New psychological concepts seldom come about independently; they frequently originate from the personal experiences of the person developing them. This relates to Alfred Adler, one of the earlier forefathers of Psychology and the Father of Individual Psychology. For him, the basis of his famous inferiority/compensation theory stemmed from childhood sicknesses (Adler, 1927; Schultz & Schultz, 2017).
Today, we hear the term ‘inferiority complex’ used frequently in general terms such as insecurity and low self-esteem. However, when Adler introduced the concept of an inferiority complex, it was part of a much larger theory discussing how humans respond to their own limitations, weaknesses, and adversities. Very much in his own life did Adler have first-hand knowledge and understanding of these types of events (Adler, 1930; Feist et al., 2018).
Early Developmental Challenges and Physical Limitations
Childhood growth and maturation are often hindered by various obstacles that exist throughout the development of a child. Alfred Adler was born into a family in a generally happy home life (and with three older siblings) in 1870 in Vienna, Austria, where he was born with many physical disabilities as an infant (Hoffman, 1994). These impairments would have an impact on his physical development as an adult.
To make matters worse than simply being born with many health issues, Alfred was also born with a condition called “rickets”; this is a medical term used to describe an abnormally formed bone structure due to inadequate nutrition during the early stages of life, leading to delayed or hindered physical growth. At approximately four years old, Alfred had still not achieved enough confidence in muscle strength or capability to stand or walk by himself; most children achieve independent mobility through playing with their surroundings at the age of 12- 18 months.
Alfred’s experience (being diagnosed with rickets) deprived him of the ability to move and freely explore his environment between the ages of 0 and 3 years old. Children’s sense of self can be influenced by their physical limitations. These limitations allow children to become aware of how they differ from one another. Adler struggled with his own limitations, including being weak and dependent, while other children were able to run and play freely (Ansbacher & Ansbacher, 1956; Carlson, Watts, & Maniacci, 2006).
Read More: A Glimpse into the Life of Alfred Adler
A Turning Point: Illness, Survival, and Purpose Formation
The challenges Adler faced continued. At the age of five, he became seriously ill with pneumonia and nearly died. After his recovery, he learned that a doctor had warned his father that he might not survive. This moment was very impactful for Adler (Hoffman, 1994). In fact, this moment reportedly influenced his decision to become a physician. The child who once lay helpless in bed listening to doctors would grow up determined to understand illness and human vulnerability.
Growing Up in the Shadow of Comparison
Illness was not the only thing that affected Adler’s feelings of being inferior. He also looked at other children, particularly his older brother, and compared himself to them when he was only a child. Because of being younger than his brother, this made Adler think of himself as weak and incapable of doing the things that his brother did. His school struggles in the first few years of his life made him feel even worse about himself. There was a time when his teacher told Adler’s father that he should take him out of school and find him an apprenticeship instead, as it didn’t look like he would be able to make it through school (Adler, 1927).
Rather contrary to this prediction, Adler continued to improve academically until he moved on socially to become an extremely talented student. This new way of thinking about what it means to succeed, from being viewed as not enough to wanting very much to achieve, will be pivotal in determining how Adler views motivation and how it will impact others throughout his life (Feist, Feist, & Roberts, 2018).
The Psychology of Inferiority
Adler eventually proposed that feelings of inferiority are a universal part of human experience. Adler said we’re all born needing help. Kids depend on adults for food, advice, and staying safe. It’s normal, but it can make us feel helpless. But Adler did not see feelings of inferiority as purely negative. He actually thought that our limitations can be very motivating for personal development (Adler, 1930; Hjelle & Ziegler, 1992).
According to Adler, understanding your limitations encourages you to grow. The act of wanting to be better and work to become more competent is called striving for superiority by Adler; however, this is not about controlling others but instead about being more competent and successful yourself (Ansbacher & Ansbacher, 1956). Adler’s own life reflects this principle. Once a weak child with many physical difficulties, he would later become a doctor, therapist, and great psychological mind. His achievements in life show us that limitations can be used to create the future we want.
The Role of Compensation
One of Adler’s most important concepts is compensation. Adler (1870-1937) made observations of the human body while seeing patients as a physician. A physical injury to a particular organ can sometimes cause another organ to increase in strength to compensate for the missing strength of that first organ. While Adler was observing how this process occurred physically, he began to think about whether or not the same type of thing happens psychologically as well (Adler, 1927; Schultz & Schultz, 2017).
Adler proposed that many times we develop something that is new and creative as a response to feeling inferior in another area. For instance, an adult who does not feel they have the physical ability will often seek to have success intellectually. On a similar note, children who feel socially anxious often develop very strong skills in other areas – such as academics, creativity, or leadership. Adler did not view compensation strictly as a defensive mechanism, but he believed compensation was an adaptive and creative response that could change disadvantages into motivation (Feist et al., 2018).
When Inferiority Becomes a Complex
Nonetheless, Adler also indicated that there are some people who do not deal well with feelings of inferiority. When these feelings become excessive and frequent, they can potentially create what he referred to as an inferiority complex. At this point in time, an individual will feel stuck in the position of believing they are innately less competent or less worthy than others (Adler, 1930; Carlson et al., 2006). Rather than motivating growth, such feelings can be immobilising. In addition to the type of thinking that Bronfenbrenner described, Adler added a dimension. He called this dimension a superiority complex.
Those who appear to be confident and exhibit greater self-confidence than anyone else, as well as superior power over others, could be compensating for their perceived inferiorities by an enhanced sense of superiority (Ansbacher & Ansbacher, 1956). Because of this echo, Adler not only could explain some seemingly contradictory behaviours, such as why someone confident may feel insecure, but he was also able to explain the reason why others display confidence but actually do not feel it inside.
From Personal Experience to Psychological Theory
At first, Adler worked closely with Sigmund Freud and contributed to the beginnings of what would become the psychoanalytic movement. Later, he developed a theory of psychology that differed from Freud’s and broke from him based on his theoretical disagreements (Feist et al., 2018). Freud believed that behaviour is largely driven by unrecognised internal forces, such as sexual and aggression drives, while Adler felt that human behaviour is ultimately understood by examining human goals and human social motivation. Subsequently, he developed the school of Individual Psychology, which included concepts of goal-directedness and true meaning, as well as the importance of social community and social cooperation (Adler, 1927). This simple yet profound concept is at the core of Adler’s theory: our failures don’t identify us; rather, it is our reaction to our failures that defines us.
Read More: Understanding Compensation Theory
Resilience: The Legacy of Alfred Adler
Even after over a hundred years have passed since Adler’s initial conceptualisation of the earliest instances of ‘resilience’ as noted in his belief that our ‘challenges create opportunity for growth,’ the impact of those original concepts continues to be utilised today relative to the concepts of resilience and growth mindset or self-improvement (Dweck, 2006; Adler, 1930). His original theory indicates that there is always a natural propensity for us all to feel “emotionally inadequate.” The only question we must ask when we feel this way is: “What does this feeling mean to us, and how do we respond to it?”
Adler stated specifically, “that our weaknesses are our starting points for developing strengths!”
In many ways, his own lifetime development was a classic example of this concept. A child diagnosed with ‘childhood tuberculosis’ was frequently bedridden in his youth. He later grew to become one of the foremost intellectuals in the area of motivation theory. His ideas will continue to impact how we define and measure the future of personality development and/or psychological and academic potential (Adler, 1927). And perhaps that is why the theory of Adler continues to resonate today. It speaks to a universal experience: the quiet determination to overcome our limitations and strive for something more.
References +
- Adler, A. (1930). APA PsycNet. Psycnet.apa.org. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1930-04004-000 Ansbacher, H. L., & Ansbacher, R. R. (1956). APA PsycNet. Psycnet.apa.org. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1956-05420-000
- Carlson, J., Watts, R. E., & Maniacci, M. (2006, January 2). Adlerian Therapy and the Transtheoretical (Common) Factors (excerpted from Adlerian Therapy: Theory and… ResearchGate; unknown. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335587157_Adlerian_Therapy_and_the_Transt heoretical_Common_Factors_excerpted_from_Adlerian_Therapy_Theory_and_Practice_ APA_2006
- Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: the New Psychology of success. Psycnet.apa.org; Random House. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-08575-000
- Feist, J., Feist, Gregory. J., & Roberts, T. A. (2013). Theories of Personality: Jess Feist, Gregory J. Feist, Tomi-Ann Roberts: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/theoriesofperson0000jess
- Hochwälder, J. (2000). Assumptions about Human Nature: Comparison of Implicit and Explicit Personality Theories. Psychological Reports, 87(2), 611–622. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.2000.87.2.611
- Hoffman, E. (2026). The drive for self: Alfred Adler and the founding of individual psychology. (No Title), -. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1970867909791776057
- Schultz, D. P., & Internet Archive. (2016). A history of modern psychology. In the Internet Archive. Boston, Massachusetts: Cengage Learning. https://archive.org/details/historyofmodernp0000schu_r8w5
- Worley, D. R. (2021, May 11). Adler, Understanding Human Nature, 1923. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351497342_Adler_Understanding_Human_Nat ure_1923
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