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"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”
– Nelson Mandela

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Week 2 Discussion 5

Week 2 Discussion 5

Q e. How convincing is Alfred Adler’s concept of the “inferiority complex”?

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I don't find Adler's concept of "inferiority complex" to be fully convincing. Adler proposes that our feelings of inferiority drive our behavior, that our motivation is always to be superior. I feel this idea is too absolute. It does not account for other motivators that can be at play. I think that our motivation and view of ourselves is more complex and dynamic than what his theories of inferiority and superiority account for. Sure, I think that feelings of inferiority can motivate some to strive for superiority but it does not motivate everyone the same or even at all. Some people get crushed and paralyzed by feelings of inferiority and, instead of being driven to be superior, just withdraw, losing any self-confidence and feeling defeated. This can lead them to developing and inferiority complex that makes them feel less than, stuc, and/or hopeless.