according to [[Erikson, Erik]], personality development spans our lifetime. during each stage of development, there is a crisis that can arise between society and our individual needs. successfully navigating these crises leads to the development of important values or character strengths; unsuccessfully navigating them can result in negative outcomes and inability to move on to later stages.
| Age | Crisis | Virtue | Negative Outcome |
| :-------- | :-------------------------- | :---------------- | :--------------------------- |
| 1 YR | Trust vs. Mistrust | Hope, Trust | Fear, Suspicion |
| 2 YRS | Autonomy vs. Doubt or Shame | Personal Will | Self-doubt, Shame |
| 3-5 YRS | Initiative vs. Guilt | Purpose | Guilt, Inadequacy |
| 6-12 YRS | Industry vs. Inferiority | Competence, Pride | Inferiority |
| 12-18 YRS | Identity vs. Role Confusion | Fidelity | Rebellion, Role Confusion |
| 18-40 YRS | Intimacy vs. Isolation | Love | Isolation, Loneliness |
| 40-65 YRS | Generativity vs. Stagnation | Care | Stagnation, Unproductiveness |
| 65+ YRS | Ego Integrity vs. Despair | Wisdom | Despair, Dissatisfaction |
erikson’s idea of personality is distinctly different – broader – than his idea of identity, but both are a [[{1.1c} a strong sense of identity requires a sense of continuity|continuous]] process. i suspect, but should research further, that this *personality development* is what leads to the [[{1.1a2} waterman's elements of identity formation|{1.1b} sources of identity elements|identity elements]] available to us.