Self-Focus and Psychological Diversity in Emerging Adulthood Stage

This essay explores the concept of emerging adulthood, particularly the period of self-focus that characterizes it. It argues that while emerging adulthood (ages 18-25) is a time of self-realization and individualistic pursuits, it is also marked by psychological and spiritual conflict. The transition from adolescence to adulthood involves navigating wrong decisions, hedonistic behaviors, and spiritual loss, which can contradict self-focus. The essay emphasizes that emerging adulthood is a diverse and tumultuous period requiring careful navigation to avoid delusion and ensure future success, highlighting the psychological diversity and turmoil inherent in this life stage and referencing the work of Jeffrey Arnett.

Running head: EMERGING ADULTHOOD
EMERGING ADULTHOOD
Name of the student
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Author Note

1EMERGING ADULTHOOD
Emerging adulthood is sometimes also called an age of “self focus”. According to my
personal observations and experiences, adulthood is the period of self realization and
actualization. Emerging adulthood, which is roughly around age 18 to 25, is a crucial period in a
person’s life because it is the period when one becomes individualistic in his/her approaches and
realizes where he/she is standing in life (in terms of career, relationships and family life) (Arnett,
2014). Therefore, this is the time when people try to focus only on themselves, on their
achievements, failures and upcoming futuristic ventures in order to make the most of their life.
However, there are instances as well that show that “self focus” is always not typical or
quintessential to emerging adulthood. For instance, during the period of emerging childhood, a
person is always in a psychological and spiritual conflict between adolescence and adulthood.
The person tries to break all the shackles and aftermath of adolescence and tries to grow up
completely into a matured and trustworthy, responsible adult. However, in between the transition
from a new budding adult to an emerged adult, people go through a plethora of wrong decisions,
harmful hedonistic behavior such as illicit sexual relationship and drugs as well as spiritual loss
(lack of faith in religion, agnosticism, materialism) which is opposite to self focus and might lead
them to delusion and failure in the later life. Therefore, emerging adulthood is a period of
psychological diversity and turmoil which is needed to be dealt judiciously (Arnett, Žukauskienė
& Sugimura, 2014).

2EMERGING ADULTHOOD
References:
Arnett, J. J. (2014). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the
twenties. Oxford University Press, USA.
Arnett, J. J., Žukauskienė, R., & Sugimura, K. (2014). The new life stage of emerging adulthood
at ages 18–29 years: Implications for mental health. The Lancet Psychiatry, 1(7), 569-
576.