, and I can also eat without feeling nauseous after only eating a small portion. With a small concern being erased, my mind gets put to rest, hence my better mental health. It can therefore be said that the mind-gut connection is not just a symbiotic connection but it also benefits from feedback loops wherein the improvement of one facilitates the improvement of the other which, in turn, facilitates the further improvement of the one.

D. Post-Analysis Thoughts

Summarizing the entire evidence of my improvements, the following key ideas can be seen:

My moral orientation is now oriented toward self or mutual gain, rather than being somehow bound to conventional morality.

I still prefer intimacy over isolation. I do not have problems being intimate with friends as long as the context is right. I am not seeking to have a romantic partner at the moment.

My moral and psychosocial development milestones are appropriate for my age.

Both my neuroticism and extraversion went down. I am still stressed although I can manage the feeling better now.

My mental health and gastrointestinal (gut) health are steadily becoming better. I now do not experience gastritis often.

Perhaps almost next to nothing can be added here since there does not seem to be any disparity when comparing the comparative analysis results and my previous predictions. If anything, it revealed that I am now quite self-aware as even without a lot of intentional and focused reflection sessions, I already know my current self and how it compares to my previous self.

Wooo! That was a lot. If you are still reading till this point, I congratulate you for your unwavering dedication. I appreciate you reading this blog till the end. See you again!

References:

Lim, A.G.Y. (2023). Big Five Personality Traits: The 5-Factor Model Of Personality. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/big-five-personality.html

Psychology Notes HQ. (2020). Kohlberg’s Theory [Online image]. The Psychology Notes HQ. https://www.psychologynoteshq.com/kohlbergstheory/

Sus, V. (2023). Erikson's Psychological Stages [Online image]. Helpful Professor. https://helpfulprofessor.com/psychosocial-development-theory-erikson-stages/

So I figured you may be a good person to ask - if you just had to guess (bc as far as I know it’s never been officially confirmed?) but if you had to take a guess or give a rough estimate, how old do you think Yato was when he first met Sakura? We know he’s estimated to be at least a thousand years old, we know he’s - from the start of the series to present - estimated to be somewhere between 18 and his early 20s (physically)... but I can’t find a single thing/discussion/post/stickynote/whatever where it talks about how old he might have been when he first met Sakura - let alone the emotional/psychological effects of Sakura coming into his life and introducing healthy mindset/morals/maternal-influence etc. etc. (obviously no mom and Father’s neglect played a big role in him not knowing how inappropriate it was for him to ‘accidentally touch’ and yell “boobs!” but you can also just say he was so young he didn’t know how inappropriate that was?) My point is: how old do you think Yato was (physically anyway) at the time of their meeting? and Do you know of any discussions or care to share your opinion on how being the no more than the age of blank affected his mental/emotional understanding of Sakura teaching him a new narrative?

Sorry this is a random out of the blue ask 😅😓 if I rambled on and you don’t feel like answering, I get it, just figured it was worth asking :)

I fell down a serious rabbit hole trying to see if I could figure out the answer to this question about Yato’s age but unfortunately I’m mostly coming up empty-handed.

The answer to this question actually depends on two different pieces of information which--as far as I can remember--we’ve never actually been given for certain.

1) We would need to know when Yato was actually born.

The manga has kind of hinted at a total (not physical) age for Yato in the flashbacks which showed him as a young child during the Heian era (putting him somewhere in the vicinity of a little over 1000 years old) and Father not making masks before ~1100 years ago, but the problem is we still don’t know how many years might have passed between this scene (the youngest we’ve ever seen Yato):

And the next flashback scene, where Yato meets Nora:

If gods age normally when they are children, these two scenes might be only a handful of years apart. But if gods don’t age normally, then these two scenes could be decades or centuries apart, which leads to the other missing piece of information (under the read more to save people’s dashes):

1. Trust vs. Mistrust

Typically an infant needing to know that their needs are being met. Crying results in food, comfort, sleep, touch, etc. Infants viewed as pure and innocent but not in a religious framework, they are not “blank slates” but inherently sinful. Does this impact how caretakers respond to infant’s needs? Is it wrong to need? Is there punishment for crying too much, needing too much, etc? 

2. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Toddlers! So much exploration. Can I do this on my own? Will I be punished for learning about the world around me? Is this when the concept of sin is introduced to children typically, then naughtiness, mischief, etc. seen as bad and sinful. Toddlers don’t understand danger, so when scolded for walking near a hot stove they cry because it is scary and confusing to be scolded, not because they consciously chose to disobey a warning about the complexities of heating mechanisms. A toddler brought up in fear and shame is compliant, but scared. Obedience valued over independence stunts autonomous development and instills the shame complex (I am a sinner, I need correction/saving) from a young age. Literally this lays the foundation for continued if not lifelong indoctrination.

3. Initiative vs. Guilt

Preschoolers continue exploring their world through hands-on interaction. More shaming occurs at this stage, and confusion between an action being bad and the individual being bad occurs. Deceptive behaviors present at this age, the way those are responded to by caretakers is crucial. Corporal punishment encouraged in religious circles. Timid, shy children are not seen as problem children, but the more precocious ones may be labeled “willful” “obstinate” or “rebellious” at this stage.

4. Industry vs. Inferiority

School-aged children introduced to concepts of hell, moral failures, and omniscience and omnipresence of authoritarian god figure. Major faith decisions often made at this age, and a desire to emulate the behaviors and actions of those around the child. This results in positive reinforcement from peers and adults (industry), statement of faith, baptism, children’s choir, etc. Heightened interest in matters of belief as concrete reasoning is surpassed and more abstract thought occurs. Nightmares of hell common, exposure to themes in biblical texts that are disturbing or not able to understand fully (rape, incest, murder, miracles, hell, sex, prostitution, torture, devil, violent deaths, war, genocide, famine, slavery, human sacrifice, etc.)

5. Identity vs. Role Confusion

Teens experience puberty, test their sense of self, try on personalities and styles, push boundaries, self-discovery, etc. Purity culture stressed at this age, shaping ideas of sexuality and what is and is not healthy relationships and sexuality. There is a social separation of spiritually “mature” peer leaders and “immature” or “lukewarm” kids seen as trouble-makers. Immense pressure to “live out” faith, including the pressure to witness to their non-believing peers. Social hierarchy dynamics play out in bible study and youth groups. Highly emotionally manipulative events usually occur for these ages like lock-ins (sleep deprivation), overnight retreats (bonding/emotional worship), mission trips (serving others, sense of greater purpose, exposure to ways of life which serves to solidify theirs as the “right way”), summer camp (more emotional manipulation, “mountain top experiences,” contrived feelings of closeness to god, typically exhausting physical activities and nighttime spiritual activities). Older teens pressured to make a decision that separates them from their parent’s faith, meaning taking ownership of what they believe and committing to it as their own personal choice and not being influenced by others - still they are very highly influenced.

6. Intimacy vs. Isolation

Young adults typically under immense unspoken pressure to get married and begin families while young. This is enforced socially and culturally and not explicitly. The pressure cooker of the spouse hunt, churches cater to young unmarried adults through “singles ministry” and departments dedicated to mentoring and guiding young couples toward marriages that reflect biblical gender roles and standards. If a young adult is single for too long, the community for them slowly disappears as others marry and no longer participate, leaving very little social support or attention focused on those who are single. Adults in this stage tend to move closer to or farther from a very fervent group that matches their background. Some let off the gas a little and explore newfound adult freedom, others buckle down and become involved with a group or church at a high level of commitment and activity. Young marriages at this stage are always praised but many result in divorce. Sexual issues are common especially in women who are now married but have little to no positive interaction with sexuality and in some cases with their own bodies. Young marriages face issues with unsteady finances, sexual expectations and performance, having children very quickly while still establishing identities, and struggling to enact biblical gender roles in a modern world where that is mostly impractical - this causes confusion, dissonance, and clashing.

7. Generativity vs. Stagnation

Adult parents now choose the level of family church involvement, attendance, and commitment that they have. Spiritual leadership and religious instruction is encouraged to occur within the home, though this is practiced differently across many families and denominations. Choice point for many couples of divorcing finally or just staying together at this point (sunk cost fallacy). Marital infidelity occurs most frequently at this stage. The involvement of church leadership in family issues may increase. Those who “stagnate” in faith may become apathetic to the activities of their youth and drift away from formal church attendance. Stereotypical midlife crises occur for some men. 

8. Integrity vs. Despair

I wrote myself a summary, for convenience. There’s no harm in sharing it with you guys, just in case anybody happens to need it.

Psychosocial Development

Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development derive from Sigmund Freud’s psychosocial theory. These stages describe eight different crises in a person’s life. These turning points help develop their personality and sense of self. The ideal outcome is a balance of both ends of these conflicts (independence without overstepping boundaries, etc.). Failure results in negative qualities that impact adulthood.

Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust

Birth–18 months/1 year

Success: Hope (openness to new experiences while being wary of danger and knowing they have support)

Failure: Fear (being mistrusting toward a world that seems unpredictable)

The infant is reliant on its caretakers for everything. A predictable, reliable relationship and feedback encourages trust and self-assurance as opposed to fear and anxiety.

Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

18 months/1 year–3 years

Success: Will (acting independently while respecting rules and limits)

Failure: Dependency (feeling inadequate and questioning their abilities)

Erikson believed that toilet training (i.e. gaining control of one’s bodily functions) is crucial to this stage. As independence begins to develop, children’s autonomy needs to be encouraged. An environment where failure is tolerated and independence is encouraged is ideal. Otherwise, they may become overly dependent and/or lack self-esteem. A sense of control is paramount.

Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt

3 years–5 years (Preschool)

Success: Purpose (good leadership and cooperativeness)

Failure: Self-doubt (lack of initiative and confidence)

This is when children begin to assert themselves and take initiative by engaging in play and asking questions. Caretakers should encourage their leadership and curiosity while also tempering their forcefulness. The important thing is to develop their sense of capability and self-control without destroying their self-confidence.

Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority

5 years–12 years (Elementary school)

Success: Competence (confidence in their abilities without being immodest)

Failure: Inferiority (questioning their abilities and developing an inferiority complex)

Children begin to develop abilities. They also gain the capacities to feel pride in their accomplishments and seek approval from those around them, especially peers and parents/caretakers. Encouragement reinforces a sense of competency. A lack of support (or a child’s sense that they cannot do what society expects) can cripple their self-esteem.

Stage 5: Identity vs. Role Confusion

12 years–18 years (Teenage years)

Success: Fidelity (integrated values, beliefs, and goals)

Failure: Lack of Identity (lacking direction in life and feeling confused)

Adolescence is the primary period during which teenagers secure a sense of self. They are defining their identity and their place in society as they transition from a child to an adult. They discover who they are and who they want to be. If this fails to happen, they may struggle to find direction in life as an adult.

Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation

18 years–40 years (Young adulthood)

Success: Love (stable long-term relationships)

Failure: Loneliness (emotional isolation and lack of commitment outside of family)

During this stage, young adults develop vital, committed relationships with other people. However, failure in previous stages will hinder relationship development. If the adult is unable to form lasting relationships, they may then experience feelings of loneliness or emotional isolation.

Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation

40 years–65 years (Middle adulthood)

Success: Care (feeling useful and contributing to their community)

Failure: Uninvolvement (shallow involvement and unproductivity)

This is when most people will secure their life’s work, whether that be raising a family, doing volunteer work, being a productive worker, or anything else. A sense of involvement in their home and community helps them leave a mark. Otherwise, they may feel unaccomplished or uninvolved.

Stage 8: Ego Integrity vs. Despair

65 years–death (Late adulthood/old age)

Success: Wisdom (self-acceptance and closure)

Failure: Bitterness (regret and despair)

Early Childhood: Analytical Psychology & Perspectives and Early Psychosocial Development

During his lifetime, Erik Erikson produced a vitally important theory of psychological development. Psychosocial theory expanded on Freud’s concept of psychosexual development, explored the overall development of a person throughout the lifespan, and provided a means in which to understand normal versus arrested development during specific psychological stages. In this essay, I will explore Early…

Blog Post #4 Preliminary Drafting: March 26, 2023 Blog Draft Created: March 26, 2023 Blog Posted: March 27, 2023

References:

Bailey, A. (2022). Understanding Psychosocial Development. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/psychosocial-development-5220563#:~:text=Psychosocial%20development%20describes%20how%20a,eight%20stages%20of%20psychosocial%20development

Cherry, K. (2022). Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt in Psychosocial Stage 2. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/autonomy-versus-shame-and-doubt-2795733

Cherry, K. (2023). Initiative vs. Guilt: Psychosocial Stage 3. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/initiative-versus-guilt-2795737

Holland, K. (2019). What is a superiority complex?. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/superiority-complex

Perry, E. (2022). What does it mean to have personal values?. BetterUp. https://www.betterup.com/blog/meaning-of-personal-values#:~:text=Our%20personal%20values%20help%20us,dreams%20instead%20of%20against%20them

Word Count: ~2340 (w/o References), ~2415 (w/ References)

Blog Post #4 Preliminary Drafting: March 26, 2023 Blog Draft Created: March 26, 2023 Blog Posted: March 27, 2023

iii. Stage 3: Initiative vs Guilt

The third stage deals with the social interactions a child engages himself in during his childhood and so problems in this stage causes a child to form distorted views of social connections and may therefore become wary of forming connections with other children. It must be noted my friend's childhood memories always revolved around his family and not with his non-familial friends, which suggests that he only stayed within his family and barely interacted with other people, if at all, effectively making any interaction outside his family foreign to him. In the case of Kyu, he mostly leaned onto the initiative side but due to his previous conflict regarding shame and doubt, there is an inevitable formation of guilt. According to Cherry (2023), if the child forms guilt during this stage, the tendency is that they will avoid new things fearing that they might do something wrong. In hindsight, this may have contributed to Kyu's wariness of letting me into his life, as having me constantly present is an entirely new concept to him considering I am the first close friend he formed a relationship with online instead of in real life and the only non-familial friend who is older than him.

iv. Stage 4: Industry vs Inferiority

Before I proceed to the content of this portion, please bear in mind that my friend's psychosocial development is delayed as a result of his prolonged Stage 2 and as such, the timeframe I will mention is not the common timeframe in which this stage should have taken place. Stage 4 is when the child begins to form his desire for social acceptance and as such, problems here may lead to a child having problems perceiving their correct status relative to others. Since my friend did have a predisposition to having low self-esteem and nothing was done to directly resolve that problem, his self-esteem was kept low, especially since he does not like being underweight and has a short memory span. This was further exacerbated by his lethargic nature, which may lead to people sometimes perceiving him as lazy, possibly causing a further drop in his self-esteem. Thus, he ended up leaning onto inferiority, as demonstrated paradoxically when he opened up to me that he once had a period during his 9th grade when he had a superiority complex. Holland (2019) claimed that this is most likely the mind's compensation for having perceived inferiority compared to others, further solidifying that Kyu leaned onto the inferiority side more during this period. Thankfully, this superiority complex is already resolved and has been removed from his personality at this point in time.

v. Stage 5: Identity vs Confusion

The conflict present in this stage has to do with the journey to find the true self of a person and therefore, if a person fails to find his true identity, it leads a confusion about his role. Normally, this journey spans the entire high school life of a person (7th grade to 12th grade) but since Kyu experienced a delay, he is only experiencing this journey starting from 11th grade and is currently in this stage. It is indeed good that his identity is slowly falling into place manifested by his formation of life principles and values, namely: fun, reciprocity, and appreciation. My friend's positive traits may also be interpreted as his values: creativity, patience, and detail-oriented. As one of his closest friends, I have done and am doing what I can in order to ensure that he will end this stage while leaning onto the identity side so that he can start the succeeding stages with a positive outlook.

vi. Future Stages (Stages 6-8)

I am honestly interested in how he would develop in the future and while I am always going to be by his side, it is ultimately on him to change his future for the better. Should he end the fifth stage leaning onto the identity side, I think he is basically set on having a brighter future, a future hopefully with me in it.