Difference between revisions of "Inferiority complex" - New World Encyclopedia
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[[Category:Politics and social sciences]] | [[Category:Politics and social sciences]] | ||
[[Category:Psychology]] | [[Category:Psychology]] | ||
| − | + | In the fields of [[psychology]] and [[psychoanalysis]], an '''inferiority complex''' is a feeling that one is inferior to others in some way. It is often unconscious, and is thought to drive afflicted individuals to overcompensate, resulting either in spectacular achievement or extreme antisocial behavior. Early work in this field was pioneered by [[Alfred Adler]], who used the example of [[Napoleon complex]]es to illustrate his theory. Unlike a '''normal feeling of inferiority''', which can act as an incentive for achievement, an inferiority complex is an advanced state of discouragement, often resulting in a retreat from difficulties. | |
| − | In the fields of [[psychology]] and [[psychoanalysis]], an '''inferiority complex''' is a feeling that one is inferior to others in some way. It is often unconscious, and is thought to drive afflicted individuals to overcompensate, resulting either in spectacular achievement or extreme antisocial | ||
| − | |||
| − | Unlike a '''normal feeling of inferiority''', which can act as an incentive for achievement, an inferiority complex is an advanced state of discouragement, often resulting in a retreat from difficulties. | ||
===[[Classical Adlerian psychology]]=== | ===[[Classical Adlerian psychology]]=== | ||
| − | Adler | + | Adler defined mental health as a feeling of human connectedness, and a willingness to develop oneself fully and contribute to the welfare of others. When these qualities are underdeveloped, an individual experiences feelings of inferiority, or an attitude of superiority which may antagonize others. The perception of superiority leads to self-centered behavior and the individual may become emotionally or materially exploitive of other people. Adler said "The theory of Individual psychology of psychological compensation states that the stronger the feeling of inferiority, the higher the goal for personal power." When the feelings of connectedness and the willingness to contribute are stronger, a feeling of equality emerges, and the individual will become more public-minded, self-transcending and behave more beneficially to others. |
Adler found that as a result of its initial helplessness, an infant feels inferior and strives to overcome a feeling of incompletion by striving for a higher level of development. Feeling inferior and compensating for that feeling becomes the dynamic principle of motivation, moving an individual from one level of development to the next. This striving occurs continuously throughout life. | Adler found that as a result of its initial helplessness, an infant feels inferior and strives to overcome a feeling of incompletion by striving for a higher level of development. Feeling inferior and compensating for that feeling becomes the dynamic principle of motivation, moving an individual from one level of development to the next. This striving occurs continuously throughout life. | ||
This process begins in infancy as children become aware of their inadequacies, especially when comparing themselves to older children and adults. As a result they experience what Adler described as "minus situations". The inferiority feelings become motivation for striving towards what he called "plus situations". | This process begins in infancy as children become aware of their inadequacies, especially when comparing themselves to older children and adults. As a result they experience what Adler described as "minus situations". The inferiority feelings become motivation for striving towards what he called "plus situations". | ||
| − | Adler makes a distinction between '''primary''' and '''secondary''' inferiority feelings. A primary inferiority feeling is rooted in the young child's original experience of weakness, helplessness, and dependency. A secondary inferiority feeling relates to an adult's experience of being unable to reach an unconscious, compensatory, fictional final goal of subjective security and success. The perceived distance from that goal would lead to a "minus" feeling | + | Adler makes a distinction between '''primary''' and '''secondary''' inferiority feelings. A primary inferiority feeling is rooted in the young child's original experience of weakness, helplessness, and dependency. A secondary inferiority feeling relates to an adult's experience of being unable to reach an unconscious, compensatory, fictional final goal of subjective security and success. The perceived distance from that goal would lead to a "minus" feeling that could then prompt the recall of the original inferiority feeling; this composite of inferiority feelings could be experienced as overwhelming. The "catch-22" dilemma is that the goal invented to relieve the original, primary feeling of inferiority, actually causes the secondary feeling of inferiority. This vicious circle is common in neurotic life styles. The secondary inferiority feeling is exacerbated when the individual has adopted an unrealistically high or impossible compensatory goal, often one of perfection. In addition to the distress of not achieving this goal, the residue of the original, primary feeling of inferiority may still haunt an adult. An inferiority complex is an extremely deep feeling of inferiority that can lead to pessimistic resignation and an assumed inability to overcome difficulties. |
==Napoleon complex== | ==Napoleon complex== | ||
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==Inferiority complex in children== | ==Inferiority complex in children== | ||
| − | Adler believed that the feeling of inferiority typically begins in childhood. These children may have developed | + | Adler believed that the feeling of inferiority typically begins in childhood. These children may have developed feelings of inferiority on the basis of some realities, or from childhood based misinterpretations about their body, or from their social or physical relationship with their environment. The fictitious goal of superiority is set higher and will be adhered to more tenaciously the longer and more clearly the child perceives his insecurity, the more he suffers from actual physical or mental impediments, and the more intensely he feels being neglected. At some point the striving for power and dominance over others becomes exaggerated and intensified until it is considered pathological. |
| − | One of Adler's students, Anthony Bruck, cautioned that labels only describe or name what children do. The cause behind the behavior is the desire for significance and the feeling of inferiority. It is the inferiority that hurts the children and makes them aggressive. However, he believed that in education the inferiority feelings can also be | + | One of Adler's students, Anthony Bruck, cautioned that labels only describe or name what children do. The cause behind the behavior is the desire for significance and the feeling of inferiority. It is the inferiority that hurts the children and makes them aggressive. However, he believed that in education the inferiority feelings can also be very useful if it remains within limits. It is particularly useful from the viewpoint of the teacher, as the interest of children in their education springs from their feeling of inferiority. He points out two significant reasons that thwart a child's interest in learning: "one is an excessive feeling of inferiority, the other, the usual consequence of the former, the development of a striving, no longer towards security and equality, but towards power and superiority." |
| − | Erik Erikson describes the fourth stage of psychosocial development as the task of inferiority vs. industry | + | Erik Erikson describes the fourth stage of psychosocial development as the task of inferiority vs. industry occurring at 6-12 years of age. It is essential for the child at this stage to discover pleasure in being productive and to experience success. In school, a child has the opportunity to learn new skills in academics, socializing skills with peers, as well as develop physical abilities through games and sports. Difficulty in any of these areas can lead to a sense of inferiority, failure and incompetence. With an adult's support, the child can develop a sense of competence. If the adults in a child's life do not support the child, feelings of inferiority are likely to develop. When a child experiences too much inferiority, inertia or helplessness occurs (underachievers). |
==Cultural cringe== | ==Cultural cringe== | ||
| − | Some [[sociology|sociologists]] have proposed that an inferiority complex can also exist at a wider level, affecting entire cultures. This theory, which is controversial, is known as [[cultural cringe]]. Adler believed that the desire of groups to escape or compensate for their | + | Some [[sociology|sociologists]] have proposed that an inferiority complex can also exist at a wider level, affecting entire cultures. This theory, which is controversial, is known as [[cultural cringe]]. Adler believed that the desire of groups to escape or compensate for their crushing sense of inferiority is a contributing factor to national hatreds, class struggle, and even war. He analyzed an event that occurred in his native country using this concept. He asserted that the young men who murdered the Austrian heir to the throne were responding to their sense of inferiority, which produced an exaggerated sensitiveness that drives individuals to seek 'solutions'. Any outside interference would appear to such individuals in this state of mind as a threat to their security to which they must respond in self defense. He also attributed the sense of inferiority to the individuals in the crowds clamoring for war as a solution, and the still larger crowds which accepted war as a solution. |
| − | Adler concluded that the principles of his Individual psychology would apply also to groups and would rally the latent forces for good which are inherent in groups, as it had for individuals. If used on a larger scale, he postulated, this approach which was curing individuals from the effects of the sense of | + | Adler concluded that the principles of his Individual psychology would apply also to groups and would rally the latent forces for good which are inherent in groups, as it had for individuals. If used on a larger scale, he postulated, this approach which was curing individuals from the effects of the sense of inferiority, could also be developed into a powerful instrument to rid nations and groups of their destructive collective inferiority complexes. |
==Treatment== | ==Treatment== | ||
Revision as of 21:06, 29 March 2006
In the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis, an inferiority complex is a feeling that one is inferior to others in some way. It is often unconscious, and is thought to drive afflicted individuals to overcompensate, resulting either in spectacular achievement or extreme antisocial behavior. Early work in this field was pioneered by Alfred Adler, who used the example of Napoleon complexes to illustrate his theory. Unlike a normal feeling of inferiority, which can act as an incentive for achievement, an inferiority complex is an advanced state of discouragement, often resulting in a retreat from difficulties.
Classical Adlerian psychology
Adler defined mental health as a feeling of human connectedness, and a willingness to develop oneself fully and contribute to the welfare of others. When these qualities are underdeveloped, an individual experiences feelings of inferiority, or an attitude of superiority which may antagonize others. The perception of superiority leads to self-centered behavior and the individual may become emotionally or materially exploitive of other people. Adler said "The theory of Individual psychology of psychological compensation states that the stronger the feeling of inferiority, the higher the goal for personal power." When the feelings of connectedness and the willingness to contribute are stronger, a feeling of equality emerges, and the individual will become more public-minded, self-transcending and behave more beneficially to others.
Adler found that as a result of its initial helplessness, an infant feels inferior and strives to overcome a feeling of incompletion by striving for a higher level of development. Feeling inferior and compensating for that feeling becomes the dynamic principle of motivation, moving an individual from one level of development to the next. This striving occurs continuously throughout life. This process begins in infancy as children become aware of their inadequacies, especially when comparing themselves to older children and adults. As a result they experience what Adler described as "minus situations". The inferiority feelings become motivation for striving towards what he called "plus situations".
Adler makes a distinction between primary and secondary inferiority feelings. A primary inferiority feeling is rooted in the young child's original experience of weakness, helplessness, and dependency. A secondary inferiority feeling relates to an adult's experience of being unable to reach an unconscious, compensatory, fictional final goal of subjective security and success. The perceived distance from that goal would lead to a "minus" feeling that could then prompt the recall of the original inferiority feeling; this composite of inferiority feelings could be experienced as overwhelming. The "catch-22" dilemma is that the goal invented to relieve the original, primary feeling of inferiority, actually causes the secondary feeling of inferiority. This vicious circle is common in neurotic life styles. The secondary inferiority feeling is exacerbated when the individual has adopted an unrealistically high or impossible compensatory goal, often one of perfection. In addition to the distress of not achieving this goal, the residue of the original, primary feeling of inferiority may still haunt an adult. An inferiority complex is an extremely deep feeling of inferiority that can lead to pessimistic resignation and an assumed inability to overcome difficulties.
Napoleon complex
In the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis, Napoleon complex (or Napoleon syndrome) is a colloquial term used to describe a type of inferiority complex suffered by people who are short. Alfred Adler pioneered the psychological work on inferiority complexes, and used Napoléon Bonaparte as an example of someone who he thought was driven to extremes by a psychological need to compensate for what he saw as a handicap: his small stature (though in actuality, Napoleon's particular shortness is a myth; he was in fact slightly over 168 cm, or 5 ft 6 in). Typically people with this complex will compensate in many ways, reaching beyond their personal performance. A person with a Napoleon Complex may set pictures in their home to lower levels and make other such accommodations which will enable them to feel taller in their surroundings.
Compensatory behavior exhibited by those with a Napoleon complex may also include being overly aggressive or argumentative and a need to over-achieve, which all serve to give the person a sense of greater self worth.
Inferiority complex in children
Adler believed that the feeling of inferiority typically begins in childhood. These children may have developed feelings of inferiority on the basis of some realities, or from childhood based misinterpretations about their body, or from their social or physical relationship with their environment. The fictitious goal of superiority is set higher and will be adhered to more tenaciously the longer and more clearly the child perceives his insecurity, the more he suffers from actual physical or mental impediments, and the more intensely he feels being neglected. At some point the striving for power and dominance over others becomes exaggerated and intensified until it is considered pathological.
One of Adler's students, Anthony Bruck, cautioned that labels only describe or name what children do. The cause behind the behavior is the desire for significance and the feeling of inferiority. It is the inferiority that hurts the children and makes them aggressive. However, he believed that in education the inferiority feelings can also be very useful if it remains within limits. It is particularly useful from the viewpoint of the teacher, as the interest of children in their education springs from their feeling of inferiority. He points out two significant reasons that thwart a child's interest in learning: "one is an excessive feeling of inferiority, the other, the usual consequence of the former, the development of a striving, no longer towards security and equality, but towards power and superiority."
Erik Erikson describes the fourth stage of psychosocial development as the task of inferiority vs. industry occurring at 6-12 years of age. It is essential for the child at this stage to discover pleasure in being productive and to experience success. In school, a child has the opportunity to learn new skills in academics, socializing skills with peers, as well as develop physical abilities through games and sports. Difficulty in any of these areas can lead to a sense of inferiority, failure and incompetence. With an adult's support, the child can develop a sense of competence. If the adults in a child's life do not support the child, feelings of inferiority are likely to develop. When a child experiences too much inferiority, inertia or helplessness occurs (underachievers).
Cultural cringe
Some sociologists have proposed that an inferiority complex can also exist at a wider level, affecting entire cultures. This theory, which is controversial, is known as cultural cringe. Adler believed that the desire of groups to escape or compensate for their crushing sense of inferiority is a contributing factor to national hatreds, class struggle, and even war. He analyzed an event that occurred in his native country using this concept. He asserted that the young men who murdered the Austrian heir to the throne were responding to their sense of inferiority, which produced an exaggerated sensitiveness that drives individuals to seek 'solutions'. Any outside interference would appear to such individuals in this state of mind as a threat to their security to which they must respond in self defense. He also attributed the sense of inferiority to the individuals in the crowds clamoring for war as a solution, and the still larger crowds which accepted war as a solution.
Adler concluded that the principles of his Individual psychology would apply also to groups and would rally the latent forces for good which are inherent in groups, as it had for individuals. If used on a larger scale, he postulated, this approach which was curing individuals from the effects of the sense of inferiority, could also be developed into a powerful instrument to rid nations and groups of their destructive collective inferiority complexes.
Treatment
An exaggerated inferiority feeling for which the individual attempts to compensate by a fictional final goal of superiority over others is the major hindrance to a feeling of equality and the development of the feeling of community. The primary indication of mental health in Adlerian psychotherapy is the person's feeling of community and connectedness with all of life. This sense of unity provides the real key to the individual's genuine feeling of security and happiness. When adequately developed, it leads to a feeling of equality, an attitude of cooperative interdependence, and a desire to contribute. Consequently, the central goal of Adlerian psychotherapy is to strengthen this feeling of community. Therefore, the therapeutic process is simultaneously focused on three aspects of change. First is the reduction of the painful, exaggerated inferiority feelings to a normal size that can be used to promote growth and development and a healthy striving for significance. The second is the release of the patient's destructive striving for superiority over others, manifested in a compensatory lifestyle. The third aspect is the fostering of equality and feeling of community. Underlying this work is a firm belief in the creative power of the individual to freely make choices and correct them— an extremely optimistic view of human nature and the ability to change.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Adler, Alfred. 1987. The Child's Inner Life and a Sense of Community. Individual Psychology. Vol. 44 No. 4, September 1987.
- Boeree, C. George. 1997. Alfred Adler
External links
- Alfred Adler Institutes of San Francisco and Northwestern Washington
- Erik Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development
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