Personality Theory
From my point-of-view, I see Erik Erikson's epigenetic principle to be the most appropriate theory to most individuals that explains how personality develops. From an online source, the epigenetic principle states that,
This principle says that we develop through a predetermined unfolding of our personalities in eight stages. Our progress through each stage is in part determined by our success, or lack of success, in all the previous stages. A little like the unfolding of a rose bud, each petal opens up at a certain time, in a certain order, which nature, through its genetics, has determined. If we interfere in the natural order of development by pulling a petal forward prematurely or out of order, we ruin the development of the entire flower.
Erikson's theory is usually manifested in our life experiences. How an individual surpasses a stage in his life affects his personality in facing his future experiences. For instance, a person who failed in attaining success in a job may affect his view on how to face challenges. It may either cause his personality to become an optimistic or a pessimistic.
Mental Illness
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