An individual's sense of importance or self-worth can go a long way in determining their perspective on themselves and the world around them. Erik Erikson, a developmental psychologist, highlights the importance of how the role of society and culture can affect an individual's ego. Erikson's theory of human development explains how a person's level of confidence influences their ability to solve society's problems. Erikson believed that a person's potential to trust others, or how a person personally perceives themselves, is affected by how their trust developed during certain stages of their life (McLeod, 2008) . In order to expand on Erikson's ideas about human ego development, he created a model that represents eight stages of development that occur over the course of a person's life. In this model, the first five stages continue through adulthood, and each of these three stages continues through adulthood and beyond. The progression and development of these stages depends on the previous stage (Davis & Clifton, 1995). The first stage in the development of human behavior is that of trust versus distrust, which occurs from infancy to one and a half years of age. At this stage, the infant is unaware of the new world they have entered, making them dependent on their caregiver for safety and care (McLeod, 2008). If the infant is consistently provided with care and stability, then he or she will develop the ability to trust in future relationships (Adler, 2008). If the infant develops successfully, when a problem arises, he will solve it with the help of others. However, if this child does not have this ability, then he will develop fear. This will lead the child to distrust others, which is a generative situation compared to the stagnation that occurs between the ages of forty and sixty-five. This is when people are most productive with themselves and their families (McLeod, 2008). Being productive is important for a person to pass on their knowledge to other generations. Lack of productivity can lead to feelings of stagnation. The eighth stage occurs at the age of sixty-five and above. This is when people retire and regret or are proud of the choices they made (McLeod, 2008). Erikson's theory of human development has helped provide ideas and information on how the development of these eight stages affects an individual's ego. These ideas can guide parents when disciplining their children at different ages. His theory can help future psychologists research how events at certain ages can influence the way people perceive life..