Initiative vs. Guilt
Psychologist Erik Erikson created a stage theory of psychosocial development regarding how people and personality develop throughout their life span. Erikson proposed eight stages of development and at each stage, people face a crisis that needs to be effectively resolved to acquire the psychological quality central to that stage. Erikson’s theory takes into account social events and how these events impact one’s personality. This article provides an overview of Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development.
What is Initiative vs. Guilt?
The third stage of development is initiative vs. guilt which occurs between the ages of 3 and 6 years old. In this stage, children explore their environment and start to exert more control and power over their choices. They may do so by directing play and social interactions. And, it can often seem like a toddler’s favorite word is “no” as they vocalize their preferences and desires.
Within the context of Erikson’s theory, initiative is defined as an active pursuit of a task or goal. During this stage, play and imagination are important. Being encouraged to play helps a child build initiative. A child may play with friends, explore a new activity, or learn and develop new skills. By doing so, they start to learn that they can exert control over themselves and the larger environment.
Developing initiative cultivates eagerness to be involved and try new things without excessive fear or anxiety which helps a child learn what they can and cannot control. Fostering initiative also helps to de-personalize mistakes and lessen a sense of guilt. When mistakes happen, children learn to try again, and through exploration and strengthening skills and abilities, children develop a sense of ambition.
Guilt is a feeling of shame about not completing a task successfully. This may be related to feelings of embarrassment or an adult exhibiting irritation or frustration. Children who experience guilt interpret mistakes as personal failures and think they are bad or unworthy. And, experiencing more guilt than initiative will lead to a child resisting new tasks or experiences due to fear of failure.
It is helpful for adults to encourage play, exploration, and curiosity and aid children in making appropriate decisions. Also, adults can frame mistakes or unpleasant outcomes as opportunities to try again and express that making a mistake is not bad. Similarly, it is important that adults are not overly critical or dismissive and encourage patience, practice, and persistence.
The Benefits of Developing Initiative
By successfully completing this stage, children develop a sense of purpose. While it can be draining on adults if children are strong-willed and set on doing things a certain way, children who are over-directed by adults can experience decreased initiative and confidence. Therefore, establishing safe boundaries and allowing children to make appropriate choices is beneficial.
Initiative vs. guilt can have a lasting influence throughout one’s lifespan. For example, in adulthood, people may or may not take responsibility for their choices and actions which reflects this stage. People with higher levels of initiative may feel more empowered and in control of their daily lives whereas people with a high level of guilt may lack confidence, experience low self-worth, and have greater difficulty setting and accomplishing goals. Further, higher levels of guilt may lead to taking on too little or too much responsibility (avoiding tasks or feeling responsible for circumstances outside one’s control). Or, a person may experience increased guilt associated with aging and the loss of some skills and abilities.
Learning and practicing evidence-based tools to change your relationship with your thoughts, enhance self-worth, and set and work toward realistic and values-based goals is helpful if you are struggling with initiative and/or guilt.
To learn more about effective strategies, please contact us at CBT Denver.