Later stages don't replace previous stages. They transcend them. Stage Two people still care about social approval. They just care about something more than social approval. Stage 3 people still care about testing their limits. They just care more about the commitments they've made.

Each stage represents a reshuffling of one's life priorities. It's for this reason that when one transitions from one stage to another, one will often experience a fallout in one's friendsh.i.p.s and relationsh.i.p.s. If you were Stage Two and all of your friends were Stage Two, and suddenly you settle down, commit and get to work on Stage Three, yet your friends are still Stage Two, there will be a fundamental disconnect between your values and theirs that will be difficult to overcome.

Generally speaking, people project their own stage onto everyone else around them. People at Stage One will judge others by their ability to achieve social approval. People at Stage Two will judge others by their ability to push their own boundaries and try new things. People at Stage Three will judge others based on their commitments and what they're able to achieve. People at Stage Four judge others based on what they stand for and what they've chosen to live for.