Inferiority/Superiority Complex

Inferiority Complex

Alfred Adler (1870–1937) proposed in his theory, called individual psychology or Adlerian psychology, that the fundamental need for all human beings is to belong, and when we belong and find our place to fit in, our desire to contribute to the welfare of others increases. Adler’s term for this was Gemeinschaftsgefühl, which translates to social interest and community feeling or having an interest in the interests of others. When we act on this desire, we feel a sense of mastery or significance. When we do not find our unique place to connect and contribute, we get discouraged and our desire to contribute diminishes. This sense of discouragement may remind us of our inferiority feelings with which Adler concluded all human beings are born.

Humans enter the world in an inferior state, requiring constant care and assistance from others to meet basic needs for the first few years of life. In Ansbacher and Ansbacher (1956), Adler stated “to be human means to feel...