The struggle to find an identity is the central task of adolescence. It is a long and slow process during which are laid the final foundations for the personality of the future adult. These foundations, of course, were first begun long ago in the relationship between the baby and its mother and then in that of the infant to both its parents. They have been further developed by later interactions throughout childhood with parents, with brothers and sisters, with friends, school teachers and other important adults. They are affected at every stage not only by the nature of the new acquaintances but also by the child's approach to these and from the expectations arising from the results of his first encounters with the world. These are then transferred to subsequent relationships.

The very first step in knowing people is to be able to identify with them, to feel your way into their minds, into their personalities, to sense their physical reactions and to learn in these ways what it feels like to be them. Little children do this quite literally