Part III, The Growth of the Ego, Chapter 7, Eight Ages of Man Summary and Analysis

Chapter 7 begins with the observation that babies' social trust makes feeding easier, along with sleep and bowel relaxation. Discomfort becomes a problem for the bowels and the infant must learn how to separate from parents. As the child develops, children constantly test the relationship between their inside and outside, between the reality they face and their internal needs. The absence of truth results from a disconnect and can be observed in childhood schizophrenia.

Psychoanalysis assumes that the early process of differentiation between inside and outside can be disrupted and that this is a cause of many neuroses. As differentiation occurs (or not), enduring patterns of behavior are established. Organized religion helps to give parents faith which supports the trust...