In this reflection paper, I will be particularly focusing on the following concepts of Alfred Adler’s Individual psychology and a brief theoretical background of Adler and how his childhood experiences have influenced his theory. The birth order, feeling inferiority, and compensation will then be defined and discussed as to how these concepts can be applied to my life. An individual’s attempt to compensate for the feelings of inferiority and to strive towards overcoming them, results in growth and development of one’s self (Meyer, Moore, & Viljoen., 2017). A brief discussion on my thoughts and what I have leant will be provided and how I applied it to my life experiences in relation to these concepts.
Theoretical background
Alfred Adler (1870-1937) has had a tremendous influence on human behaviour that has been widely influenced by his background growing up. What influenced Adler’s theory on the Individual Psychology and person-orientated approach is deeply rooted in Adler’s upbringing and belief system. “Alfred had a challenging childhood as he was very …show more content…
I find the birth order by Adler interesting as I can relate many aspects to my childhood and the behaviours associated with the birth order. I have two older Siblings, which makes me the youngest, the age gap between my eldest sisters is 8 years older and my second eldest sister is 2 years older. “The first born usually receives all the attention until the arrival of a sibling. The older a first born is when the next child appears, the less sense of dethronement they experience” (Meyer, More, & Viljoen. 2017: 141). When growing up, I did not sense any jealousy or animosity among my sibling and often remembered how my sister Nicole would be very nurturing towards my middle sister, Kim and myself. She usually takes the lead and makes