Thamizhanban's Poem on Identity Crisis

THAMIZHANBAN’S POEM ON IDENTITY CRISIS
Are you confused about the direction of your life?
Don't know who you are?
Can't decide on where you stand in terms of philosophy of life?
Fail to see your role in life?
You are probably experiencing an "identity crisis".
Explanations about Identity Crisis:
The important theories and explanations on Identity Crisis should be deeply understood to have a clear idea about it.
Instead of summing up them from the relevant books I have given the quotations from GOOGLE ANSWERS.
Erik Erikson’s explanation:
Erik Erikson, the psychologist who coined the term "identity crisis",
believes that the identity crisis is the most important conflict human
beings encounter when they go through eight developmental stages in
life. The identity is "a subjective sense as well as an observable
quality of personal sameness and continuity, paired with some belief
in the sameness and continuity of some shared world image. As a
quality of unself-conscious living, this can be gloriously obvious in
a young person who has found himself as he has found his communality.
In him we see emerge a unique unification of what is irreversibly
given--that is, body type and temperament, giftedness and
vulnerability, infantile models and acquired ideals--with the open
choices provided in available roles, occupational possibilities,
values offered, mentors met, friendships made, and first sexual
encounters." (Erikson, 1970.)

According to Erikson's stages, the onset of the identity crisis is in
the teenage years, and only individuals who succeed in resolving the
crisis will be ready to face future challenges in life. But the
identity crisis may well be recurring, as the changing world demands
us to constantly redefine ourselves. Erikson suggested that people
experience an identity crisis when they lose "a sense of personal
sameness and historical continuity". Given today's rapid development
in technology, global economy, dynamics in local and world politics,
identity crises are expected to be more common now than 30 years ago,
when Erikson formed his theory..."

Erikson's Eight Stages of Human Development:
Babies are born with some basic capabilities and distinct
temperaments. But they go through dramatic changes on the way to
adulthood, and while growing old. According to psychologist Erik H.
Erikson, each individual passes through eight developmental stages
(Erikson calls them "psychosocial stages").
Each stage is characterized by a different psychological "crisis", which must be resolved by the individual before the individual can move on to the
next stage. If the person copes with a particular crisis in a maladaptive manner, the outcome will be more struggles with that issue later in life.
To Erikson, the sequence of the stages is set by nature. It is within the set limits that nurture works its ways:
"So, in reading through these documents, it appears that crisis is a
normal occurrence in the growth of an individual and occurs more than
in just the formative years and mid-life."
In fact, Erikson delineates the stages as follows:
1. Infancy
2. Toddler
3. Early Childhood
4. Elementary and Middle School
5. Adolescence
6. Young Adulthood
7. Middle Adulthood
8. Late Adulthood
You will find the descriptions of each of these crises interesting:
"Famed psychologist, Erik Erikson argued that development is a
lifelong process, from conception until death. He argued that we go
through eight stages, the first in infancy and the last in old age. At
each stage there is a crisis that we must deal with. The most famous
crisis that Erikson proposed is that which we experience during
adolescence: the identity crisis...
...Because each of Erikson's stages build upon each other, the person
who is identity diffused, or who has not successfully resolved the
identity crisis, will have difficulty resolving the crises to come..."

Explanation by Anna B. Zaniewska
"The term "identity crisis" has been first introduced by Erik Erikson.
Finding his definition insufficient for the complex research in the
subject, the author of this paper has decided to suggest a different
working definition, based on the conceptual framework, called "The Web
of Interactions".
The tripartite theory of human nature, suggested by this new paradigm,
gives the ground to define human identity as a set of three: the
bodily, social, and personal identity.
Most people are, more or less consciously, aware of the complexity of
their identity. To the question "Who am I?"(if asked by themselves),
or "Who are you?" (if asked by the other person) we all are able to
give at least one, but usually more than one answer.
The examples of the possible answers are as follows: "I am a young
student"; "I am a black lawyer"; "I am a famous dancer"; "I am a
person respecting all living beings", etc. All these statements
reflect the actual state of one's self-perception. As life goes on,
bringing new experiences, the answers change revealing new
possibilities.
But there are the situations when to the question "Who am I?"/"Who are
you?" one can only say "I don't know yet" or "I don't know any
longer".
The first reply is often given by the young people searching for their
identity. This search is not easy to accept because it is often
associated with discomfort and even pain. And yet, it is the necessary
process allowing one to become conscious of his or her identity and
develop to the highest level of inner potentials...
The second reply "I don't know any longer" comes usually from a mature
individual and seems to suggest that one lost the ability to define
his or her own identity and is no longer certain in regard to the
continuity of existence as a particular being.
This moment of a temporary loss of certainty, or the moment of doubt
regarding one's identity is defined here as identity crisis..."


Searching a bit more specifically to your question of trauma or
physiological impotence in triggering identity crises, I found the
following:
"The New Me, Who Am I? Finding Your Identity
Overcoming and coping with the physical obstacles associated with
sustaining a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can be the easy part. A more
difficult, complex and existential issue is asking "who is the new
person"? My name remains the same. However, in many significant ways I
am different. I am not talking about concrete issues (gross and fine
motor coordination, speech and language).
As a result of physical or cognitive limitations, you may be forced to
slow down, depend on devices or people, organize and preplan in a way
that was foreign before the trauma. If you are lucky enough to go back
to school or work, guaranteed it will not be in the same capacity or
without modification.
When confronted with this reality, an identity crisis surfaces. What
does this mean and say about me as a person?..."
Explanation by Aiken:
"Aiken describes that losing a loved one may cause bereavement, which
leads to grief, mourning, possible identity crises, and other related
problems..."
Aiken, L. (1991). Dying, Death, and Bereavement. Needham Heights,
Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon. 261-263.
Explanation by Rev. Luana Collins Rubin
This article originally appeared in the June, 1996 issue of PATHWAYS.
"Over the last few months I keep hearing the same thing from friends,
clients and other practitioners and therapists: there is an identity
crisis going on out there, both on an individual and on a mass
consciousness level. People are experiencing trauma and loss, causing
them to drastically re-evaluate the priorities in their lives.
Seemingly happy and successful folks are breaking down under stress,
feeling totally overwhelmed by the lives they have so carefully
constructed..."
Erikson’s stages:
According to Erikson's stages, the onset of the identity crisis is in the teenage years, and only individuals who succeed in resolving the crisis will be ready to face future challenges in life. But the identity crisis may well be recurring, as the changing world demands us to constantly redefine ourselves. Erikson suggested that people experience an identity crisis when they lose "a sense of personal sameness and historical continuity". Given today's rapid development in technology, global economy, dynamics in local and world politics, identity crises are expected to be more common now than 30 years ago, when Erikson formed his theory.
If you find yourself (again) in an identity crisis, you can look at seven areas of difficulty in which to work towards a resolution.
Time Perspective
Can you distinguish immediate gratification from long-term goals? Have you learnt to balance between jumping at opportunities as soon as they are presented to you and working steadily and patiently towards your long-term goal?
Self-Certainty
Do you feel consistent in your self-image and the image you present to others?
Role Experimentation
Have you tried different roles in search of the one that feels right to you?
Anticipation of Achievement
Do you believe that you will be successful in what you choose to do -- whether your role is at the work front or home front?
Sexual Identity
Do you feel comfortable being a male or a female, and dealing with others as such?
Leadership polarization
Are you able to become both a leader and a follower, whichever is called for in a given situation?
Ideological
Have you found a set of basic social, philosophical, or religious values that your outlook on life can be based upon?
Here in Thamizhanban’s poem titled "A letter discovered"the identity crisis of a son is described.
We can not predict from the content which stage is described in the poem.
The stress and tension of the son is described in this letter to the father.
Please now read the poem and then give your assessment.
A LETTER DISCOVERED
Daddy
I am missing
Please do not try to search me.
Do not publish my photos
In press and television advertisements.
Do not issue advertisements
Assuring suitable rewards
To those who help to find out me.
Do not share your grief with kith and kin.
I have been absconding
Just to find out me.
Till I have found out me
I wish to be absent.
I have been lost to gain
The knowledge about me.
Till that time
Please do not worry about me.
--Son
Wisdom.