[TinyTree]

I really like your post and the ideas of developmental stages.

However, I feel that there may be a multidimensional component to the axial motion of development. If you examine the "enneagram", there is the concept that one exists along one of 9 different personality types, and then one moves along each personality type (from "sick" to "healthy") and this motion describes the trajectory through one's life.

So I am going to combine your concept, and the enneagram concept, to form a new holistic view of personality development.

There exists a number of different axis of personality motion, and some of these axial motions are unavailable until further development along an orthogonal axis

For instance, jealousy of a potential mate is an unavailable emotion until one has reached the adolescent stage of desire of a mate. So I am going to break this down into stages, and within each stage there will be components of motion.

Stage 1: Formation

This is the stage of embryological development. I will posit that some fetuses fail to "form", fail to "desire to live", and thus self terminate. That is, for some, there is a psychological component in the failure to apprehend the desire to advance, and these fail to do so.

Stage 2: Formation of concept

As a child, the forms and notions of one's interaction with the world, and within one's own body, are defined. For example, specific cells in the brain do not know if they are wired to receive vision, or auditory input, or serve in some other function. These functions are hammered out during the formation of concept. The cells define their form through their interaction with the immediate environment. Along with this, the basic notions of self interaction are largely defined, along with the concept of self.

Play is an integral part of the formation of concept, and without play, there can be no more formation of concept.

The formation of concept stage happens most explicitly through the years of five, and then continue throughout ones life. This includes one's notions of self responsibility, action, and interaction. The formation of concept vanishes on death.

Stage 3: Adversity

Here, the self is defined in adversity to the world, and takes place both through sexual maturation and in psychological conflict with the early notion of self interaction. The introduction of adversity (to oneself) is a form of propellent that initiates desire. Thus, the initiation of adversity is the heart of passion, the passion of conflict and of sexuality.

The role of adversity ends up taking on the broader strokes of adversity against environmentally perceived foes (be it authority, amalgation into a religious group, etc). Thus, the source of adversity is the source of societal problems, civil strife, war, and persecution. It is also the source of passionate love, self sacrifice, and desire.

Stage 4: Integration

It is in this stage of life (early adulthood) wherein one begins forging a concept of self which is part of a whole, and one stops questioning the nature of that role. This is the bedrock of a stable, and static, society. It is society itself- it is the defined roles and interactions which define a society. As such, those in formation, true formation of concept, and adversity are not truly integrated into society, but instead lie outside of it. Children, adolescents, and young idealists swept into the military, reactionary group, or other adversity mind sets are not functional parts of society, but auxilliary parts. They are part of society only insofar as society defines their roles.

Stage 5: Estrangement

For those who reach this stage, they bring forth the earlier parts of development into the level of integration. They seek to reform, to redefine, and to rework themselves. To be reborn. This is the mid life crisis. It is the radical change of a career. It is picking up a new hobby and loving the hobby. It is rejuvination, change, loss, and seeking redemption. It often involves religious quickening.

Stage 6: Passage

The stage of passage is the long slow arc of the elderly- moving slightly through the earlier stages for some, but for most, it consists of reliving them as memory, rather than as active embodiment of action. For those elderly with youth around them, they find it spiritually rewarding- transmitting their knowledge to the next generation, and imparting their wisdom. For those who live alone, it is merely a time of angst and sorrow.