Alfred Adler’s “The Neurotic Constitution” Essay

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most common negative attributes an individual possess is insecurity.   Common among adolescents, insecurity can be exhibited through either inferiority complex or superiority complex.   This paper would present Alfred Adler’s theory of personality which concentrated on the reason as to why an individual develops feelings of insecurity and why this remains part of the individual’s behavior despite them reaching adulthood or old age. Adler’s Individual Personality   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As a result of debates with Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler (2007) developed his own theory of personality which he called as the â€Å"Individual Personality.†Ã‚   Adler believed that it is the motivations experienced by an individual that determines his or her role in society as well as being responsible for an individual’s uniqueness.   Under the Individual Personality theory, Adler presented two psychological conditions which he termed as â€Å"inferiority complex† and â€Å"superiority complex.†Ã‚   These conditions are commonly experienced by an individual during the early childhood years and would eventually lead to the individual to suffer neurosis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An individual suffering from either inferior or superiority complex requires an expedient to allow him or her to focus on the uncertainty of his or her existence.   By doing so, the individual is able to do a self-estimation of all evils and considers him or her to feel incompetent, inferior, degraded and insecure.   In order for the individual to find a guiding principle he or she uses either his or her parent who attributed his or her values to (Adler 2007). Based on the study of cause, behavior, manifestation and altered modes of activity, Adler (2007) discovered that there was a link between the individual developing an inferiority complex and the individual having underdeveloped organs resulting to the nervous system to compensate these.   As a result, the individual develops what Adler termed as somatic inferiority and eventually becomes a permanent compelling part of the individual’s psyche.   The only way this could be addressed is through the intervention of a psychologist. Another reason for the development of superior or inferiority complex among individuals is their desire to become what they consider to be great and strong.   This desire then influences their conduct, psychical and physical attitudes.   Oftentimes, individuals would experience temporary denials and discomforts, particularly during the early childhood years.   This leads them to seek the impulse to develop character traits that they would consider as common.    It is also during this period of time that individuals experience feelings of weaknesses, helplessness and feelings of anxiety.   At the same time, the development of these negative behaviors allows the individual to realize his or her strengths which results to the individual a sense of gratitude towards his strengths.   This, along with the development of obedience, allows the individual to develop an accentuation of his or her ego consciousness by assisting him or her to achieve the goal of his or her personality which is to strive for superiority (Adler 2007). Adler (2007) also stated that the parental neglect experienced by an individual as he or she grows up would result to the child developing feelings of aggression and contribution to the individual’s development of inferiority.   This is particularly evident among individuals who have been brought up in large families where the individual has a lot of siblings. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insecurities are commonplace among each and every individual such that it would seem to be impossible to find an individual who does not possess any form of insecurity.   Adler’s theory provided valid explanations not only as to why individuals possess feelings of insecurity but also why certain individuals are more insecure than others.   Along with his theory, Adler presented factors that cause the emergence of insecurities among individuals.   The first is physical.   Many of people who are insecure are those who are inflicted with what society would consider as physical abnormalities.   They are viewed by society as different and as a result would make them to ridicule and bullying.   Another factor presented was the family.    On one hand, any children feel that they are pressured into following the footsteps of their parents which would let them feel that the only way to be accepted and considered as â€Å"doing the right thing† is if they would follow the footsteps of their parents.   On the other hand, because of the changes in lifestyles of most families, parents tend to have lesser time for their children.   The parental neglect causes the children to feel abandoned and as a result would develop insecurities which they would try to hide by creating an image that they are superior, hence the development of the superiority complex.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All in all, society has played a part in the formation of insecurities of an individual.   Most often than not, individuals are not even aware that they in fact possess feelings of insecurity which is why only through the intervention of a psychologist and an open mind would an individual discover these insecurities and work on these insecurities in order to develop a stronger personality which is the goal of an individual. Reference Adler, A. (2007). The neurotic constitution: the origin and development of the feeling of inferiority. In H. S. Friedman & M. W. Schustack (Eds.), The personality reader (pp. 42-43).   Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.