When it comes to human life, I always thought of it as being in 3 main stages – childhood, adulthood and finally old age. However if one looks into these stages deeply, life is generally divided into 8 stages and each stage has its own unique characteristics. Photo by Josh Willink.
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8 Life Explained in Baashha Movie
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In the 1999 Tamil movie, Baashha starring Rajinikanth there is this song scene where Rajinikanth who became a gangster don after his best friend is killed throws a birthday party so to identify the enemy within his ranks. Trivia – Rajinikanth was not keen on doing this song scene but eventually he did and it become a big hit. In this song, with lyrics written by Vairamuthu, it is explained that there are 8 stages of life as follows:-
First
From the time you were born till you are 8 years old, you spent your life mostly playing children’s games and learning the basics of your surroundings and basic skills.
Second
From you are 9 years old to 16 years old, you spent your life learning new and real knowledge in school that will come in handy in your future life.
Third
As you move into your age of 20 plus years old, you have already reached the stage of romance and marriage.
Fourth
As you move into your age of 30 years old, you spent your life taking care of your own children and you will see your children to go through the same stages of life that you had passed before.
Fifth
As you move into your age of early 40 years old, you have done enough in life to gather real assets such as a house and cars.
Sixth
Thereafter as you move into your age of late 40 years old, you will have enough money and luxury to start travelling far away from your home for holidays and leisure.
Seventh
As you move into your age of late 50 years old, you have started to slow down and take things easy and look forward on your retirement.
Eighth
If you survive beyond the late 60 years old, there is no peace in your life implying suffering from old age sickness and inability to adapt to other’s modern lifestyles.
Of course, the above ages are based on the lyrics of the song which are different in reality but it does not hide the fact that our life can generally be divided into 8 key stages from the day we were born to the time we are old.
Image source: Medium
8 Life Stages by Erik Erikson
Erik Homburger Erikson (15 June 1902 – 12 May 1994) was a German-American developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst known for his theory on the psychological development of human beings. The Erikson life stages, in order of the eight stages in which they may be acquired, are listed below, as well as the “virtues” that Erikson has attached to these stages, (these virtues are underlined).
First
Hope, Basic trust vs. basic mistrust-This stage covers the period of infancy, 0–1½ years old, which is the most fundamental stage of life, as this is the stage that all other ones build on.
Second
Will, Autonomy vs. shame—This stage covers early childhood around 1½–3 years old and introduces the concept of autonomy vs. shame and doubt. The child begins to discover the beginnings of his or her independence, and parents must facilitate the child’s sense of doing basic tasks “all by himself/herself.”
Third
Purpose, Initiative vs. guilt—This stage covers preschool children from ages three to five. Does the child have the ability to do things on her own, such as dress herself? Children in this stage are interacting with peers and create their own games and activities. Children in this stage practice independence and start to make their own decisions.
Fourth
Competence, Industry vs. inferiority. This area covers school-age children from five to twelve. Children compare their self-worth to others around them. Friends can have a significant impact on the growth of the child.
Fifth
Fidelity, Identity vs. role confusion—This section deals with adolescence, meaning those between twelve and eighteen years old. This occurs when we start to question ourselves and ask questions relevant to who we are and what we want to accomplish.
Sixth
Love, Intimacy vs. isolation—This is the first stage of adult development. This development usually happens during young adulthood, which is between the ages of 18 to 40. This stage marks a transition from just thinking about ourselves to thinking about other people in the world.
Seventh
Care, Generativity vs. stagnation—The second stage of adulthood happens between the ages of 40–65. During this time people are normally settled in their lives and know what is important to them. A person is either making progress in his career or treading lightly in his career and unsure if this is what he wants to do for the rest of his working life.
Eighth
Wisdom, Ego integrity vs. despair—This stage affects the age group of 65 and on. During this time an individual has reached the last chapter in her life and retirement is approaching or has already taken place. Individuals in this stage must learn to accept the course of their life or they will look back on it with despair.
Please read the more detailed explanation on the Wikipedia page.
Final Say
There are some similarities between the lyrics by Vairamuthu on the 8 stages of life with the stages suggested by Erik Erikson and it is interesting to look back at the past stages of life and see if you have encountered the same issues and challenges. One’s wealth and education also play a big role in the upbringing of oneself and your children.
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