Synonyms
Definition
The savior complex refers to the chronic tendency of people to put aside their own well-being to help others.
The savior complex is a state of mind that’s also known as “messiah complex” or the “white knight syndrome.” While it may sound like a hallowed virtue, it is often practiced as a means to feel better about oneself. There are several pop culture references of the savior complex: Clark Kent refusing to date Lana Lang in the earlier seasons of Smallville, convinced that he’s saving her by keeping her away from his secret; Edward Cullen breaking up with Isabella Swan in the Twilight series to save her from fellow vampires. In both instances, however, the saviors disregard the choices of the individuals they’re saving because their motivation lies, instead, in the self-aggrandizing notion of sacrificing their own interests to save another – irrespective of whether one even wantsto be saved, or whether it counts as saving...
References
D’Cunha, S.D. 2017. In India, the gender pay gap extends even to Bollywood. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/suparnadutt/2017/08/30/in-india-the-gender-pay-gap-extends-even-to-bollywood/?sh=dac18df502b0
Furfaro, H. 2018. New evidence ties Hans Asperger to Nazi eugenics program. Retrieved from https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/new-evidence-ties-hans-asperger-nazi-eugenics-program/
Grant, E.T. 2018. If you’re doing these 10 things in a relationship, you may have the savior complex. Retrieved from https://www.bustle.com/p/if-youre-doing-these-10-things-in-your-relationship-you-may-have-savior-complex-9654848.
Healthline. 2023. Always trying to save people? You might have the savior complex. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/savior-complex
Hoseini, S.A., and M. Molla. 2020. Asperger’s syndrome. Treasure Island: StatPearls Publishing.
Inside Hitler’s Mind. 2023. Retrieved from https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/inside-hitlers-mind
Kulkarni, R. 2020. The saviour complex. Retrieved from https://weqip.com/saviour-complex-whats-wrong-with-the-constant-need-to-help/
Morris, S. 2012. Adolf Hitler’s ‘messiah complex’ studied in secret British intelligence report. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/may/04/hitler-messiah-complex-secret-british-intelligence-report.
Rakshit, D. 2022. Can we move on. The Swaddle. Retrieved from https://theswaddle.com/can-we-move-on-from-the-trope-of-the-male-savior-who-rescues-women-from-patriarchy-in-woke-movies/.
Reese, H. 2018. The disturbing history of Dr. Asperger and the movement to reframe the syndrome. Vox. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/conversations/2018/5/22/17377766/asperger-nazi-rename-syndrome.
Sheffer, E. 2018. Asperger’s syndrome, the Nazi regime and the dangerous power of labeling people. Time. Retrieved from https://time.com/5255779/asperger-syndrome-nazi-germany-history/
Staughton, J. 2022. What is a savior complex? Retrieved from https://www.scienceabc.com/social-science/what-is-a-savior-complex.html
Summersault, A. 2020. The savior complex. Retrieved from https://medium.com/be-unique/the-savior-complex-an-honest-look-at-your-toxic-codependence-e6295e80e2ef
The Holocaust. 2023. Retrieved from https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/holocaust
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Rakshit, D. (2023). Savior Complex and Heroism. In: Encyclopedia of Heroism Studies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17125-3_409-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17125-3_409-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-17125-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-17125-3
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences