Alfred Adler.. The second child knot that weaved the most famous theories of psychology

"It is always easier to fight for one's principles than to abide by them."

On a cold winter's evening, in a suburb west of Vienna, the capital of Austria, in 1874, the doctor who had been summoned by Mr. Adler, the grain merchant, to see his sick son, said that there was no need to make any effort to take care of this sick child, because he had no hope of recovery.

Alfred, the four-year-old boy, was terrified, as he was afraid of death a lot, especially after he lost his younger brother "Rudolph", who died on the bed next to him a few months ago.

Perhaps it was fear that gave him the desire to live and resist disease, and he actually survived his near-fatal pneumonia, deciding after several days of recovery that he would become a doctor when he grew up, so that he would be better immune from death.

But life does not always go as we plan it, and she was hiding a lot in her pocket for the child, Alfred Adler, who did not know at that time that his name would be immortalized in psychiatry books after several decades, and that his ideas and theories would live until the twenty-first century.

unhappy child

“In friendship we learn to look with the eyes of the other, to hear with the ears of the other, and to feel the heart of the other.”

Alfred Adler

Although he suffered from rickets in his early years,

What prevented him from walking and running like his peers, Alfred recovered from it after the age of four, and he became a very active child with a lot of movement, and he loved playing outside more than he loved staying in class.

Perhaps that's why his academic level was mediocre, but that didn't stop him from doing everything in his power to outdo his older brother Sigmund.

Alfred was the second child in the family, and this arrangement played a vital role in the formation of his personality, and later his theory of the "inferiority complex" (1).

Alfred had a childhood that many may see as normal, perhaps even happy, but he never considered himself a happy child.

The Adlers were fond of music, and in fact Alfred himself possessed the tenor voice that qualified him to become a star in opera.

But instead of a career in singing, Alfred preferred to go on to become a doctor, but spent all his free time attending opera and theater performances in Vienna.

His interest in the embodiment of characters on stage was the beginning of his interest in analyzing human characters, this later helped him with his patients, as he dealt with their overwhelming feelings with a lot of calm, saying: “Everything you feel is completely normal, but you may not need to feel it much” (2) ).

Alfred's childhood ambition was the secret of his misery.

He was looking with envy at his eldest brother, the eldest son, whom Alfred had always seen soaring in the sky of accomplishments, and far from being able to catch up with him, and this feeling remained with him until his last days.

Not only that, but his rejection of the authority represented by his older brother, is what prompted him to refuse to establish a school of psychology in his name, and also refused to use the authoritarian tone with his students.

This complex that he formed in his childhood because of his brother, dyed his life, his decisions and even his theories.

Despite all this, Alfred always spoke of his older brother with respect, as a virtuous person who would extend a helping hand to those in his family who needed him.

Alfred was a kind-hearted child, and was not entirely happy with the unequal financial situation between him and his peers in the same neighborhood, especially when his own family suffered financial fluctuations that pushed them several steps down the social ladder.

These social and material differences, as well as the horrors of the First World War, later prompted Alfred to adopt the theory of "social interest" or a more accurate translation of the German word "Gemeinschaftsgefühl: sense of community", in which Alfred believes that the meaning of life for some people stems from of their concern for all of humanity (3).

changing paths

"If I had made it in my lab, I wouldn't have found it more to my taste than this."

Alfred Adler's wife Raisa Timofeevna, accompanied by their two children.

The period of study at the University of Vienna was another pivotal turning point in the life of Alfred, who succeeded in becoming an ophthalmologist at the age of twenty-five.

At that time, he was introduced to his wife and companion, Raissa Timofeyewna, a Russian socialist political activist, who had grown up in a wealthy family and knew neither poverty nor destitution before she met her husband.

She was an independent character and had a different outlook on life, and yet Alfred loved her so much that he did not pay any attention to any other woman who tried to approach him.

The couple had 4 children together, two of whom later became psychiatrists.

Alfred did not last long as an ophthalmologist, but turned to general practice, and worked in a clinic in the popular district of Vienna, in front of the Prater circus and amusement park.

By examining some of the circus performers, he formed some of his thoughts on the deficiencies methods used by circus performers suffering from organic deficiency.

In 1898, with the reception of their first child, Alfred published The Health Book for the Tailoring Trade, which already included the foundations of his theories that he later developed, before he even met the famous psychologist Sigmund Freud and became one of the His disciples, or rather: one of his competitors in the field.

Although Adler was not at the time as famous as his peers Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, he is still considered one of the three founding fathers of modern psychotherapy.

Adler was concerned with "consciousness", and with the human being as a whole, meaning his life, his choices, his influence on people, and the influence of the surrounding environment on him, and thus he was the first to advocate a "holistic approach" to dealing with human problems (4).

In 1902, Adler received a postcard inviting him to join Freud with another group of psychologists to discuss the methods of psychoanalysis, to begin a new page of his life, and a new struggle with Freud's ideas.

individual psychology

“A simple rule for dealing with difficult people is to remember that that person seeks to assert his superiority, and you must treat him accordingly.”

Sigmund Freud (front row center), and Carl Jung (right next to him).

While Freud considered Adler to be one of his students, Adler saw Freud as a colleague, or at most an older brother, projecting the image of his older brother over his colleague.

Every Wednesday, the five scholars met to exchange ideas, which later developed into the Vienna Psychoanalytical Society, which doubled in number by 1906. It didn't last long for Adler, as the fundamental differences between his ideas and those of Freud are It led to his departure from the Society in 1911, along with 9 other individuals, to create the Society for Individual Psychology.

Adler believed that "neurosis", a term that usually expresses anxiety and depression, arises from an unhealthy focus on a person's shortcomings, or a false belief in his superiority over others, while Freud attributed all psychological diseases to the individual's sexual drive, which is What Adler objected to as being figurative rather than actual.

In addition, although he was not necessarily religious, Adler believed that religion was important to give meaning to the lives of his patients, and expressed this: "The best concept acquired so far for the uplifting of mankind is the idea of ​​God's existence", while Freud considered Religions "a state of collective neurosis".

In his conception of individual psychology, Adler believes that most human beings are motivated by the pursuit of "superiority", and some factors can stand in the way of this pursuit, causing feelings of inferiority or inadequacy.

Adler identified some of these factors, such as having a physical defect or deficiency, low marital status, and indulgence or neglect in childhood.

While four-year-old Alfred lay ill, unable to make even the slightest movement, watching his older brother run and play tirelessly, Alfred must have felt extremely inferior at the time, and we can see the effect of this on his theory of individual psychology.

If the individual feels a sense of deficiency, he can take one of two directions: Either he works to compensate for this deficiency, as Alfred himself did, by developing his abilities and skills, which is the healthy way to deal with the problem.

Or that the inferiority complex controls the individual's thoughts and feelings and becomes controlling his actions.

Exaggerated attempts to overcome an inferiority complex may turn into a selfish pursuit of power, and a desire for self-aggrandizement even at the expense of others.

Therefore, man lives in an eternal struggle between his escape from a feeling of inferiority, and his relentless pursuit of a feeling of superiority, which was later called by a more comprehensive term, "Self Actualization".

“War must seem hateful and inhuman to all who take the path of humanitarian cooperation.”

As a physician, Adler had to be called to war.

There, amid the horrors of World War I in 1914, Adler often had to make decisions he didn't want to make, sending soldiers back to battle trenches as soon as they were able to move.

Adler hated war, and wished that he could exempt all soldiers from fighting, and this obsession remained chasing him in his dreams and even his waking hours after his return from the war, where he returned repeatedly to those moments trying to relieve the soldiers, and this caused him a lot of anxiety, so that he forced himself Later on forgetting his dreams before waking up.

Adler witnessed the trauma of soldiers speaking in front of him in the war, which was then called "Shell Shock", and Adler's lectures and notes on "War Neurosis" laid the foundation for the diagnosis of "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" Disorder) later, which is the disorder that afflicts a person after exposure to severe trauma such as wars, natural disasters, and assault incidents, and it affects his mood, memory and ability to lead a normal life.

Despite the intensity of the cases he witnessed, the conditions of the war and the pressure of work unfortunately prevented him from taking notes and giving the matter optimal scientific attention.

middle child

Adler's upbringing greatly influenced his ideas about the formation of the child's personality later, and he developed the theory of "birth order", which scientists now consider incorrect from a scientific point of view, and Adler believes that the arrangement of the child among his siblings has an impact on the development of his personality in a certain way.

The first child, who is represented by Adler in the form of his older brother, receives the full attention of his parents for a good period of time. He is usually ambitious and motivated more towards accomplishments. He is also obedient to his parents and his thoughts and attitudes are in line with their ideas, but he feels threatened when the second child is born As if the throne had been taken away from him.

No wonder, after being the only child who gets all the attention from his parents, there is another child who shares his attention, love and care.

The first child often has the responsibility to be a role model for his younger siblings, his parents expect a lot from him, and they may raise him more rigorously than his siblings.

Perhaps this will push him to become a leader in the future, always in charge, and at the same time put him under enormous pressure.

As for the middle child, represented by Alfred himself - as he was the second child among 7 brothers and sisters - his personality is clearly different, he is rebellious, and he loves to challenge the authority represented by the rules of the house or school.

In addition, the middle child possesses good negotiation skills that allow him to confidently resolve conflicts within the family, possesses high emotional stability, and is a "dove of peace" at home.

Perhaps this is due to his attempts to create a role for him in the family, because the roles of older brother and younger brother are already occupied.

He is also a challenger, as he tries to keep up with his older siblings, while at the same time avoiding equality with his younger siblings, though, and gets frustrated easily.

As for the younger brother, Adler sees himself as spoiled, irresponsible and dependent on those around him, but he is sociable, succeeds in getting attention, and can manipulate people into doing what he wants.

The youngest child also gains greater freedom when parents become less strict in enforcing the rules of the house;

What gives him the space for creativity and launch.

He may end up with one of two outcomes: either he succeeds brilliantly in his life and becomes the star of the family, or he loses the confidence needed to succeed and becomes a recluse, unwilling to excel.

Adler also sees that the only child, who has no siblings, deals most of the time with adults, imitating them, behaving like them, and turning into a "little man".

This child is responsible, driven, and self-reliant, but may feel a little more entitlement than he should.

Parents may over-protect and pamper him and provide for all his requests;

This makes it intolerable for him to refuse his requests from society, as well as his refusal to share any of his possessions with others.

Despite all this, this interest may provide him with an opportunity for creativity and intelligence development, but without flexibility (5).

"Death is truly a great blessing to humanity, for without it there would be no real progress. If people lived forever, they would not only stifle and discourage young people, but they themselves would lack sufficient incentive to create."

After the war, Adler focused on developing his theory, and in that period the book "The Meaning of Life" was published, and in the first part of it he says that each of us can find meaning and satisfaction in his life if he is satisfied in 3 areas: the first is the regular and flourishing relationship with the opposite sex .

The second is work, i.e. that a person performs a work that is pleasing to him and that he loves, and in which he sees satisfactory results.

And the third is to help the community, that is, to provide one of us a service, even a small one, to the community around him.

Adler was then busy giving psychology lectures at the People's Institute in Vienna, and established several clinics to guide children, where he applied the principles of individual psychology to solve children's problems, and teachers later turned to him for advice on how to behave with children in schools, and these clinics represented the nucleus that From it, "Family Therapy" arose later.

By 1935, after Adler had spent several years lecturing around the world, he and his family finally settled in the United States, escaping fascism in Austria at the time.

On this day, May 28, 1937, during a European lecturing tour, Alfred's heart abandoned him, and he suffered a heart attack while hiking in Aberdeen, Scotland, before one of his lectures.

Adler was a dreamer, wanting the good of all humanity, and dreaming that people cooperate and love each other and stop wars, killing and destruction, and even if he did not succeed in changing the world as he dreamed, but he left an indelible mark in the collective human consciousness, and established several theories, some of which are still He was successful until this time, and he left the world with a good heart, perhaps he could not bear all the cruelty of the world, so he broke.

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