Compensation and Lacking Social Interest

I just want to add a bit to the discussion about the dark side. I appreciated Dr. Stein s explanation about the etiological basis for deficits in social interest, but it seemed to me that the frequent role of inferiority feelings, and consequently non-socially interested superiority strivings was not explicity addressed. As much of Adler's writing related to the issue of compensation for inferiority, I thought I'd take this opportunity to draw upon some of his ideas as related to human darkness.

Central to Adlerian theory are the ideas of inferiority feeling, compensatory superiority strivings, and social interest. For Adler, the presence of feelings of inferiority and the drive to compensate for them are universal, and in themselves are not pathological. In terns of the universality of this motivational dynamic, he wrote that "...we shall always find in human beings this great line of activity - this struggle to rise from an inferior to a superior position, from defeat to victory, from below to above." (Ansbacher and Ansbacher 1956, p. 104) In fact, in this same passage, he goes on to posit that this process is innate, "...a something without which life would be unthinkable." What distinguishes normal from pathological compensation, in Adler's scheme, is whether these superiority strivings are socially interest (i.e. aimed at the betterment of mankind) rather solely aimed at self-enhancement and personal power. What determines the character of the compensation is the child's self-appraisal, namely the degree of the felt inferiority and whether the individual believes (s)he can overcome through cooperation and constructive action (the hallmarks of social interest). Adler commented that " Form and content of the neurotic guiding line originate from the impression of the child who feels humiliated. These impressions, which emerge by necessity from an original feeling of inferiority evoke an attitude of agression, the purpose of which is the overcoming of a great insecurity (ibid., p. 108-109). Elsewhere in his discussion of maladjustment, Adler suggests that all failures, among which he classifies criminals and problem children, approach the problems of life "without the confidence that they can be solved by cooperation", and goes on th suggest that as a result, "Their goal of success is a goal of personal superiority, and their triumphs have meaning only to themselves (ibid., p. 156).

I hope that this adds to the discussion. It wasn't that anything was said which negated this, but I felt that a more explicit discussion of the role of inferiority in motivating darkness (or deficient social interest) would be helpful.

Replies:

Re: Compensation & Inferiority, by Henry Stein, 4/8/96 Also usefull, by John Gessner, 4/8/96 CEOs and Degree of Social Interest, by Henry Stein, 4/12/96 Difference of SI, by John Gessner, 4/15/96 Entrepreneurs Who Benefit Society, by Henry Stein, 4/18/96 Entrepreneurial spirit at work, by Dan Bollinger, 8/22/96 Politics and Wealth, by Henry Stein, 12/24/96 Additional Comments About Inferiority & Aggression, by Henry Stein, 4/15/96 All Nurture, No Nature?, by Gil Levin, 4/16/96 Creative Power, Nature, & Nurture, by Henry Stein, 4/17/96 Re: Creative Power, Nature, & Nurture, by A.B., 6/21/99 Re:Additional Comments About Inferiority & Aggression, by Favoredin2003, 07/21/03

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