It may appear that our identity arrives fully formed but this is not correct. Identity formation is a cyclic process. A pivotal life event may change our entire personality in one fell swoop. More often these changes occur incrementally and in different aspects of our experiences. These moments of transmission are the stage called Identity Diffusion. An individual has neither arrived at a commitment as to who they are and what they stand for nor experienced a crisis.
As we construct (or reconstruct) our sense of self, we move into the Identity Foreclosure stage. At this point we begin to adopt a commitment to a set of beliefs or a course of action. This stage is not necessarily a time of crisis; rather, think of it as fine-tuning our perceptions, attitudes, and goals.
The stage known as Identity Moratorium is when an individual is in the throes of an identity crisis. This is an intense examination of alternative selves, more like a complete overhaul than a checkup. The crisis may be triggered by a major life event, often a significant loss. Small events, which may actually be the culmination of a longer quiet process of introspection, may bring about a time of re-evaluation.
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