Intimacy Vs. Isolation And Trust Versus Mistrust

This Trust vs. Mistrust crisis occurs during the first year and a half of life with hope being the basic virtue once the stage is successfully completed (McLeod, 2013). When a sense of trust is developed, the infant will know that if a new crises arises, their needs will be met by the outside world. These physical and emotional needs include: being fed when hungry, kept warm and dry, allowed undisturbed sleep, protection from disease and injury, and receive adequate stimulation (Hutchison,

Even before I had discovered my identity, I began moving into this intimacy versus isolation stage. At this stage individuals typically move towards “life experiences involving the development of a deeper connection, or intimacy, with another person”(Swartwood, p. 85). When it comes to developing these relationships, people must sacrifice a portion of their independence, which a portion of individuals are unwilling to do. Swartwood (p. 85) states that “resisting this loss of independence [results] in frequent break-ups and a failure to maintain a mutually loving bond with another.” This leads to isolation and loss of quality of life.

number of different aspects. Among the key ones are fellowship with God Our relationships with

Intimacy versus isolation is stage six in Erik Ericksons eight stages of human development. This stage takes place from approximately 19-40 years of age (Orlofsky, Marcia, & Lesser, 1973). The big question that people face in this stage is will I be loved or will I be alone. During this stage people start to develop more long term relationships. Friendship, dating, marriage and family play a big role in the happiness of this stage. This is when we leave the people that we grew up with and start our own lives. By establishing

A one on one discipling relationship allows for the greatest accountability and requires the greatest amount of trust on the part of both individuals. This type of discipleship often is the strongest and most effective to achieve true spiritual growth. While it is quite easy to evade issues that may be struggles in your life while listening to expository preaching or in a Sunday school setting, it is almost impossible when in a one-on-one relationship with another Christian. As a result of the trust that has been developed in the course of the relationship and the permission given by both parties to ask the tough questions of each other, there is no escaping the immense amount of learning that can produce a great deal of spiritual maturity in a new Christian.

The four spheres of relationships are as follows; the relationship with God, the relationship with family or home, relationship with church and believers, and the relationship with the world. The most important sphere is the relationship with God. This sphere or the relationship with God needs to be vibrant, fresh, and personal. All of the other spheres will work or be in line when our relationship with God is in line.

Our relationships with other people give a strong sense of what our relationship with God is like. How we interact with people on a daily basis and the relationships that we build goes a long way in showing just how we feel about them. In Romans 1:10 we see that Paul wanted desperately to come to Rome to teach, to interact, to fellowship, and build relationships with the Christians that were there. Just as God wants a personal relationship with His creation we all feel a deep need for relationships with each other. It was not meant for man to go through life on his own without being able to interact with each other. We see the genuine love that Paul displayed toward the people and churches throughout his epistles and it should make us want to have an even stronger relationship with our Creator.

By acknowledging each individual’s status as a child of God, the damning effects of fear, deception, and hatred can be eradicated by the powerful love of Christ. For Thurman, the true spirit of Christian relationships rests in the ability to love one’s enemies. Although this specific teaching is not new or unique, its application to Christian relationships (especially between the “disinherited” and the “privileged”) is extremely pertinent. Enmity between two individuals or two groups of individuals causes a physical and spiritual disunion that obstructs the individual’s ability to experience the power of Christ. Therefore, I must resolve to always demonstrate an attitude of love toward my enemies in order to preserve the unity that is so vital to genuine spiritual experience. Ultimately, I found Howard Thurman’s theory on the “disinherited” to be both logically valid and extremely thought provoking. In truth, I experienced a deeper engagement with Thurman’s ideas than any other spiritual practitioner that I have explored thus far this semester. This study has caused me to reflect on my own status as a “privileged” individual, realize my need to identify with the “disinherited,” and remember to demonstrate love to my

The success of this stage is measured by the feeling of safety and security of our world. This will set the child up for success for the rest of their life. The other side is failure that would lead mistrust and the feeling of insecurity of the world around them. This will set them up to have issues especially in relationship. McLeod mentions, “For example, if the care has been harsh or inconsistent, unpredictable and unreliable then the infant will develop a sense of mistrust and will not have confidence in the world around them or in their abilities to influence events” (McLeod 19).

The shared goals of the Church are to celebrate, learn and achieve happiness through their faith by attending mass. By achieving their goals, the members also are able gain knowledge about their religion contributing to the last characteristic. There are smaller goals such as expanding and growing the Church by recruiting new members and even constructing a new building to house the community but those aren’t as important or valued as the ones mentioned beforehand. The second characteristic is that the community must have mechanisms of intercommunication among the members of the community. Bible study is an example of this where members come together to learn about the bible face to face and events that are created for members to attend and participate in are also mechanisms of intercommunication.

3. What is the spiritual result if I arrange my life so that "I keep others who are different at a distance"; so that "I am surrounded only by churched people or those who have the same socio-economic background"?

The psychosocial crisis during early adulthood is intimacy vs. isolation. Intimacy is defined as the ability to experience an open, supportive, tender relationship with another person without fear of losing one’s own identity in the process (Newman & Newman p. 468). Intimacy shares a bond between two people displaying confidence, respectful affection and shared goals. It is two people respecting each other’s differences and spiritual beliefs. Intimacy accepts each other’s flaws and experience a love outside of family.

In his article "The Baggage we Bring from the Past", Frances Andrews speaks about developing trust between people to build relationships. Building relationships is impossible without first becoming conscious of ones own attitudes and beliefs. This process takes time and progresses with each new interaction. Understanding oneself requires awareness of your culture. Often times, one is trapped by their learned belief systems. Effecting their ability to relate to others. Andrews refers to these learned behaviors and experiences as "the baggage we bring from the past". There are the three levels of interaction through which people function. Which include: the personal level, the interpersonal level, and the organizational or systematic level.

Intimacy verse isolation and trust verse mistrust is something we as humans will experience or at least go through because it is a part of life. First let me explain intimacy verse isolation. Intimacy is something between people and something that is built with feelings. Intimacy is a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with another person or group. Or it could be defined as close association with or detailed knowledge or deep understanding of a place, subject period of history, etc. The word isolation means the complete separation from others of a person suffering from contagious or infectious disease; quarantine.

My family and church have always been my in-groups. When detecting alienation elsewhere, I knew being in the proper surroundings gave a sense of peace and security. My church always welcomed me and others. The warm embrace gives a sense of belonging, reminding me of home, a place I considered my safe haven. Especially, when one needs to escape from the unknown unpleasant person, place or thing. For example, my in-group taught me never to break the law, be an abiding citizen, to stay away from gangs and drugs. I invited my friend to my home and church to expose her to my way of life, in return she invited me to one of her parties. This experience totally was considered to be an out-group for me leaving a sense of alienation. For example: laws