We live in a world where there is one constant competition with others to achieve what we want or desire. Frustration, depression, sadness and anger can result as a result of this competition. Especially when we are overwhelmed by what society expects of us: what clothes we wear, how we should act, what should we eat... To compensate for the possible "failure" in these challenges, the person may create a misrepresentation of himself same.
In this way, the battle takes place within oneself, between self-concept and real identity, and can result in a mask that the person He wears his day to day in front of the world, called a superiority complex, which refers to the behavior of a person who may seem narcissistic or exaggerated. In this Psychology-Online article we show you the characteristics of the superiority complex.
Index
- What is the superiority complex?
- Characteristics of the superiority complex
- Some tips to control the superiority complex
What is the superiority complex?
The term has been coined by Alfred Adler to refer to a psychological defense mechanism in which the feelings of superiority of a person hide the true feelings of inferiority of her. in this other article we will discover the symptoms and treatment of superiority complex.
According to Adler, each of us can feel inferior at some point in her life, this being something normal and good, since this The author understands the feeling of inferiority as a motivation to achieve the goals that we set ourselves throughout our life. lifetime. But sometimes, people are overwhelmed by goals They have established and end up in one of the two extremes, lack of self-esteem (inferiority complex) or an exaggeration of this (superiority complex).
When this manifests itself in the person's behavior, it can lead to a Superiority complex personality disorder, narcissistic disorder or megalomania. People with this complex tend to confuse their personal ideals with their self-concept, that is, they confuse what they want to be with what they believe they are. It is not the simple act of behaving as if they are better than everyone else, but they believe they are the best.
Adler considers that the feelings of inferiority and superiority are two sides of the same coin. If the person has a superiority complex, there is likely an underlying feeling of inferiority that causes him to exaggerate her self-esteem in order to feel better about himself.
Characteristics of the superiority complex.
There are a series of characteristics that can indicate that a person has a superiority complex:
Exaggeration of symptoms
When the person is bad or bad, she tends to exaggerate it to feel more important. For example, they tend to magnify pain to gain more attention, sympathy, and care.
Excuses
The person blames their failures, failures or deficits on other people or external factors to justify themselves. They can also downplay failure, trying to show that it is not important.
Aggressiveness
Those with a superiority complex need to be seen by others in the same way that they perceive themselves. Sometimes they force this to happen in a violent, hurtful, rude way, with contempt ...
Distancing
The person with a superiority complex ignores the problem that underlies low self-esteem. He prefers to step back and form an image that fits what he wants to show or what he would like to be.
Anxiety
People with this complex often have high levels of anxiety. Levels that are increased in the long term due to the struggle they generate when forming an image “Desired” versus “real”, since there is an imbalance between the true identity and the image projected.
Denial
They live in a denial of their mental battles and limit their life so that denial is not endangered and can be sustained.
Excessive self-control
They are people who have extreme control over their behaviors and emotions to avoid showing their true identity to others.
Arbitrary suitability
They always maintain "I am right and you are wrong." They are not open to opinions different from their own and they dismiss those who do not go in their line.
Skepticism and simulation of confusion
When their failures or poor skills on a topic are discussed, they tend to become ambiguous and feign confusion to avoid embarrassment.
Rationalization
They try to rationalize their actions. If they fail at something, they convince themselves that the goal was never important or that the negative result has positive aspects to highlight.
Humor changes
As a product of that constant struggle full of contradictions, they usually have sudden mood swings.
Some tips to control the superiority complex.
The superiority complex can interfere with a person's life by causing her friends to drift away from her, but she will never acknowledge that her attitude is the cause. Some tips that can help control feelings of superiority They are:
- Do not give so much importance to the image: Most of us like to feel loved, admired or appreciated, but the most important thing is how we feel about ourselves. Even if we accept compliments, we must not allow this to fuel our self-esteem excessively.
- Be open to listen: It is very important to realize that an opinion is just that and that there are different points of view, which must be accepted. Each person has the right to have their own opinion of it. It is essential to let others express their opinions without belittling them because they are different from your own.
- Accept that each of us has strengths and weaknesses: We all have very good qualities and we can be proud of them, but we must not forget that we are not the only ones, there are more people with good qualities. In addition, we must accept that we all also have weak points, it is normal and humility is essential.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Characteristics of the superiority complex, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.
