Alfred Adler's Personality Analysis

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Alfred Adler was born in Rudolfsheim, near Vienna, Austria. His father was a grain merchant, and his mother was a stay at home mom. Alfred was born into a religiously nonobservant family, but they were ethnically Jewish, and they were lower middle class. Adler was profoundly affected by the death of a close younger brother, his own near death experience, and from the rickets he suffered from as a child. (Edwards. 2010) He was constantly trying to outdo his older brother even though he was physically impaired. He was a mediocre student who had dedicated his life to becoming a doctor because of his own and his brother’s illnesses. The adversity he faced as a child will go on to be the basis for his personality theory (Edwards. 2010). This paper …show more content…
He categorized his birth order theory into four categories; first-born, second-born, youngest, and only child (Schultz & Schultz, …show more content…
Because of his rickets from a young age, he felt inferior to his brother because his brother was able to be active. Inferiority is defined by Adler as the normal condition of all people; the source of all human striving. He felt that it was what motivated us to reshape what we felt like were imperfections. (Schultz & Schultz, 2013) This is called the Inferiority Complex by Adler. To combat any inferiorities a person felt, they would have a Superiority Complex, which is just someone over compensating for feelings of inferiority (i.e. little man’s syndrome). Although, being physically impaired from childhood is not the only way to develop an inferiority complex. (Schultz & Schultz, 2013) Adler believed that being spoiled from birth is one way that parents can help their child develop an inferiority complex. See if they spoil their child from birth, then the child will be used to being the center of attention at all times and therefore when they aren’t the center of attention they will experience shock and will be totally unprepared. The reverse may happen with children who are neglected and rejected by their parents, they will grow up with “feelings of worthlessness, or even anger, and view others with distrust.” (Schultz & Schultz, 2013) If a person has an inferiority complex, they may develop what we know as a superiority complex where they

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