The so-called identity is actually self-identity. That is, what kind of person I am, where I come from, where I want to go, what I am based on (rooted in) society (how is my relationship with society), what value pursuit and achievement expectation I will have in my life, and their solutions (self-confirmation) in life practice.
Parents ask their children: What do you want to be when you grow up? This problem is no stranger to us. The ambition of teenagers is related to their identity, which has always been a concern of many parents. And many children will also ask themselves: who am I and why am I alive? I am deeply lost.
We should not be surprised that a child who is still in childhood calls himself the future Hitler. At this age, its internal value orientation has not been formed stably, and it is inevitable that it will only be stunned by the future and life. Cultivating children's interests is easy to transfer, and their ambitions are difficult to determine. Moreover, their physical and mental foundations are often extremely unstable.
The concept of identity originated from Eriksson. He is the proponent of the "eight-stage theory" of psychological development, as shown in the following table:
Normal manifestations of identity crisis
If a person can't confirm himself and his position in society stably for a while, there will naturally be corresponding performances and consequences.
1, subjective experience: anxiety, confusion; Anxiety is that it is difficult to positively evaluate and accept the present self; Confusion is a sense of uncertainty about the future and a worry about no way out. Easy to indulge in fantasy.
2, behavior: unstable, left and right; Love adventure, sometimes do something out of line; It is inevitable to exaggerate narcissism and project it as idol or hero worship; Anti-authority (cynicism) and cynicism; I like to form alliances with my peers and strive for leadership.
All of the above are normal manifestations of identity crisis, which reflects the internal unconformity and agitation of individuals in this period. Exploring, learning and creating potential will help teenagers overcome the identity crisis.
In fact, it is difficult for many people to settle down all their lives, and the problem of identity has been hanging over them. In this case, the subsequent development stage will be more or less limited and have a far-reaching impact.
Abnormal manifestations of identity crisis (i.e. confusion)
The chaotic identity means that the identity crisis leads to a great deviation from the normal anxiety level, and the physical and mental health is greatly threatened.
Physical and mental health is threatened, leading to many clinical pathologies; But in the final analysis, personality development has been greatly hindered and seriously distorted.
At a glance, we can see some common adolescent problems in society, almost all of which are related to identity crisis. These questions can be:
1, I don't know why I have to study, but I have to work hard; (tired of learning, lack of motivation)
2. Going to and from school mechanically every day is boring, and I feel insensitive and walking dead. (hollow man)
3. I can't feel the warmth and love between people. Apart from getting high marks (getting ahead), there is no one else's ideas and experience. Negative effects of "success" and "Olympic spirit"
4. Feel bored, lose vitality, and constantly stimulate yourself through self-injury and self-abuse to gain a temporary "sense of existence". (More common among women)
5, don't think about going home at night, playing truant, wandering in the rivers and lakes prematurely, and becoming a punk. (Male majority)
6, promiscuity (even drug abuse), indulge yourself in neglecting your studies and not making progress. (bad conduct or even antisocial)
Thoroughly reform
In fact, the emergence of juvenile problems also has its inevitable development. Post-industrial society (information society) emphasizes the importance of youth education more and more, but the current education can only be designed and developed around the goal of "mastering basic knowledge and skills", and it is difficult to take into account the development desire of youth personality (or balance of mind and body). This can also be said to be the root cause of the increasingly chaotic youth crisis.
Social education resources are scarce. There is a shortage of qualified teachers from kindergarten to university to adult education. Psychological counseling, counseling, therapy and other professionals in schools at all levels can't keep up with the situation and are stretched to the limit.
The foundation of family education (we prefer to call it "education") is also quite weak. Many parents are extremely ignorant of the general laws of psychology and personality development. Education is completely in line with tradition, passed on without thinking, and there is little learning and innovation. Most just follow the crowd. We can imagine that even a small progress-if parents have a basic understanding of "attachment theory", it will bring immeasurable social benefits. Unfortunately, few people do psychological popularization work in this field, and the whole society still knows little about it. It is still a virgin land to be reclaimed.
Even the major of applied psychology has a rather unstable position in society. There are still many prejudices in the society, and it is difficult to trust the psychological professional team. Moreover, this professional field itself is a mixed bag of fish and dragons, and it needs to be rectified. The problems in the industry have been affecting the social acceptance of this major, and it seems quite difficult to be competent for the mission of guiding the beam.
These all symbolize that behind the confusion of teenagers' identity is the confusion of society. Faced with this situation, the government must conduct in-depth research, find out appropriate countermeasures and strengthen rectification. It is obviously more and more urgent to start and run a big project to improve the psychological quality of the whole people.