Eric Erikson, a German -American psychoanalyst known for his theory of psychosocial development, once said that “In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity”.

Identity formation has always been one of the central tasks of adolescence and young adulthood, but that task has become far more challenging for many young people in recent decades, as many of the traditional sources of personal identity have steadily deteriorated.

Among the contributing factors of this deterioration is the breakdown of a stable family environment where parents, sometimes because of economic constraints, seem to have become too busy to provide emotional support, lifelong affirmation and most of all ‘their presence’ especially during the sensitive period of adolescence. Other factors include the decreased “stability and trustworthiness” of interpersonal relationships, including marriage and friendships and a common rebellious trend among some youth who claim to be “religiously unaffiliated”. This often leads to adopting a self-centred, transactional, and short-term approach toward relationships, relationships become increasingly superficial and transient, leading people to be wary of long-term commitments.

Zygmunt Bauman, a Polish-British sociologist and philosopher, argued that numerous aspects of society seem to be in a state of continuous flux. This decline in societal stability is troubling in many ways, but perhaps one of its most concerning consequences is its detrimental effect on the ability of many young adults to form a solid and stable sense of personal identity.

Bauman claimed that as Western societies transitioned from modernism to postmodernism, there was an accompanying shift in what he called “lifestyles” or “life strategies,” and that this shift had a significant impact on identity formation. He claimed that, prior to the advent of postmodernism, most people viewed themselves as “pilgrims” en route to some future destination that would bring about their fulfillment, and that people built their identities upon this view of life. Bauman acknowledged the religious origins of the image of life in this world as a pilgrimage (more specifically, as a journey toward union with God in the afterlife, an image that guided people’s lives and gave meaning and purpose to their lives), but he asserted that this worldview became secularized over time, focusing heavily (and sometimes exclusively) on inner-worldly goals rather than a transcendent spiritual destination.

A pilgrim orientation to life that is future oriented, guided by a moral compass, open to long-term commitments in relationships, and willing to sacrifice for the sake of others is ultimately our earthly journey toward eternal union with God.

Christian anthropology has the deepest answers to the problem of this flux in identity. God creates every single human being in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26–28) and invites each of us to share forever in his divine life and love as members of the Body of Christ. In this earthly life, we are all people on a pilgrimage, people on the way toward God.

We are pilgrims of hope, beloved by God, seeking through our talents to manifest God’s glory through our life’s journey, guided by evangelical truths that bring harmony and peace to society. Every other identity is an illusion.

Published in Sunday Times of Malta (Oct 2025) Gordon Vassallo