E.H.Erikson divided life into eight linear and chronological phases, with the final, eighth phase being the most important, when one’s summarizing his or her life. Poles in that phase are Despair and Integrity. If the man in this phase is leaning towards Integrity, he can say that he didn’t live in vain. I’d like to see those who are well-adjusted while dying, unless they’re some kind of fanatics.
Entire human existence, according to one theory, can be explained by the need to restore a balance: if we’re hungry, we eat, if we’re thirsty, we drink, etc. However, what motivates us, what puts us in motion, is imbalance. Once we acquire a temporary balance, we become complacent and inactive. That’s why all religious descriptions of Paradise look boring.
At the core of all human activities is self-forgetfulness, as a device for dealing with the temporal nature of our lives.
According to one theory (we don’t want to name the author), mankind could be divided into two groups: those self-contained, and those that are not. The latter group is responsible for all progress, art and scientific achievemnents, etc. The irony is that member of the latter group usually work for the members of first group.
