The human psyche has mechanisms that help subconsciously protect themselves. The protective mechanism is a system in which a person hides thoughts of his own inferiority. Opinions on how inferiority and superiority complexes affect people are divided, because for some people these shortcomings lead to success, and for some they prevent them from living.
Psychology of flaws
A. Adler is an Austrian scientist who formed the theory of complexes. In his writings, he argued that they can lead a person to success both in relationships with people and in financial well-being. The psychology of A. Adler is based on the assertion that these complexes are mutually complementary, that is, if a person strives for excellence, then it is entirely possible that this is due to his inferiority complex. It’s a paradox, but today the world knows a lot of people whose success was caused precisely by a painful awareness of their shortcomings. For example, celebrities such as:
- Glucose;
- George Clooney;
- Beyoncé;
- Robert Pattison;
- Lady Gaga;
- Tom Cruise.
Reasons for the appearance of complexes
Adler regarded the inferiority complex and the superiority complex as a lever to success, because at the beginning of his career he began to observe that adults with some kind of deficiency often try to compensate for it through hard work, exhausting workouts and exercises, which directly leads to the development of skill or strength. A. Adler believes that the reason for this must be sought in childhood. When a child begins to realize that he is not like everyone else, or not good enough for his parents, he begins to look for ways to prove the opposite. He will devote a lot of time to any occupation, saying this: “Look, I have succeeded in this business, do not look at my shortcomings! The reasons for this behavior can be very different:
- internal acceptance and exaggeration of their shortcomings;
- ridicule of others;
- comparing yourself to others;
- reproaches from relatives.
But this is not always good. Complexes of inferiority and superiority are the causes of neurosis, unhealthy self-esteem, aggression, depression, chronic fatigue, etc., which does not affect human health in the best way.
The impact of complexes on the personality
A person with an inferiority complex is trying to make up for his shortcomings. Adler, on the contrary, characterized the superiority complex as an unhealthy desire to overtake another in something, that is, if an ordinary person sets himself the goal to perform certain tasks, then an individual with an inferiority complex sets himself the goal of completing tasks two times better than someone else . The influence of these two complexes on the personality is great:
- people with these complexes become closed;
- they feel uncomfortable in society;
- they are afraid to express their opinion or consider it the only true one;
- become owners of a too high opinion of themselves or devalue their own strengths and themselves as a person;
- there is a desire to avoid difficulties;
- excessive workaholism;
- out of a sense of superiority, people can begin to kill, rob, rape;
- there are constant attempts to justify their inaction by fatigue, lack of resources, etc. lead to a halt in the development of personality.
Consequences of the complexes
The inferiority complex, the superiority or uncertainty complex can lead to different consequences. It depends on the person himself. Someone thanks to them becomes successful and famous, while others sink to the bottom of life. But these complexes have one common consequence. A person suffering from one of them will feel uncomfortable, no matter who he is. Possible consequences are:
- Family breakdown. Often couples break up due to a pronounced inferiority complex or superiority of one of the partners.
- Suicide. For some people, the presence of one of the complexes leads to despair, as a result of which they decide on suicide.
- Loneliness. Unhealthy self-esteem can cause a negative reaction of the society towards a person, which threatens loneliness.
Is it possible to get rid of complexes
It is impossible to completely eradicate complexes, because the root of all problems lies in deep childhood, and it is quite difficult to completely remove it as an adult. If you still decide to deal with a complex of superiority or inferiority, then you should contact a specialist to approach this problem more correctly and reasonably. But there are several universal recommendations that will help solve this difficult task.
- You should love yourself. This is not easy and requires a lot of effort, but it is necessary to understand and accept the fact that we are not perfect and to have flaws is quite natural.
- You must believe in yourself. You need to check what you are capable of, to test yourself in business.
- Self respect. Begin to engage in what gives you pleasure, do not communicate with those who are unpleasant, start enjoying the moments of life.
- Be critical of criticism. Consider all the advice that is given as a moment for adjustment, but not as an insult to you.
Parent Tips
The superiority complex, as well as the inferiority complex, is able to form uncertainty, shyness, phobias in a child. It is impossible to say with accuracy that in the future he will be able to become successful thanks to the complexes, therefore it is not worth contributing to their occurrence. What to do in order not to form inferiority and superiority complexes in a child? To do this, you must follow these recommendations:
- No need to compare your child with someone else. Keep in mind that your child will never be like your girlfriend’s “perfect” baby. Forever forget about comparing a child with someone, because with this you make a child jealous, feel unworthy of your love.
- Praise is never too much. Many mistakenly believe that if you praise your child, he will stop trying. This is absolutely not the case. Children in this matter are similar to adults. Imagine that you are not praised at all, but rather that they make comments and criticize. Agree, you will not like it. Your baby feels the same. So do not skimp on the praise.
- Do not abuse custody of the child, but do not be indifferent. These two extremes are equally poorly suited to education. Make the child feel necessary, give him freedom, let him feel responsible. This is important because it prevents the formation of complexes and teaches the child independence.
- The child is not to blame for the fact that you are unhappy. Do not make the kid a hostage of the situation and the culprit of your troubles. Remember: everything that happens in your life is influenced only by you.