Mark is a 28-year-old African American firefighter who loves his job. Although it does not pay as well as he would like and the hours are irregular, he finds it a rewarding and thrilling occupation. As he attempts to describe why he likes his job so much, his face transforms. It lights up. He looks as if he is reliving the excitement of the latest event to which his fire department had been called. He explains that when the alarm sounds, adrenaline rushes into his system and his body springs to life. He states that when he is on a call, he does not really feel fear, but rather caution-and he feels alive. When he sees the brightness of the fire and feels the heat from the flames, he functions almost automatically, performing his duties bravely hut not carelessly. The sight and feel of the blaze and the rawness of his lungs from breathing in smoke make him aware of his mortality and make him appreciate life. Part of Mark's job also consists of giving talks to elementary school children about fire hazards and fire safety. He discusses how fires start and grow. He discusses what children should do if a fire breaks out. When he gives these talks the children look up to him and see him as a brave man, which makes him feel good. He also enjoys the status associated with being a 6refighter. The people he helps reward him with praise and thanks. They, like the school children, make him feel important and valiant Mark's job is very stimulating. Even as a child, Mark was always seeking out high levels of stimulation. When he was very young, he was always making noise, either talking or singing continuously or trying to make music with things such as sticks and pots and pans. Sometimes he would claim that it "was just too quiet." Favorite games were exciting also. Frequently, he would play games in which he was some kind of super hero. He would be the sheriff who captured the bank robbers, the police officer who threw the bad guys in jail, or the captain who outwitted the pirates (and often it was his little sister who was the bank robber, bad guy, or the pirate) As a teenager and young adult, he always knew he would go into some type of "service" occupation like fire fighting or police duty and he actually attended the police academy for a short time before deciding that it was not for him. He was concerned that the job would turn out to be monotonous rather than stimulating because of the amount of paperwork and the continuous driving involved in patrols. After his experience with police work, Mark decided on becoming a firefighter because he found it more exciting. This decision was a difficult one for him because his parents disapproved of his career choice. They were concerned about Mark getting hurt or killed. They also disliked the idea of him moving out of their house to go to the fire-raining academy. Nevertheless, he made his decision and stayed with it. He performed very well at the academy and rented his own apartment for the times he would not be living at the fire station Mark's friends describe him as outgoing and happy. He loves life and lives it to its fullest. Although he isn't an introspective person, he is very realistic and pragnmatic. His firefighting colleagues describe him as very competent, always able to adapt rescue techniques to the situation as necessary. He is even quite good at fixing and makinng things. 1. How would Freud explain Mark’s choice of occupation (Think defenses and stage of development?
2. At what Jungian life stage was Mark when he was pretending to be a super hero? What stage is he in now and what is he experiencing that would fit that stage?