Describe a Mentally Healthy Person, According to Adler.
Theresa Byers, SID# 55876
PSY 380 PERSONALITY THEORIES
3). Describe a mentally healthy personality, according to Adler.
Most of society thinks that a mentally healthy person is a person with a sound sense of self and someone who functions on a daily basis within the community without problems of any signs of a mental illness. For Adler, psychological health is determined by the level of social contribution beneficial to the greater community, to the degree, that one integrates and furthers the social context, thus the measurement of his or her mental health. Named after Alfred Adler, Adlerian theory primarily emphasizes concepts pertaining to inferiority and superiority, styles of life, family constellation and birth order, and social interests as principle components of personality. Adler starts out with the striving for inferiority toward superiority complexes. He believed that a person’s behavior is motivated by a desire to achieve success or superiority. Adler believed that all people are born with physical inadequacies, which makes young children feel inferior to those around them. As a result, people commit very early in life to rid themselves of these feelings of inferiority. There are, however, two ways to overcome those feelings: striving for success and striving for superiority, the latter of which is less mentally healthy. Adler wrote that psychologically healthy people will attempt to overcome feelings of inferiority by instead striving for the success of mankind. Other people, by contrast, will strive for superiority without regard for anybody else. The more healthy approach is more socially concerned while the other shows more interest in socially nonproductive personal achievement. Although the desire to strive for
Theresa Byers, SID# 55876
PSY 380 PERSONALITY THEORIES
3). Describe a mentally healthy personality, according to Adler.
success and superiority is partially innate, according to Adler, the behavior must be developed
PSY 380 PERSONALITY THEORIES
3). Describe a mentally healthy personality, according to Adler.
Most of society thinks that a mentally healthy person is a person with a sound sense of self and someone who functions on a daily basis within the community without problems of any signs of a mental illness. For Adler, psychological health is determined by the level of social contribution beneficial to the greater community, to the degree, that one integrates and furthers the social context, thus the measurement of his or her mental health. Named after Alfred Adler, Adlerian theory primarily emphasizes concepts pertaining to inferiority and superiority, styles of life, family constellation and birth order, and social interests as principle components of personality. Adler starts out with the striving for inferiority toward superiority complexes. He believed that a person’s behavior is motivated by a desire to achieve success or superiority. Adler believed that all people are born with physical inadequacies, which makes young children feel inferior to those around them. As a result, people commit very early in life to rid themselves of these feelings of inferiority. There are, however, two ways to overcome those feelings: striving for success and striving for superiority, the latter of which is less mentally healthy. Adler wrote that psychologically healthy people will attempt to overcome feelings of inferiority by instead striving for the success of mankind. Other people, by contrast, will strive for superiority without regard for anybody else. The more healthy approach is more socially concerned while the other shows more interest in socially nonproductive personal achievement. Although the desire to strive for
Theresa Byers, SID# 55876
PSY 380 PERSONALITY THEORIES
3). Describe a mentally healthy personality, according to Adler.
success and superiority is partially innate, according to Adler, the behavior must be developed
References: Cloninger, Susan. Theories of Personality: Understanding Persons. 5th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 2008