It includes developing skills, succeeding in work and social relationships, and maintaining primary relationships. In short psychological development means establishing a generally healthy and functioning life and manifesting our true self . It includes an unending persevering effort to change conditioning, to develop character, to develop the highest qualities. It is an effort to surpass the self in the service of others. Your identity is the set of personal and behavioral characteristics which make up your distinct personality.
Many people come into therapy without any sense of identity at all.
It is surprising how many people. The lack of development of identity or sense of self is often because someone in the nuclear family had a strong, dominant influence combined with a lack of validation and affirmation. Sometimes there is a tiny self inside, underneath everything else, that is barely in awareness, but is hidden and never expresses itself. Usually it is feared that if the self were to express itself, rejection would result, and the potential loss is too frightening and overwhelming. There is a tremendous feeling of dependency and need precisely because the self has never developed and the fear of abandonment is too great.