Social & Psychological Development

Assignment
Iman Shafique (037)
Jawwad Paracha (041)
BBA-5A
Ma’am Arooj

Stage 8: Ego Integrity VS Despair

Interview Link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/190QFdhwB_ZrEoT6fNBXi8PeEnR3IKdFA/view?usp=drivesdk

Analysis:
We took an interview of the lady XYZ in her 80s. We asked her some questions related to her
past life and the life she is spending now. As this stage is all about ego integrity VS despair, this
lady was overall satisfied with her life, and confidently said, she has done everything that was
required of her. But there are some things which are making her sad till now and one of those
things which were dear to her was losing her husband at a young age. According to her, life was
tough without her husband, but she worked hard and devoted her life to her children and got
them educated, and she also said that if she had to give advice she would say get your children
educated.
When we asked her as she has done her job well and achieved her aim to get her children
educated, and she is proud of it too, what she thinks there is no aim or job left for her or no one
requires her services now. Her answer was the turning point as she said, "No, I have an abnormal
son who needs me and that's my job, till I have a life to live". She answered the question
beautifully and I got the best aspects of the old age and young age too, we can find an aim or
some job or responsibility in life and it does not matter what our age is, as there's always
something in our life that needs to be done.
Secondly, it's the aim or some kind of responsibility that gives the man a power to live and, they
think their service matters. It's not the age that makes us want to live, but it's hope in our aim and

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Social & Psychological Development

services. Mostly, people of old age felt that they have done their jobs well and now they can die
in peace, but some older people get too tired of living even if they have done their jobs well and I
think it's a part of despair too. As the lady answered when we asked her if her son has not been
with her could her life have been better, and she replies he has been her partner and without his
responsibility, she would not have known what should be done with life. I think the word partner
is what makes the older people live happier when they know they have some responsibility,
someone depends on them and someone needs their help.
Despair can happen because of the past and can result in not wanting to die and sometimes it can
also happen because of the present circumstances, and; can result in not wanting to live.
When we asked the lady if something happens and you do not get to fulfill your present
responsibility. How would you feel? And she said I would feel bad, but she also said she is
overall satisfied with her life which means older people at this stage are not after achieving their
goal rather they just want to work on it and wants to feel mattered, as they already knew they can
die anytime. While on the other hand, younger people and older people (who have not achieved
their earlier aims in the earlier part of life) working on their aim don't want to die because they
still have to achieve it.
When at the end of the interview, we asked her, she would like to live the same life. She said, I
would love to and I think that explains everything. She faced despair at some point in life, but
her confidence conveys it all that she has achieved integrity in most parts of her life.
We would like to add, the lady has achieved the feeling of integrity due to her past life as she
feels wise and experienced and awaits the peaceful death. The dependence of the lady’s son on
her makes the later part of her life easier to live.
There is always a service (even sharing wisdom with your children can be a service too) at this
stage, that makes an older person to live, till their life ends, otherwise, despair does not let them
live and die peacefully, rather they would feel agitated to live and wants to die as soon as
possible.

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