of identity, which is the awareness one has as a whole person.
             Erikson based his ideas on the theories of Sigmund Freud, who as we know, emphasized the importance of early childhood for later development. Erikson modified Freud's ideas, stressing the continual development of human beings throughout an eight stage life cycle. Freud focused more on the psychological and biological aspects of development. Erikson, however, focused on social and cultural influences, which are equally important. Erikson became widely known for his studies of the ideas of the adolescence identity crisis. This kind of crisis can occur when the adolescent struggles with inner conflicts before gaining a sense of purpose and moving into adulthood. This idea may have stemmed from a personal identity crisis he experienced at a young age. "No doubt my best friends will insist that I needed to name this crisis and t
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