Lesson 12: Emotional Maturation


Attention

Ben Vereen

On September 29, 2012, Ben Vereen performed at the Collins Center for the Arts at the University of Maine. Throughout his show he told stories of his early career in show business, his interactions with the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and especially Sammy Davis Jr.).

Visit Ben Vereen's Website

He also made fun of the changes that had occurred...he spoke about having a "record player", and recording songs to a "cassette", and even the early texting technology of "telegrams"!

Mr. Vereen has become a keeper of meaning (he was 66 years-old at this show). His show keeps very specific stories alive (sometimes even with the help of video including a video of him meeting Sammy Davis Jr. on the Michael Douglas Show!) Mr. Vereen contributes his stories to the world of art so that that world will not forget these important players.


Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

  • Identify instances in which people portray the role of "Keeper of Meaning".
  • Discuss challenges that are faced by individuals with mental illness in accomplishing the "Adult Developmental Tasks".
  • Discuss life events that may transform negative life events into positive outcomes.

Teaching

Read Chapter 2 in Vaillant

Aging can mean:

  • Decay
  • Seasonal Change
  • Continued development right up to the moment of death

This chapter focuses on the third one!

Many of the early psychologists felt that children were simply small adults...later, when they began to take notice of all the changes that occur during childhood, they assumed that this is where ALL the changes took place. Many of the most prominent psychologists felt that human development ended, at the latest, in early adulthood. It was only after WWII that we began to see an interest in what happens through adulthood and into old age...Genentology was born.

Social Maturation

In his book Childhood and Society, Erikson chronicles his work with longitudinal case studies and cross-cultural observations and provided us with a model for understanding that development continues across the lifespan.

According to Erikson, adult development was comprised of 4 stages:

  • Identity vs. Identity Diffusion
  • Intimacy vs. Isolation
  • Generativity vs. Stagnation
  • Integrity vs. Despair

Vaillant modifies Erikson's work into Adult Developmental Tasks. These are:

  • Identity
  • Intimacy
  • Career Consolidation (social identity)
  • Generativity (guiding the next generation)
  • Keeper of Meaning (preservation of the past)
  • Integrity (acceptance of one's life)

Emotional Maturation

"A test of successful living, then, becomes learning to live with neither too much desire and adventure nor too much caution and self-care." (Vaillant, p. 61)

As we age we may begin to cope better with our lives and out emotions. Our dysfunctional coping mechanisms may include:

  • Projection
  • Passive aggression
  • Dissociation
  • Acting out
  • Fantasy

More functional tools may include:

  • Submlimation (turning a negative into a positive)
  • Humor
  • Altruism
  • Suppression (often seen as a negative, suppression postpones memories, and even according to Freud, was a "hallmark of maturity")

These are both morally superior and highly adaptive for successful living.

On p. 64 of Vaillant begins the story of Susan Wellcome. Devour this story! Consider the stories of strife and abuse that our clients have and remark how Susan changes over the years. The pain becomes a strength for her and she is transformed and engages life at a level that most of us would wish to emulate.

Tuesdays with Morrie

Many of you may have heard of this book/movie...it is an amazing story of emotional maturity and how the elderly can change us.

Click HERE for more information about this topic. Feel free to participate in the OPEN discussion board titled "Tuesdays with Morrie"


Assessment

Lesson 12 Discussion A

In this discussion I would like each of you to interview an elderly person in your life. Report how that person personifies the "Keeper of Meaning" role in your family, possibly even across a wider social circle. Reflect on the importance Adult Developmental Tasks play in our lives. What challenges to persons with mental illness face when trying to complete these "tasks"?

Lesson 12 Discussion B

In this discussion I want you to reflect on the powerful story of Susan Wellcome. What do you think sparks her transformation? If you have been reading Tuesdays with Morrie, how is Susan Wellcome like Morrie?