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The Random House College Dictionary Revised Edition, 1975,

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The Random House College Dictionary Revised Edition, 1975, defines intimacy as: (1) The state of being intimate. (2) A close familiar, and usually affectionate or loving, personal relationship. (3) A detailed knowledge or deep understanding of a place, subject, period of history, etc. (4) An act or expression serving as a token of familiarity, affection, or the like. (5) A sexual familiar act; a sexual liberty and (6) Privacy, especially an atmosphere of privacy suitable to the telling of a secret. The Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary defines intimacy as: (1) the state of being intimate: familiarity and (2) something of a personal or private nature. Frank D. Cox in the textbook, Human Intimacy: Marriage, the Family, and Its Meaning,…show more content…
These relationships allow us to love and be loved. They bring a sense of security and lessen loneliness. Without intimacy there is emotional isolation, and emotional isolation increases the risk of physical and emotional disorder. Is the world a safe place or is it full of unpredictable events and accidents waiting to happen? Erikson 's first psychosocial crisis occurs during the first year or so of life (like Freud 's oral stage of psychosexual development). The crisis is one of trust vs. mistrust. During this stage, the infant is uncertain about the world in which they live. To resolve these feelings of uncertainty, the infant looks towards their primary caregiver for stability and consistency of care. If the care the infant receives is consistent, predictable and reliable, they will develop a sense of trust which will carry with them to other relationships, and they will be able to feel secure even when threatened. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of hope. By developing a sense of trust, the infant can have hope that as new crises arise, there is a real possibility that other people will be there as a source of support. Failing to acquire the virtue of hope will lead to the development of fear. 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
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