{"id":32131,"date":"2021-04-05T11:59:12","date_gmt":"2021-04-05T15:59:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=32131"},"modified":"2021-04-19T21:24:16","modified_gmt":"2021-04-20T01:24:16","slug":"define-identity-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Define an Identity Crisis and Make it Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>How do you define an identity crisis? How can you make the most out of your identity crisis?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not uncommon for people to have an identity crisis in their 20s. Knowing how to define an identity crisis and when you&#8217;re having one can help you make the most out of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read more about how to define an identity crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Define an Identity Crisis, Then be Productive<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All too often, twenty-somethings, feeling lost, retreat into reflection as they try to figure out who they are and by extension, what they should be doing with their lives. This is all part of a classic \u201cidentity crisis,\u201d and it\u2019s an important step towards developing your long-term identity. However, reflection is only half the formula for having a successful identity crisis. The other, equally important, piece is experience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Erik Erickson, a German psychoanalyst, defined the term \u201cidentity crisis\u201d in 1950. He encouraged a period of <strong>youthful exploration during which a person could collect experiences and try out different paths in life without risk or obligation. <\/strong>The concept has evolved since its inception and is today understood very differently from what Erickson intended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Very often, people misconstrue the idea of \u201cnot committing to a path\u201d as \u201cnot exploring any path.\u201d They end up then squandering their twenties in a so-called \u201cStarbucks phase,\u201d during which they hold a series of uninspiring dead-ends jobs, or no job at all, while spending their time in unproductive pursuits like partying, when they should be spending these years collecting instructive experiences.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to Develop Your Identity Capital<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>While having your identity crisis, you need to be not only reflecting on your life but also actively accumulating experiences that will form your \u201cidentity capital\u201d: the sum of your personal resources. <strong>Your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/identity-capital\/\">identity capital<\/a> is the collection of things you\u2019ve done long enough or well enough that they become part of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/your-genius\/\">who you are<\/a>.<\/strong> It\u2019s the intangible currency we use to obtain jobs and relationships. It includes quantifiable measurements like your schools, clubs, jobs, hobbies, and degrees. It also includes more unquantifiable things like your temperament, how you approach problems, and how you present yourself to the world through your clothes, your vocabulary, and your personality.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a difference between an entry-level job at a coffee shop and an entry-level job at a film production company, and during your twenties you must actively build your identity capital by seeking out meaningful opportunities rather than place-holding ones. Volunteer with a charity, work as an intern in an industry you\u2019re interested in, or take classes in something you might like to pursue. Avoid unmeaningful experiences that won\u2019t teach you anything and won\u2019t help you build skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Twenty-somethings who strike this balance between action and reflection spend their identity crisis accumulating interesting experiences <em>while<\/em> they are thinking about their path. These people construct stronger identities and end up more satisfied with their lives: better able to manage stress, more in control of their future, and living more original, unique lives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How do you define an identity crisis? How can you make the most out of your identity crisis? It&#8217;s not uncommon for people to have an identity crisis in their 20s. Knowing how to define an identity crisis and when you&#8217;re having one can help you make the most out of it. Read more about how to define an identity crisis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":13379,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,9],"tags":[260],"class_list":["post-32131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-communication","category-psychology","tag-the-defining-decade","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Define an Identity Crisis and Make it Work - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you&#039;re in your 20s, you might feel like you&#039;re having an identity crisis. Here&#039;s why an identity crisis can be a good thing.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Define an Identity Crisis and Make it Work\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you&#039;re in your 20s, you might feel like you&#039;re having an identity crisis. Here&#039;s why an identity crisis can be a good thing.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-04-05T15:59:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-04-20T01:24:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/memory-and-identity-moonwalking-with-einstein-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Carrie Cabral\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Carrie Cabral\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Carrie Cabral\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2ababb7c63a94ff5d2190f71dc417d56\"},\"headline\":\"How to Define an Identity Crisis and Make it Work\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-04-05T15:59:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-04-20T01:24:16+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/\"},\"wordCount\":519,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/memory-and-identity-moonwalking-with-einstein-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"The Defining Decade\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Communication\",\"Psychology\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/\",\"name\":\"How to Define an Identity Crisis and Make it Work - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/memory-and-identity-moonwalking-with-einstein-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-04-05T15:59:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-04-20T01:24:16+00:00\",\"description\":\"If you're in your 20s, you might feel like you're having an identity crisis. Here's why an identity crisis can be a good thing.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/memory-and-identity-moonwalking-with-einstein-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/memory-and-identity-moonwalking-with-einstein-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Define an Identity Crisis and Make it Work\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World&#039;s Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2ababb7c63a94ff5d2190f71dc417d56\",\"name\":\"Carrie Cabral\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e9aea3c95254368e6bf388b046b35bacb82e4167f4c62c0813620e3a4ec51126?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e9aea3c95254368e6bf388b046b35bacb82e4167f4c62c0813620e3a4ec51126?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Carrie Cabral\"},\"description\":\"Carrie has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember, and has always been open to reading anything put in front of her. She wrote her first short story at the age of six, about a lost dog who meets animal friends on his journey home. Surprisingly, it was never picked up by any major publishers, but did spark her passion for books. Carrie worked in book publishing for several years before getting an MFA in Creative Writing. She especially loves literary fiction, historical fiction, and social, cultural, and historical nonfiction that gets into the weeds of daily life.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/carrie\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Define an Identity Crisis and Make it Work - Shortform Books","description":"If you're in your 20s, you might feel like you're having an identity crisis. Here's why an identity crisis can be a good thing.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Define an Identity Crisis and Make it Work","og_description":"If you're in your 20s, you might feel like you're having an identity crisis. Here's why an identity crisis can be a good thing.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2021-04-05T15:59:12+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-04-20T01:24:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/memory-and-identity-moonwalking-with-einstein-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Carrie Cabral","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Carrie Cabral","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/"},"author":{"name":"Carrie Cabral","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2ababb7c63a94ff5d2190f71dc417d56"},"headline":"How to Define an Identity Crisis and Make it Work","datePublished":"2021-04-05T15:59:12+00:00","dateModified":"2021-04-20T01:24:16+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/"},"wordCount":519,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/memory-and-identity-moonwalking-with-einstein-scaled.jpg","keywords":["The Defining Decade"],"articleSection":["Communication","Psychology"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/","name":"How to Define an Identity Crisis and Make it Work - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/memory-and-identity-moonwalking-with-einstein-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2021-04-05T15:59:12+00:00","dateModified":"2021-04-20T01:24:16+00:00","description":"If you're in your 20s, you might feel like you're having an identity crisis. Here's why an identity crisis can be a good thing.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/memory-and-identity-moonwalking-with-einstein-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/memory-and-identity-moonwalking-with-einstein-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/define-identity-crisis\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Define an Identity Crisis and Make it Work"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World&#039;s Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2ababb7c63a94ff5d2190f71dc417d56","name":"Carrie Cabral","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e9aea3c95254368e6bf388b046b35bacb82e4167f4c62c0813620e3a4ec51126?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e9aea3c95254368e6bf388b046b35bacb82e4167f4c62c0813620e3a4ec51126?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Carrie Cabral"},"description":"Carrie has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember, and has always been open to reading anything put in front of her. She wrote her first short story at the age of six, about a lost dog who meets animal friends on his journey home. Surprisingly, it was never picked up by any major publishers, but did spark her passion for books. Carrie worked in book publishing for several years before getting an MFA in Creative Writing. She especially loves literary fiction, historical fiction, and social, cultural, and historical nonfiction that gets into the weeds of daily life.","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/carrie\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/memory-and-identity-moonwalking-with-einstein-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32131"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32999,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32131\/revisions\/32999"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}