A superiority complex is the idea that your abilities or achievements are by some means significantly higher than those of other people. People with a superiority complex could also be condescending, smug, or mean toward other individuals who disagree with them. Here's all the things you’ll want to learn about superiority complexes and the way they affect people.
Superiority complexes were first identified by Alfred Adler, an early psychologist, in his theory of individual psychology. He defined superiority complexes as a response to a deep feeling of inferiority.
The idea behind the idea of individual psychology is that everybody tries to beat a sense of inferiority. According to this theory, some people respond by working hard to learn skills and achieve success.
However, individuals with very strong feelings of inferiority find it difficult to persuade themselves that they’ve actually achieved enough. To compensate, Adler argues that these people exaggerate their achievements and opinions in an effort to feel higher.
Other psychologists argue that some individuals with superiority complexes may not consciously hide their low self-esteem. Instead, these people actually consider that they’re more successful than others, despite the fact that there isn’t a evidence of this. This is different from a sense of self-confidence because these people haven’t any history of achievements that support their beliefs.
Today, there isn’t a official mental health diagnosis called “superiority complex.” However, this concept can still describe why some people exaggerate their achievements and successes.
Whether a superiority complex is a approach to cover up one's feelings of inferiority or just an unfounded belief that one is healthier than other people, a superiority complex isn’t good for one's mental health. Have a healthy feeling for it Self-esteem is very important.
Depending on the cause, a superiority complex can have two very different effects in your mental health:
Effects of a superiority complex attributable to low self-esteem. If you’ve got low self-esteem and check out to cover it by exaggerating your achievements, your self-esteem may very well worsen. Studies show that for those who brag about your skills but other people learn that you simply exaggerated, they may think less of you.
If you brag about protecting yourself from possible criticism, that's exactly the other of what you wish. When you learn that other people have a negative opinion of you, your self-esteem generally deteriorates. If you don't change your strategy, it may possibly turn into a negative cycle that steadily worsens your self-esteem.
Effects of a superiority complex attributable to high self-esteem. Having unrealistically high self-esteem that causes your superiority complex can still have negative mental health effects. A superiority complex is more likely to cause you to rely an excessive amount of in your abilities. You may not work hard enough to attain your goals, and while you fail, it’s possible you’ll feel particularly bad.
This sort of overconfidence may also alienate other people in your life. People with superiority complexes often brag about themselves or demean others. This can shrink your social circle and make it difficult to construct realistic self-esteem.
Both potential causes of an inferiority complex lie in an unrealistic perception of yourself. Either you think that you simply are less successful than you need to be, or that you simply are more successful than you truly are. Adjusting your self-perception can enable you to prevent a superiority complex from affecting your mental health and behavior.
Building realistic self-esteem takes time. Here are some strategies you should utilize to construct healthy self-esteem without putting yourself down or overestimating your abilities.
- Make an inventory of your actual achievements without exaggerating.
- Avoid all-or-nothing pondering. If you end up viewing things as all good or all bad, try to seek out balance.
- Notice how you’re feeling about other people's accomplishments. Are you completely happy for her or are you jealous? Try to be completely happy for them without feeling bad about yourself.
- Forgive yourself for mistakes without torturing yourself with negative thoughts.
Don't hesitate to succeed in out to mental health professionals for those who feel like a superiority complex is affecting your mental health.