How To Overcome The Inferiority Complex? 7 Symptoms And Examples To Identify It
Do you constantly compare yourself to others? Do you think you will never achieve your goals? Maybe you are suffering from an inferiority complex. Check here how to leave these feelings behind.
He Inferiority complex It ends up causing people to not have enough motivation to achieve each of their goals. Having very low expectations of yourself and constantly feeling that you are not worth enough can be a problem that you have had for a long time. Many individuals who have a tendency to feel inferior end up thinking that this feeling of inferiority is something that goes hand in hand with their personality. Why do we feel this way?
This term first arose from the hand of Alfred Adler, the psychologist who attributed that many of the neurotic symptoms could arise from overcompensation for these feelings. This psychologist was curious to understand why some people lack sufficient willpower or confidence to reach their goals.
Professionals define the Inferiority complex as a feeling of inadequacy or insecurity, derived from a physical or psychological deficiency that may be real or imaginary. That is, it is a feeling of inferiority that is used to highlight a feeling of being less than another person.
Much research suggests that inferiority complexes have their origin in childhood due to certain disabling experiences. Furthermore, these studies end up pointing out the relationship between these feelings and the relationship that there was or is with the family.
If you think you may suffer from one of these psychological complexes there are a series of examples that can help you visualize what it is like to live with these types of feelings:
Repeatedly focusing on disturbing thoughts
Closing yourself off from others out of shame or guilt
Staying away from coworkers, friends, or family members
Degrading others as a method of transferring feelings of isolation and failure
Feeling responsible for other people’s deficiencies and failures
Seeking attention and validation by pretending to be sick, depressed, or continually reminding them of a conversation
Avoid any type of competition so as not to directly compare yourself with others
Extreme sensitivity to both compliments and criticism
These are some of the examples of behavior of someone who feels a Inferiority complex before others.
What are the symptoms of a person with an inferiority complex?
There are some attitudes that can highlight the fact that someone is suffering from this complex
They are perfectionists: When a person suffers a Inferiority complex can manifest it through two completely opposite attitudes. On the one hand, some individuals show the need to overcompensate for what makes them feel less than others. In this way everything he does he tries to do with the maximum possible perfection.
They don’t like to be the center of attention: One of the ways that people have to avoid feeling inferior to others is through avoidance. This is how subjects who experience the feeling of inferiority end up taking a backseat to avoid exposing themselves to social situations in which they may be rejected.
They are very sensitive to criticism: Being sensitive is a good virtue, but taken to the extreme it can become a real hell. People with Inferiority complex They tend to be overly sensitive to the comments that others make about them, even if they do not really want to offend them.
They focus too much on the failures of others: When someone suffers a Inferiority complex He pays attention to the failures of his closest circle. In this way, they tend to point out that someone may not have a good career path instead of feeling happy for them.
They only feel good when they are doing better than everyone else: Although comparing yourself to others is part of human nature, doing it too much can even be negative for the person who experiences it. The healthy way to handle these comparisons is by trying to improve your own attributes without having to feel inferior or superior to anyone. On the other hand, when it comes to people with a Inferiority complex These usually have the goal of being better than others.
They do not accept flattery: When the inferiority complex comes from problems that arose in childhood, these end up affecting the way you view compliments from others. People with this feeling They will not feel comforted by the positive comments of others but will dwell long on its truthfulness.
They assume the worst: Perhaps on a first date the suitor in question cannot attend due to some impediment. People who have a Inferiority complex They will assume that you don’t really want to hang out with them because they don’t like you. When someone always assumes the worst of each of the situations that happen to them, they probably have this tendency to feel inferior to others.
Why might someone feel inferior to others? Causes of feeling of inferiority
When we talk about a Inferiority complex, the causes of its appearance are quite diffuse. These feelings mainly arise from an imagined or real inferiority of the person who suffers from it. These emotions are in the subconscious and are believed to drive most sufferers to overcompensate for this feeling.
An individual who does not stop experiencing repeated situations in which he feels less than others often ends up imagining or exaggerating moments that can confirm these types of thoughts. To explain where this comes from feeling of inferiority there are various alternatives.
Parental attitude and education: Being in an environment where disapproval and negative comments are constantly present can influence develop an inferiority complex Parents who do not stop making evaluations that emphasize their children’s mistakes end up creating a mark on the children’s psyche.
Physical defects: One of the causes that can influence develop a feeling of inferiority It is having a very marked physical feature.
Mental limitations: Many of the people who experience inferiority They usually have an attitude of constant comparison with others. In this way, inferiority arises from competing with the achievements of others that always leave them in an unfavorable situation.
Disadvantages and social discriminations: There are still some prejudices due to economic situation, type of race, sexual orientation or religion that can influence the development of a Inferiority complex
What is the superiority complex?
A person with a superiority complex acts in a completely opposite way to someone with a feeling of inferiority. Despite their attitude, the reality is that people with these psychological complexes usually hide true feelings of mediocrity towards themselves.
Within Adler’s theory, this psychologist stated that the superiority complex and inferiority complex They are very linked. In fact, in his hypothesis he maintained that a person who acted with a feeling of superiority tended to hide an inferiority complex behind this type of attitude.
A superiority complex It may also be the result of a reaction to the inability to achieve one’s goals or live up to internal expectations.
‘I feel inferior to my partner’: Inferiority complex in the couple
Feeling inferior to your partner It can cause many effects on the relationship. These types of feelings or psychological complexes can end up with attitudes based on emotional dependence or distrust or pathological jealousy. Having this complex in the relationship can cause the bond to end up breaking.
How to overcome the inferiority complex?
There are some ways to leave these behind. feelings of inferiority The most important thing to erase this cognitive distortion that your brain makes is to work with your self-esteem and your security with the help of a professional psychologist.
Develop confidence: The most effective method to develop self-confidence lies in accepting your defects and virtues without leaving behind the idea that you can improve them. Furthermore, the key to this is to try to take care of yourself and do what you really believe is made for you.
Surround yourself with positive people: Sometimes we don’t realize that maybe our surroundings are what push us down. For this precise reason you should try to hang out with those people who bring out the best in you.
Stop worrying about what they think of you: Although we all care about what others think of us, a key to trying to reduce the Inferiority complex is to put aside these types of thoughts. The best way to do this is to stop judging yourself for every action you take. When you move following your impulses and what you really like, these feelings are also transmitted to others.
Don’t be hard on yourself: It’s okay to always try to get the best out of yourself. But when this attitude becomes a constant criticism of everything you do, it is better to put it aside. To do this, it is good to stop analyzing each situation. Also, don’t expect to change from one day to the next, give yourself time to develop your self-esteem.
Talk to yourself: Having positive internal dialogue helps you create better self-esteem and self-image. The key is to congratulate yourself for every good deed you have done throughout the day. Most people with this feeling of inferiority They tend to talk to themselves negatively, which is why it is essential to change the tone you use to address yourself.
Go to a professional psychologist: The best way to achieve the self-esteem that you need so much to not feel inferior to others It is precisely by working with a professional psychologist.
As you can see there are ways to know how to overcome inferiority complex in the best way. But the reality is that individuals with these feelings are usually accompanied by low self-esteem and little self-confidence. For this reason, it is essential to work on all these aspects to be able to balance this situation again. Having a good perception of yourself is the key to having a life full of success and great moments.
