"The Summer of a Man's Life". Universal and Individual Patterns of Yo-ung Adulthood in the Life of Loránt Hegedüs

Abstract

The purpose of the study. Social psychologist György Hunyady claims that historians often incorrectly interpret the intentions, attitudes, and character traits of an individual by trying to extrapolate it from his actions. By contrast, historical characters generally attribute their actions to external factors. The impact of the environment on the individual's life path is also emphasized by the most recent psychobiographical research (C.-H. Mayer et al). Starting from this, the study aims to reveal the impact of the challenges of the era and the socio-cultural environment on the decisions of Loránt Hegedüs, a member of the Hungarian multi-positional elite. Applied methods. The study is based on Levinson's theory of psychobiography, and it examines Hegedüs's young adulthood (17-40 years), which corresponds to the season of summer in the human life cycle. Outcomes. This stage in Hegedüs' life brought profound changes in the fields of occupation, marriage, and parental role. However, his "dream" did not come true. Disruptive events that shook society as a whole, including the First World War, the dissolution of the Monarchy, and the revolutions of 1918/1919, significantly hindered the progress of his personal goals. A change occurred in middle adulthood, when, as a result of the unfolding of the counter-revolution, his personal aspirations were able to merge with the prevailing values and expectations of his time. The study supports the effectiveness of the application of psychobiography in the field of history.