Strong feelings of inadequacy and insecurity that influence a person’s adjustive efforts.
A mental disorder arising from a combination of wanting to be noticed and fear of humiliation. The resulting behaviour may either be aggression or withdrawal from the external world.
The feeling that one is so much less able and competent than others that it spawns helplessness rather than a willingness to strive. In the theory of psychologist Alfred Adler, all humans begin life with feelings of inferiority, and the desire to overcome these feelings by proving oneself superior to life’s obstacles is a central motivation. If the feelings of inferiority win out over the urge toward superiority, an inferiority complex results.
An unconscious and extreme exaggeration of feelings of insignificance or inferiority, which is shown by behavior that is defensive or compensatory (such as aggression).
The condition of having low self-esteem; a 20th-century term stemming from Adlerian therapy.
An inferiority complex is a neurotic state of mind that develops due to repeated past hurts or failures. It emerges from a conflict between the desire to be acknowledged as a valuable individual and the persistent fear of experiencing frustration and failure.
Efforts to counteract feelings of worthlessness may manifest as aggression and violence, or excessive involvement in various activities.
A deep-seated feeling of insufficiency, whether genuine or perceived, linked to feelings of depression and neuroticism.