Part 3
Identity Through the Life Stages
In This Part
Chapter 9: Teenage Growing Pains
Chapter 10: Emerging Adulthood: In Search of the Ideal
Chapter 11: The “Meet” Market
Chapter 12: The Parent Puzzle
Chapter 13: The Midlife Rebirth
Eventually, we all grow up. As we mature, the paradigm through which we view ourselves and the environment around us shifts. Despite this, the universal 3Ps (presentation, protection, and preference) are evident across life stages, whether as a teenagers in the throes of adolescent development or as mid-lifers seeking their next chapter. At the same time, the seduction of rationalization and the laws that surround us (learned helplessness, illusion, and recall), provide a labyrinth of external forces that facilitate self-deception, no matter the age or life stage. Though priorities certainly change as one matures, the shared perspective of internal identity and the tempting lure of environmental conditions unite all of us.
