Inferiority Complex
“People with inferiority complexes believe that they are not as worthy or skilled as their peers, which can cause considerable psychological distress, whether or not they are aware of these feelings on a conscious level.”
From what I've read, inferiority complexes begin at a young age. No matter how old you are, everyone wants to fit in and feel accepted among their peers. Sadly, this can be an extremely hard thing to do. People young and old are very judgmental and critical towards others and some enjoy making it known.
As a kid, you knew these people to be bullies. Those who make fun of or torture someone to make them feel better about themselves. They'll start picking on you because you have less money then most, have a different skin tone, are from a different culture or practice a different religion. Possibly, it's because of how you dress or because you aren't classified as the coolest person around.
This will start causing you to feel absolutely horrible about who you are. A lot of kids who have been bullied, from what I've noticed, can turn out to be the quiet kid no one really talks to. They become extremely shy, self-conscious, and possibly even paranoid. They fear humiliation because they've already gone through more then enough of it, so they try and be distant from others. Some can also become the new bully around town, feeling like they have to cause others the same pain they went through.
Other causes could be from family. For example, say you have a younger sibling who, from babyhood, would always steal the spotlight. You feel that your parents are giving them all of the attention in the world and decide to just completely ignore you. Or maybe it's an older sibling you have that you're constantly being compared to. Either way, soon enough you will then begin to feel unwanted, unloved, misunderstood, and invisible to those around you.
You'll push it off as much as possible, but soon enough you just can't help but to give in and accept those things. That's when you'll begin to resent your younger sister or brother for being “better then you”. You'll also start having resentment towards your parents for acting like they never care, and then resentment towards yourself for not being “good enough” for them. This can be the case for a lot of people out there who have younger and older siblings.
Once someone has been through something that will help develop a sense of feeling inferior, it can sometimes be hard to get rid of. Most people are able to grow out of it and continue on with their lives. Others though can have some problems with letting it go. Inferiority complexes are usually unconscious so typically people don't know that they have it or even what it is.
They say that identifying an inferiority complex can be tricky. “People who experience feelings of inadequacy, feel like they have difficulty in social situations, or actively sabotage themselves may benefit from psychotherapy to determine whether or not they have an inferiority complex, and to work through the feelings associated with the complex.”
I personally think everyone has felt inferior to their peers. It's a part of life and hey, we're only human! Most cases are usually not all that bad and are cured through time, but there are some cases that can go to the extreme and cause them to be out of balance. Those are the ones that let themselves be consumed with these things they've convinced themselves to be the truth. They become very negative towards most things in life and in return they have negative things happen to them. They also tend to be lost in their own world not realizing that reality is staring them right in the face.
An example of one of the major extremes is this; My friend was watching MTV news and heard that a couple of kids killed themselves because they were gay. Now, when I say kids, I mean they were between the ages of 12 and 15. My guess it that they felt like freaks for liking the same sex, which if you think about it makes total sense because of how people can be SO discriminating towards gays and anyone else who doesn't do things that are the “normal” things to do. I think it's absolutely ridiculous! Those who are so quick to judge others and put them down for being different just don't seem to get it. Just think about it for a second, put yourself in their shoes and think how hard it must be for them and anyone who is considered to be outside of the norm. They get tortured and made fun of because of it. Why can you accept people like Ellen DeGeneres for being gay but no one else?
I've noticed this has become more common in people today. I honestly don't think anyone would really have a problem with all this stuff if more people would just accept others as they are and appreciate the fact that they are able to bring something new to life. There is too much negativity in the world so it goes to show why more and more people are being diagnosed with all of these psychological problems.
Websites used:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-inferiority-complex.htm
Coral Franzen
October 7, 2010
Psychology
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