and aggressive themes, Adler identified a single motivating force he called
striving for superiority . All other motives could be subsumed within this
one construct. “I began to see clearly in every psychological phenomenon
the striving for superiority, ”Adler wrote. “It lies at the root of all solutions
of life ’s problems and is manifested in the way in which we meet these pro-
blems. All our functions follow its direction ”(cited in Ansbacher & Ansbacher,
1956, p. 103).
Ironically, striving for superiority begins with feelings of inferiority. In
fact, Adler maintained that each of us begins life with a profound sense of in-
feriority. This is to be expected from a weak and helpless child, dependent on
larger and stronger adults for survival. The moment children become awareof their relative weakness marks the beginning of a lifelong struggle to over-
come their sense of inferiority.
For Adler, virtually everything we do is designed to establish a sense of
superiority over life ’s obstacles. Why do we work so hard to obtain good
grades, to excel at athletics, or to reach a position of power? Because achiev-
ing these things moves us a step further away from our feelings of inferiority.Moreover, the more inferior we see ourselves, the stronger our striving for su-
periority. Franklin Roosevelt was disabled by polio. Nonetheless, Adler might
have said that because of this disability, he aspired to become one of the most
influential figures of the 20th century.
However, in some cases excessive feelings of inferiority can have the op-
posite effect. Some people develop an inferiority complex, a belief that they
are vastly inferior to everyone else. The result is feelings of helplessness rather
than an upward drive to establish superiority. Children and adults who suffer
from an excessive sense of inferiority avoid or run away from challenges
rather than work to overcome them.
The contrast between Adler and Freud can be seen in their analysis of
highly successful business people. Freud often described these individuals interms of sublimation. Commercial and financial achievements are merely mis-
placed unconscious impulses. Freud also might say that, for businessmen,
defeating business rivals satisfies an unconscious desire to compete with anddefeat one ’s father, a motive left over from the Oedipus complex. In contrast,
Adler saw business success as an expression of superiority striving. Each in-crease in salary and each step up the corporate ladder provides another re-minder that one is not inferior.
But for Adler achievement alone is not indicative of mental health. The
key is to combine superiority striving with a concern for Gemeinschaftsge-
fuhl, which roughly translates from German to social interest . Successful
businesspeople achieve a sense of superiority and personal satisfaction
through their accomplishments, but only if they reach these goals with con-sideration for the welfare of others. Success means providing consumers with
a good product at a fair price that will make everyone ’s life a little happier.
In contrast, poorly adjusted people express their striving for superiority
through selfishness and a concern for personal glory at the expense of
others. Politicians who seek public office for personal gain and a sense of
power reflect a poor sense of social interest. Those who seek office to help98 CHAPTER 5 The Psychoanalyt ic Approach