Alfred Adler (1870-1937) was an Austrian psychologist and the founder of Individual Psychology. Though Adler and Sigmund Freud lived in close proximity (both lived in Vienna and worked, for sometimes, for the promotion of Freud’s psychoanalytical movement) there is a wide gap between their ideas and perceptions about personality development. Adler never introduced himself as the disciple of Freud even though he remained very close to Freud for several years. His close association with Freud began when Freud invited him to his house in Vienna in 1902 to participate in a discussion regarding psychology and neuropathology. In the beginning, Freud greatly appreciated his abilities and admired him very much, but when Adler started criticizing some conceptions of Freud’s psychodynamic theory of personality, he became annoyed with Adler and used rude remarks about him at several occasions, so Adler deviated from Freud and formulated his own version of Psychoanalytical theory, which is known as Individual Psychology. In 1912, he founded a society for his Individual Psychology. Adler paid several visits to USA, and in 1929, he settled there permanently and worked hardly for the promotion and development of his Individual Psychology. According to him, human beings are inherently social, and they feel pleasure in social activities. Social factors are mostly responsible for shaping the personality of children. He rejected Freud’s conceptions of Oedipus complex and his emphasis on the role of unconscious, rather than conscious, feelings and thoughts in influencing our behaviors. He thought that everyone of use is the creator of his/her own fate. Adler introduced some new terms in the literature of psychology. Here are some key concepts of his theory of personality.
Inferiority complex
According to Adler, since young children are physically weak and depend mostly upon their elder siblings or parents for most of their needs, they consider themselves weaker than their elders. Therefore, they are always trying to get rid of these weaknesses. Sometimes they become jealous of their elder siblings and often compete with them in many physical activities. Adler terms this situation as compensation. In case they don’t succeed in removing their weaknesses or beating their elders, after trying for many times, they become disappointed and hopeless. Consequently, they feel themselves inferior to others. Adler termed this situation as Inferiority Complex. He said that inferiority complex occurs due to three reasons namely organic, pampering and neglecting.
Organic
Some children are born with physical defects and they are not able to perform their everyday physical activities as their peers do. They try to overcome these deficiencies but if they fail in doing so, they become despair and develops inferiority complex.
Pampering/spoiling
Those children who are brought up with excessive love and kindness often consider themselves to be the centre of love and affection in their families. Consequently, they become selfish and egocentric. However, when they step out from their families and confront with lack of love and deprivation from the outside world they feel themselves worthless and develops inferiority complex.
Neglect
Some children are neglected and not properly cared by their parents and other members of their families, so they think of themselves as worthless and useless in this world. As a result, they suffer inferiority complex.
Organic
Some children are born with physical defects and they are not able to perform their everyday physical activities as their peers do. They try to overcome these deficiencies but if they fail in doing so, they become despair and develops inferiority complex.
Pampering/spoiling
Those children who are brought up with excessive love and kindness often consider themselves to be the centre of love and affection in their families. Consequently, they become selfish and egocentric. However, when they step out from their families and confront with lack of love and deprivation from the outside world they feel themselves worthless and develops inferiority complex.
Neglect
Some children are neglected and not properly cared by their parents and other members of their families, so they think of themselves as worthless and useless in this world. As a result, they suffer inferiority complex.
Superiority Complex
Superiority complex is developed when a person overcompensates for inferiority complex. In this case, a person overdoes to overcome his feelings of inferiority, and as a result surpasses the boundaries of normal life and enters in the world of selfishness, vanity, denigration and boasting. Adler termed this situation as Superiority Complex.
Superiority complex is developed when a person overcompensates for inferiority complex. In this case, a person overdoes to overcome his feelings of inferiority, and as a result surpasses the boundaries of normal life and enters in the world of selfishness, vanity, denigration and boasting. Adler termed this situation as Superiority Complex.
Striving For Superiority/Perfection
Adler was of the view that every person has an innate tendency to strive for completion or perfection. Wholeness and perfection is the ultimate goal of our lives. Therefore, we are in a constant attempt to achieve this goal. According to Adler, our striving for superiority is oriented toward future. In other words, our expectations are the main cause of our future actions or behaviors. This idea is contrary to the Freud’s idea of childhood/past experiences which he thought to be the main motives behind our future actions.
Fictional Finalism
Adler thought that all of us are motivated by fictional, not real, goals. These goals set the direction of our strivings. It influences our behavior and we act, all the time, according to these goals, although it may be imaginary, not actual. In other words, all of us have some ideals which exist in us subjectively; which can’t be tested against reality.
Adler thought that all of us are motivated by fictional, not real, goals. These goals set the direction of our strivings. It influences our behavior and we act, all the time, according to these goals, although it may be imaginary, not actual. In other words, all of us have some ideals which exist in us subjectively; which can’t be tested against reality.
Style of Life
According to Adler, human beings are intrinsically inclined to strive for superiority or perfection and every one of us has some fictional goals or objectives in his/her life. To achieve these goals, we adopt some pattern of behavior, habits and action in our daily activities, which become, later on, our unique character. This unique character of ours is called Style of Life by Adler. Adler said that all our behaviors stems from our childhood, during the age of 4 or 5 years, which result from our interaction with other members of the society. He was of the view that every man is free to create his own style of life and we use our genetic endowment and environment for this purpose. However, once this style of life is created it is hard to change it in the later life. He described four types of styles of life namely, dominant, getting, avoiding and socially acceptable styles.
The Dominant Type
This type is the most dangerous and virulent of all the four types of style described by Adler. It is the dominant and ruling type, which doesn’t care for others. People with dominant style of life feel pleasure either by hurting others or by hurting themselves (becoming drugs addicts or committing suicides).
The Getting Type
Persons with getting style of life feel pleasure and get satisfaction by becoming dependent on others.
The Avoiding Type
Persons having avoiding type of style are not able to face the problems of real world so they try to avoid these problems and feel themselves good.
The Socially Useful Type
People with this style of life are considered psychologically healthy. They cooperate with others and act according to the norms of society in which they live.
The Dominant Type
This type is the most dangerous and virulent of all the four types of style described by Adler. It is the dominant and ruling type, which doesn’t care for others. People with dominant style of life feel pleasure either by hurting others or by hurting themselves (becoming drugs addicts or committing suicides).
The Getting Type
Persons with getting style of life feel pleasure and get satisfaction by becoming dependent on others.
The Avoiding Type
Persons having avoiding type of style are not able to face the problems of real world so they try to avoid these problems and feel themselves good.
The Socially Useful Type
People with this style of life are considered psychologically healthy. They cooperate with others and act according to the norms of society in which they live.
Adler was of the view that the above-mentioned classification of the style of life is only for teaching purposes. Therefore, he didn’t recommend classifying persons according to the above styles of life.
Social Interest
We know that no one can live a solitary life. We need other’s help for our survival and protection. Similarly, we have to help others in times of need. In other words, each one of us has some obligations both as an individual and as a member of a society. Adler thought that social interaction is necessary for our personality development. According to him, every one of us has innate potential to cooperate with others and to achieve his/her personal or social goals. He termed this potential as Social Interest. He was of the view that the role of mother is very important in sowing the seed of social interest in her child. If the mother look after her child with love and affection and teach her the lesson of friendship, cooperation and courage then her child will develop a sense of social interest, otherwise her child will become neurotic or even criminal.
We know that no one can live a solitary life. We need other’s help for our survival and protection. Similarly, we have to help others in times of need. In other words, each one of us has some obligations both as an individual and as a member of a society. Adler thought that social interaction is necessary for our personality development. According to him, every one of us has innate potential to cooperate with others and to achieve his/her personal or social goals. He termed this potential as Social Interest. He was of the view that the role of mother is very important in sowing the seed of social interest in her child. If the mother look after her child with love and affection and teach her the lesson of friendship, cooperation and courage then her child will develop a sense of social interest, otherwise her child will become neurotic or even criminal.
Birth Order
Another major contribution of Adler is the idea of birth order. According to Adler, birth order plays an important role in molding our style of life. Children born of the same parents and living in the same house but having different birth order will have different style of life. In fact, it is not the birth order but the attitude of parents towards their children with different birth order, which determines the style of life of a child. Usually, parents don’t behave their younger and older children in the same way but treat them differently. Therefore, their discriminatory attitudes against their children, with different birth order, will essentially influence their children personality. Adler introduced four types of birth order namely, the first-born child, the second-born child, the youngest child and the only child.
The First-Born Child
Adler believed that the first-born child gets full attention and love of her parents-until the birth of second child. Therefore, she feels happy and secure. However, when the second child comes in the family, the First-Born child loses her powerful position because she has a shareholder in her kingdom now. She experiences a sudden decrease in her parents love and attention. She tries her best to regain her previous position but in vain. Consequently, she becomes stubborn, ill-behaved and destructive. Adler described the following characteristics of the First-Born Child.
I. She is oriented towards the past.
ii. She gets higher intellectual maturity than its younger.
iii. She plays the role of a teacher, tutor, leader, disciplinarian and authoritarian.
iv. She becomes good organizer.
v. She is conservative in attitude.
vi. She may also become, sometimes, neurotic, pervert and criminal.
The Second-Born Child
Since the second-born child has never been in the powerful position—in the presence of First-Born Child—therefore she doesn’t feel dethronement at the arrival of another child in the family. Instead, he takes her older siblings behavior as a model, a threat or a cause of competition. She always tries to surpass the older siblings in many fields of life, which causes language and motor development in her. However, if she fails in doing so, she becomes disappointed and gives up trying. Consequently, competitiveness may not become part of her later life.
The Youngest Child
Adler believed that the youngest child is in more competitive position than her older siblings in the family. Therefore, she is high achiever in whatever work she undertakes in her adulthood. On the other hand, if the youngest child is unreasonably pampered by her parents, she comes to believe that she need not do anything and become lazy and careless. Therefore, she finds it difficult to adjust to adulthood.
The Only Child
Since the only child has always been in a prestigious position and never experienced a decrease in her parents love and attention. Therefore, she doesn’t face the anxiety associated with the loss of power. Only children often mature early and internalize adult behaviors. However, if they are not cared and loved outside their families, such as school or other public place, they become upset. Only children are not in the habits of sharing or competing with others, therefore if their struggle for certain goals in their daily lives prove fruitless; they become disappointed and quit labor.
The First-Born Child
Adler believed that the first-born child gets full attention and love of her parents-until the birth of second child. Therefore, she feels happy and secure. However, when the second child comes in the family, the First-Born child loses her powerful position because she has a shareholder in her kingdom now. She experiences a sudden decrease in her parents love and attention. She tries her best to regain her previous position but in vain. Consequently, she becomes stubborn, ill-behaved and destructive. Adler described the following characteristics of the First-Born Child.
I. She is oriented towards the past.
ii. She gets higher intellectual maturity than its younger.
iii. She plays the role of a teacher, tutor, leader, disciplinarian and authoritarian.
iv. She becomes good organizer.
v. She is conservative in attitude.
vi. She may also become, sometimes, neurotic, pervert and criminal.
The Second-Born Child
Since the second-born child has never been in the powerful position—in the presence of First-Born Child—therefore she doesn’t feel dethronement at the arrival of another child in the family. Instead, he takes her older siblings behavior as a model, a threat or a cause of competition. She always tries to surpass the older siblings in many fields of life, which causes language and motor development in her. However, if she fails in doing so, she becomes disappointed and gives up trying. Consequently, competitiveness may not become part of her later life.
The Youngest Child
Adler believed that the youngest child is in more competitive position than her older siblings in the family. Therefore, she is high achiever in whatever work she undertakes in her adulthood. On the other hand, if the youngest child is unreasonably pampered by her parents, she comes to believe that she need not do anything and become lazy and careless. Therefore, she finds it difficult to adjust to adulthood.
The Only Child
Since the only child has always been in a prestigious position and never experienced a decrease in her parents love and attention. Therefore, she doesn’t face the anxiety associated with the loss of power. Only children often mature early and internalize adult behaviors. However, if they are not cared and loved outside their families, such as school or other public place, they become upset. Only children are not in the habits of sharing or competing with others, therefore if their struggle for certain goals in their daily lives prove fruitless; they become disappointed and quit labor.
