Throwback Thursday, where, essentially I post old writing samples, essays and short stories that I dig up from my pile of hoarded papers and school assignments or from the depths of my computer. So everyone can see how my writing has changed/improved over the years.
“All the world’s a stage”, this is the opening of the monologue by Jacques in Shakespeare’s As You Like It detailing the seven stages of man. Shakespeare’s seven stages covers the physical aspects of aging, from infancy to the oblivion of death. On the other hand, psychologist Erik Erikson’s eight stages covers the mental progression of age. An argument could be made for any of the stages, mental, physical, or both being the most difficult to live through. In my opinion, the stage of adolescence in Erikson’s stages of psychological development is the most difficult.
Adolescence is the fourth of the mental stages, and if matched to one of Shakespeare’s stages, would be found somewhere between the schoolboy (2) and the lover (3). This is because adolescence is a cross between childhood and adulthood. Adolescence is defined as being the ages between 13-19, also called the teenage years. I believe this is the hardest stage because of the afore mentioned fact that it is the stage in which the transition from child to adult takes place. At this stage, you are expected to act like an adult, but you are treated like a child. You are expected to make decisions that affect your entire future, but you cannot leave your home without your parent’s permission. At this stage, you can clearly remember the hardships of the stages that came before, and are intelligent enough to understand the hardships of the stages ahead. So, at this stage, you must deal with not only the hardship of the present, but you must also think about, and in most cases fret over, the responsibilities and hardships of future stages such as love, a career, and making both your parents and yourself proud.
The existential question attributed to adolescence by Erikson is “Who am I and what can I be?” This I think summarizing teenagers even today in a nutshell, and is why being a teenager is one of the toughest times in someone’s life, perhaps even the most difficult. Because aside from the expectation from parents to succeed in school, and all of societies expectations, teens need to try to stay true to who they are. All the while not knowing who that is. This is the age where you start trying to figure out what you like because the is the last time in your life where your parents are going to by your side, either to support you or to breathe down your neck. This is the time of your life where your real friendships start forming, and when you decide on your future. This is when you start dating. And it’s all the more difficult because the difference between this stage and the ones that comes before and after is so huge. The stage before is full of children, and the difference is very noticeable in interests, attitude, and looks. The stage after and those there after are full of full-fledged adults who have perhaps forgotten what it is to be in high school. The teenage years are when your self-confidence is at it’s lowest, so ridicule and peer-pressure are a large influence. Teens want to find out who they are, without differentiating themselves too much from their friends. All while being expected to prepare for adulthood.
In summary, my opinion on the most difficult stage of life is Erikson’s 4th stage of adolescence. This stage is equivalent to a mix of Shakespeare’s stages of schoolboy and lover, as it has attributes of each. I think it is the most difficult stage because it is the stage that marks the transition from child- to adulthood. Teenagers need to figure out who they are, while they crave to be accepted by society and meet their parents expectations. They are treated like children, just are expected to act like adults. This makes for a very difficult period. As Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage”, and at this stage is when a person does the most acting as someone they aren’t. Adolescence is when you change your role.
RiverMoose-Reads 