an inferiority complex is a lack of self-worth, a doubt and uncertainty, and feelings of not measuring up to standards. it is often subconscious, and is thought to drive afflicted individuals to overcompensate, resulting either in spectacular achievement or extreme asocial behavior.science daily from http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/i/inferiority_complex.htm the term was coined to indicate a lack of covert self-esteem.moritz, werner, von collani. the inferiority complex in paranoia readdressed: a study with the implicit association test. cognitive neuropsychiatry. jan 15, 2007, from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13546800444000263 for many, it is developed through a combination of genetic personality characteristics and personal experiences. ==classifications== classical adlerian psychology makes a distinction between primary and secondary inferiority feelings. * a primary inferiority feeling is said to be rooted in the young child's original experience of weakness, helplessness and dependency. it can then be intensified by comparisons to siblings, romantic partners, and adults. * a secondary inferiority feeling relates to an adult's experience of being unable to reach a subconscious, fictional final goal of subjective security and success to compensate for the inferiority feelings. the perceived distance from that goal would lead to a negative/depressed feeling that could then prompt the recall of the original inferiority feeling; this composite of inferiority feelings could be experienced as overwhelming. the goal invented to relieve the original, primary feeling of inferiority which actually causes the secondary feeling of inferiority is the "catch-22" of this dilemma. this vicious cycle is common in neurotic lifestyles. feeling inferior is often viewed as being inferior to another person, but this is not always the case in the adlerian view. one often feels incompetent to perform a task, such as a test in school. ==history== stemming from the psychoanalytic branch of psychology, the idea first appeared among many of sigmund freud's works and later in the work of his colleague carl jung. alfred adler, founder of classical adlerian psychology held that many neurotic symptoms could be traced to overcompensation for this feeling.inferiority complex. (2013). in encyclopedia britannica. retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/ebchecked/topic/287581/inferiority-complex the use of the term complex now is generally used to denote the group of emotionally toned ideas. the counterpart of an inferiority complex, a "superiority complex" is a psychological defense mechanism in which a person's feelings of superiority counter or conceal his or her feelings of inferiority.http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/superiority+complex - superiority complex ==causes== an inferiority complex occurs when the
Adlerian_psychology Anxiety Complex_(psychology) Fear Psychoanalysis Psychology Sigmund_Freud