Our upbringing has a great influence on the development of our personalities as young children. As children we learn from experience and that experience derives from our parents’ behavior. Thus up until we reach the age of puberty, our individuality is questionable because it is not authentic. Our knowledge is based on that of our parents and to be able to fully discover who we are as individuals we need to step outside of their shadow and liberate ourselves from their influence. According to Freud, one way in which this liberation is achieved is through the comparison of parental figures. In this manner, a process of rediscovery can take place since the individual is exposed to new knowledge and behaviors. Apart from questioning the knowledge that an individual obtains from his parents, the individual may begin to question what Freud refers to as “the family romance.” By becoming familiar with “the difference in the parts played by fathers and mothers in their sexual relations,” an individual begins to perceive his father figure in a much higher regard despite the fact that he criticized his attributes earlier. The mother figure, on the other hand, is still under critique because she remains “the subject of the most intense sexual curiosity” and thus is perceived as being unfaithful. As the individual’s process of self-discovery continues, his understanding of the family romance contributes to the development of his own individuality and personality. The comprehension of this subject matter along with “intellectual growth,” enables a child to grow into as an independent and self-governing adult.