I have never really considered the concept of a moratorium, but thinking about it now, it makes sense. A choice of a gap year, or a semester/year off here or there all boil down to be caused by the same root desire: to postpone. In the professional world, one will often hear the adage “time is money.” By extension, if you are wasting time (not pursuing education/being employed), then you are wasting money, and as the next adage goes, “money makes the world go ‘round.” There is such a hyper-focus on society about hitting the ground running, first one out of the gate, with the hope that the first one out will be the first one back. I think, from reading Sheehy’s description on the late-adolescence/early-adulthood crisis, that it contains the same principle as “The Tortoise and the Hare.” Slow and steady can win the development race, and often it can be much less vitriolic than it would have been otherwise.
I think it is fascinating that the different types of identity development can be broken down into four separate and distinct different categories. I think I fall somewhere between the moratorium and identity-achieved group, but with a much heavier lean towards the achieved. I have suffered through a turbulent crisis recently, one that is currently ongoing even, but one in which I believe to be nearing an end. Regardless, it has largely shaped how I view myself and others in the world.
The question I have is: do you agree with Sheehy, that crisis and turmoil is inevitable and essential for long-term development?
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