When looking at both psychoanalytic and neo-psychoanalytic theory, much of our m

Question

When looking at both psychoanalytic and neo-psychoanalytic theory, much of our mental health and success in adulthood is related to the events and relationships of our childhood. Much like Freud, Alfred Adler believed that childhood events are pivotal for the adult. For Adler, his pivotal childhood events were the development of rickets which kept him from walking until the age of four and contracting a near-fatal case of pneumonia at age five. These events served to inculcate a lifelong ambition which centered around his becoming a physician in order to focus on the curing of deadly diseases.

According to Alfred Adler, all people have moments when they feel inferior. For many, such moments will lead them to strive to compensate for that weakness. When this happens, it leads to what he calls “superiority striving,” in which the person is motivated by his or her feelings of inferiority to overcome and strive for betterment, achievement, and perfection.

It is important to note that superiority striving is different from simply striving for power. Adler considered this an unhealthy desire because the sole goal is power. The way that someone strives to meet his or her goals from an Adlerian point of view is referred to as a style of life.

Adler is also known for his study of birth order and its impact on personality. Research Adler’s theory. Based on your research, respond to the following:

Choose a social or political leader (current or past) to examine through an Adlerian framework of superiority striving and style of life.Superiority Striving

What might be the motivation behind this leader’s career choice, according to Adler’s theory? What was this person’s perceived inferiority or weakness? How did this person obtain his or her high level of superiority striving? For example, Franklin Roosevelt's bout with polio may have been responsible for some of his motivation.

Style of Life

What was his/her goal and unique style of life that could be used to achieve this goal? What steps did this person take to overcome their perceived inferiority?

Did this leader act out of social interest or for personal gain? What was the long-term outcome of his/her striving?

Birth Order

How would you apply Adler’s theory of birth order to this personality?

Explanation / Answer

The theory of Adler, describes many aspects of human development, birth order plays important role to develop autonomous personality but we must understand that environment is an important part in the process of human development.

Let’s think about North Korean leader Kim, we can see that he needs power so that he want to control region as well as people of the country, but only power is not enough to describe his personality. Our goals of achievement are important but they cannot make us what we are until we influence our nature through society. The attitude towards superiority and inferiority makes us what we are and what we want to be.

I think the theory of Adler does not completely explain the various components of personality development because as a human we belongs to individual perspective as well as social norms.

Exceptions are the part of society but we cannot overcome large number of people who are striving for superiority, they create own influences and individual situations to get power, success etc. and everyone have own criteria to be superior so that Adler’s theory does not imply with every aspect of life.

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