Unit 1 You and Others 14
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themselves. They are trying to better understand themselves. They begin to
think more about the direction of their lives and ask important questions.
Feelings about families and friends become more intense.
Many young people develop strong interests during adolescence.
They may begin to work on causes for other people by joining volunteer
programs. They may become active in clubs, sports, or religious groups.
These interests may change, or they may last for a long time.
As an adolescent, you may not act as you feel. You may act bold, but feel
scared inside. You may claim to be grown up, but seek adults who praise you.
You may not act upset when you make a mistake, but feel embarrassed inside.
All these feelings are typical. Each year will bring new growth and
development for you. Adolescence is the time when you are moving from
childhood to adulthood. You must allow yourself time to move through
this period of your life.
Your character is a product of growth and development. It develops
during adolescence.
Character
is made up of the traits that guide you in
deciding right from wrong. Your beliefs about what is important help form
your character. The strong beliefs about right and wrong that guide your
conduct are called ethics. The ways you behave express your character and
ethics to others.
Another goal of adolescence is to become more independent from adults.
You want more freedom to think, act, and care for yourself. This takes time,
as you must reach smaller goals fi rst. You need to learn how to get along with
others. You begin to think about a career and fi nd your identity.
One of the best ways to show you are ready to be more independent
is to become responsible for yourself and your actions. A
responsibility
is a task you are expected or trusted to do. You may have responsibilities
at home. Your family may expect you to keep your room clean. They may
expect you to do other chores, too. You have responsibilities at school.
Teachers expect you to get to class on time and do your homework. You
have responsibilities to your friends. They expect you to be thoughtful,
patient, and honest.
One of the important goals of adolescence is fulfi lling your
responsibilities. You need to show others they can count on you. This will let
them know you are ready to accept even more responsibilities as an adult.
Meeting the goals of becoming an adolescent takes work. You need
to think about the type of person you want to become. Set goals and plan
steps to achieve these goals. This effort helps prepare you for adulthood.
Reading
Review
1. What are some of the changes that occur in each person’s life during
adolescence?
2. Why is it important for adolescents to become more independent from
adults?