[[Erikson, Erik|erik erikson]], who coined the term [[{1.1c3} identity crises happen when you are not situated in the context of - or oriented toward - your past, present, or future|identity crisis]], presented his understanding of identity as an ongoing process: > The wholeness to be achieved at this stage I have called a sense of inner identity. **The young person, in order to experience wholeness, must feel a progressive continuity between that which he has come to be during the long years of childhood and that which he promises to become in the anticipated future**; between that which he conceives himself to be and that which he perceives others to see in him and to expect of him. identity – if we assume it is [[{1.1} identity as self-definition|{1.1} self-definition]] – relies on establishing a link between one’s past and future, which necessarily threads through one’s present; this link creates an unbroken narrative which can explain your current position in the world. continuity is a compass. consider [[Klein, Naomi|naomi klien]]’s [[shock is the gap that opens up between event and existing narratives|explanation]] of shock: > A state of shock is what happens to us – individually or as a society – when we experience a sudden and unprecedented event for which we do not yet have an adequate explanation. At its essence, a shock is the gap that opens up between event and existing narratives to explain that event. ([[Klein, Naomi - 2023 - Doppelganger|pg. 7-8]]) what is adolescence – the experience of life, even – other than an onslaught of disorienting, unprecedented events you cannot explain, or which constantly challenge and collapse your understanding of the world? (see, too, [[boyd, danah - 2018 - You Think You Want Media Literacy|boyd]]: “Nothing can radicalize someone more than feeling like you’re being lied to. Or when the world order you’ve adopted comes crumbling down.”) creating a link between one’s past / present / future is necessary, in part, to **reestablish a cohesive narrative of the world and one’s history – to find a state of continuity between what one may have believed to be true before and what one knows to be true now.** while erikson’s focus was on this continuity as a stage of psychosocial development in adolescence, i view this as a lifelong circuitous process. it’s part of the research and contemplation that [[{1.1b} a strong sense of identity comes from a well-developed self-definition|develops]] one’s sense of self. >[!trailhead]- trails >`⬆️`[[{1.1} identity as self-definition]] > >⬇️ [[{1.1c1} a sense of continuity comes from the integration of experiences, evolving senses-of-self, and identity elements over time]] > >⬅️ [[{1.1b} a strong sense of identity comes from a well-developed self-definition]]