Rollo May’s Stages of Development explain how people grow and change by facing life’s big challenges, like making choices, dealing with fear, and figuring out who they really are. He believed we go through four main stages.
First is Innocence, when we’re babies and just act on instinct—we don’t think about right or wrong yet. Next is Rebellion, when we start saying “no” and want to make our own choices, even if we don’t know why.
Then comes Ordinary Consciousness, where we try to fit in, follow the rules, and be responsible, like doing our homework or helping out. But we might ignore what really matters to us.
The last stage is Creative Consciousness, when we live more honestly and make choices that feel meaningful, not just what others expect. In this stage, we face tough things like anxiety—a deep kind of worry about life—but we use it to grow.
Rollo May’s idea helps us understand that becoming a strong, thoughtful person means learning to balance freedom, responsibility, and our own truth. We don’t just grow older—we grow more aware, and that’s what really helps us live fully.