Self-esteem and Transcendence

Author: Alfred Adler (Austria), translated by Li Xinming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: What Life Should Mean to You significantly corrected Freud's pansexual psychoanalytic view and opened a new phase of psychoanalysis. In What Life Should Mean to You, Adler proposed: Regardless of whether there are physical defects, children's feelings of inferiority are always a common reality. This is because they often rely on adult life and are controlled in every action by adults. When children use this inferiority complex as an excuse to avoid action, it develops into a neurotic tendency. If this inferiority complex persists in later life, it will form an "inferiority complex." What Life Should Mean to You is a popular book that elucidates the path of life and its meaning from the perspective of individual psychology. Yet, within its simplicity lies profound philosophy and immense academic value. In What Life Should Mean to You, the author states: Everyone has varying degrees of inferiority complex because no one is satisfied with their current status; the pursuit of superiority is a common trait of all. However, not everyone can overcome inferiority—key lies in how one treats their career, society, and sexuality, as well as in understanding life correctly. Children who suffer from organ defects or are spoiled or neglected from a young age are more likely to take the wrong path in life. Parents and teachers should cultivate their interest in others and society, helping them truly recognize that "dedication is the true meaning of life." In this way, they can move from inferiority to superiority.