Development is a process that revolves around growth and change. Everyone experiences development. While some argue that human development is a gradual and continuous process, others argue that it is a discontinuous process, in which there is a succession of distinct phases. Sigmund Freud undoubtedly believed in continuity, while Jerome Kagan clearly supports the theses relating to discontinuity. The general debate revolves around the question of whether development is systematic and a smooth progression or a series of sudden changes or shifts. As for my life, I see both continuity and discontinuity in various aspects of it. This being the case, my experience suggests that development is a combination of continuity and growth. As babies we start to “coo” and “babble”. Then we move on to using single words, which gradually turn into two words and then complete sentences. This progression is a continuous process. However, development does not occur at a fixed pace or speed, which makes it possible to say that continuous development does not really occur “continuously” but occurs in gradual stages, which can be sudden or progressive. This leads me to believe that continuity and discontinuity both play a role in development. When we are taught new concepts and information in school, our educators typically set it up in a way that builds on our prior knowledge. Would we be able to understand certain concepts if we had never heard of something similar before? Most likely we could and it could be precisely this social construction that has led us to learn continuously, rather than discontinuously. Similarly, in language development, an individual may be able to move from “cooing” to using two words at a time. This may seem atypical, but it is. However, continuous development can be seen to occur in typically age-related changes, while discontinuous development can include rather abrupt but significant changes. The discontinuities can most likely be adaptations, which is also indicative of plasticity. We don't necessarily always act the way we did as children, and our personalities tend to change as we develop and grow. Our attitudes and behaviors are not always preserved throughout our lives. For example, my way of thinking now varies a lot from what I had when I was eleven. This was not a gradual process, but a sudden one. We all think in different ways, depending on our age and stage of development. Our thinking is not as coherent as we are