Some of Kelley's definitions, such as mind, consciousness, and body, particularly at the beginning of his article, seem needlessly complicated. However, first and foremost, his pinpointing of a common profile amongst high-achieving adolescents -- namely the overcommitted, intelligent, but insufficiently creative and internally motivated student is important. Creativity and having a sense of internally-created purpose makes life feel meaningful, and makes one's sense of self seem less determined by awards and being a part of the right social group. Society has accepted such stress on conformity and angst as normal in adolescents, but boredom, self-doubt, and unhappiness may have more to do with society and less to do with the adolescent stage itself.
Secondly, Kelley stresses that negative events are inevitable, from unpleasant chores to national tragedies, but adolescents need ways of dealing with the emotions stirred by these events. He cites the example of another type of adolescent, a young man confined in juvenile detention assigned to cleaning latrines who...
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