As we age and go through different stages in our life, we often deal with certain day-to-day encounters in our environment that may effect our mental health. While some encounters may be more minor or major than others, they all differ from person to person. In addition, they have the power to influence how we view not only ourselves, but also everyone and everything around us. Erik Erickson’s eight stages of psychosocial development take us through the ways we mentally adapt to our surroundings.