I have had quite a few conversations in the past few months with people over fifty who talk about struggling with depression, reviewing their lives, and doing some rethinking of many of their beliefs.
As I was thinking of it this morning, I realized that, while the study of human development is a bit over a century old, people who haven't studied psychology are unlikely to know about it. So, us older folks are unlikely to realize that we are experiencing normal developmental processes when we ponder these things. Erik Erikson, a prominent developmental researcher proposed that we go through 8 major developmental stages in life. His final stage, he described as Integrity vs. despair.
This final stage of human development, integrity vs. despair, occurs during late adulthood. This stage involves reflecting on one's life experiences and coming to terms with the choices made, successes achieved, and disappointments faced.
People who successfully navigate this stage develop a sense of integrity and acceptance of their life experiences, while those who struggle with this stage may experience despair and regret.
One example of integrity in this stage is the individual who looks back on their life with a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment, achieving their goals and making meaningful contributions to society.
They are able to accept their life experiences, both positive and negative, and feel a sense of coherence and meaning in their life story. They may also feel a sense of generativity, wanting to pass on their wisdom and experience to future generations.
On the other hand, an example of despair in this stage is the individual who looks back on their life with regret and disappointment, feeling that they have not accomplished what they wanted or lived up to their potential. They may feel a sense of despair or hopelessness, realizing that it is too late to change their life's course.
They may also experience feelings of bitterness or resentment, blaming others for their failures or feeling that life has been unfair to them.
Overall, the integrity vs. despair stage of development highlights the importance of reflecting on one's life experiences and accepting the choices and events that have shaped one's life.
As we go through this process, we Through this process, we can achieve a sense of acceptance, meaning, and fulfilment. In fact, that is the task, to overcome our mortality, accept ourselves both historically now and moving forward and achieve peace with the final stage of life.