Eric Erikson believed that there are eight different social stages that an individual must go through as they mature. Each of these stages has a positive and a negative characteristic. Your future depends on these characteristics. So, how much can Erikson's psychosocial developmental stages actually affect us? All I know is that the moment my life changed was the day I saved a man's life. This moment in my life falls under the 5th stage of Erikson's theories on psychological development. It was at this point that I was able to develop a “sense of self and personal identity”. I've been following Erikson's eight different social stages my whole life and I didn't even know it; and in the end, I was able to find “a reintegrated sense of self, of what we want to do or be.” (Bee, 1992) I was 16 years old when this event happened in my life. “During this period, preoccupation with identity reached its peak” (Miller, 1983). Reality hit me within minutes. Following an incident that was both traumatic and memorable, I think it's safe to say that it was and still is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. Two years ago, I witnessed a brutal car accident that will stay with me forever. My friends and I were in my car, parked on the street parallel to the one where the accident happened. All we could see was a group of 'Bedouins', who seemed rather oblivious to the current situation, gathered together and surrounding the man who had crashed. This is where John Darley's theory of the bystander effect comes into action: should we just assume ignorance like all the other bystanders or should we react to the situation and ultimately become part of a possible investigation? At that time, I was able to acquire "self-c...... middle of paper...... at the age of 12 and continued until 18 years old. During the fifth stage, adolescents are determined to find their individualism. and the place in our world that will lead them to adulthood. At one point, I was struggling to figure out what I am meant to do with my life. I even remember asking myself, “Who am I?” I wanted to exclude myself from my siblings and parents, so I consciously searched to find out who I really was. I made a conscious decision that allows me to be who I want to be without worrying about the thoughts and opinions of others, and I discovered that I enjoy things like playing soccer, driving, doing philanthropy ; so I excelled. By the end of my senior year in high school, I had discovered my cultural and personal identity as a member of society and was ready to take on the obstacles and challenges that life has to offer..