Do you constantly feel inadequate? Feel as though other people are better than you in so many different ways?
Then you may have an inferiority complex, which means you never feel like you’re good enough for other people, to carry out certain tasks, or to achieve things in life.
However, no matter what you may think, nobody is “perfect,” and that’s why you need to overcome these negative doubts you have about yourself.
Below, we’ll explore what feeling inferior means before moving on to tell you how to start avoiding the inferiority complex that’s taken over your life for too long.
Inferiority Complex Definition
An inferiority complex means someone is fixated on the idea that they’re inferior.
What does inferior mean?
That someone focuses on their weaknesses and downfalls, instead of looking at their positive attributes. They become so overwhelmed by their “inferiorities” that they can’t see past them. Therefore, they start to doubt themselves and everything they do.
“He’s so good looking, he’ll never date someone like me.” “I won’t get that promotion because I’m just not good enough at my job.”
It’s a never-ending cycle, and a vicious one at that. The more they put themselves down, the more they can’t see their positive characteristics. And as they become so downtrodden, they may start to miss out on opportunities because they’re lacking in confidence.
How Do You Get an Inferiority Complex?
There’s often a specific cause that’s made you feel inferior, but it could be linked to something that’s happened in your past.
It’s often a standout moment in time that switches your mode of thinking. For example, someone could have made a nasty remark about your or put you down. And you may have beaten yourself up about it, going over and over their comments in your mind. Or, you may have been rejected as a child, which has made you feel unwanted and unworthy.
So what’s the answer?
First, you need to figure out what the trigger was for your inferiority complex. Establishing this will help you overcome it quickly.
Start by working through your past, picking out key moments in time that made you feel unhappy. Why did you feel this way? What did you do when this happened?
Sometimes, to try and protect you, your brain will bury these negative experiences in your subconscious. That’s why it may take some time for you to bring them back to the surface, and this could be quite painful for you. However, as you work through these memories and times of sadness, it’ll help you take a step forward towards combatting your inferiority complex for good.
5 Tips on How You Can Start Avoiding the Inferiority Complex
1. Focus on the Positives
Negative thoughts often lead to low self-esteem, which is why you need to break the habit of thinking pessimistically.
The next time a situation arises where you feel yourself being negative, try to put a positive spin on it instead. Cognitive behavior therapy is a great way of doing this because it works to retrain your mind so it focuses on the positives rather than the negatives.
2. Take a Look at Your Life as a Whole
Think about your life, including your personal relationships and career. What’s working and what’s not?
If your relationship’s going well but your career’s taken a nosedive, it’s time to start making some changes. Maybe you need to learn a new skill or become a better communicator? Focus on what you need to change so you can make those much-needed improvements and get ahead with your life.
It’s also a good idea to look at who might make you feel inferior. Does someone constantly put you down or make derogatory comments? Then why are they still part of your life?
3. Adjust Your Self-Image
Often, when you feel inferior you’ll create a “self-image,” which is how you view yourself, but a lot of this is in your mind. It could actually be incredibly removed from reality.
In order to battle your inferiority complex, you need to improve this self-image by removing any labels you’ve given yourself (i.e. idiot, useless, stupid, or ugly) and convincing yourself that you’ve been fooled into thinking you were something you weren’t.
4. Consider Hypnosis
If you’re having a hard time working through your past and trying to overcome your thoughts of inferiority, it may be a good idea to try hypnosis. This is a powerful technique that helps get deep into your subconscious to remove the negative feelings that are harboring there.
5. Build Up Your Confidence
Once you’ve started to see yourself in a new light, it’s important to continue building on your newfound confidence. Confidence is inferiority’s antagonist, which means if confidence starts to enter your mind, inferiority will leave.
Avoiding the inferiority complex need not be difficult. It’s just a case of trying to refocus your mind on all of the wonderful, positive, and good things you have in your life. And when your feelings of inferiority leave, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief as you enjoy the freedom and confidence you now have.