Do You Have an Inferiority Complex?
[ad_1]
Having healthy self-esteem and self-confidence doesn’t mean you never experience moments of doubt, guilt, embarrassment, and regret. However, if those feelings are recurring and persistent, they could be signs of an inferiority complex.
While inferiority complex is not a term that many mental health professionals use anymore, we all know that it generally means having such low self-esteem, self-doubt, and constant feelings of inadequacy, that it’s difficult to function and accomplish one’s goals.
How’s your self-esteem? Try giving it a mini checkup with this six-question quiz.
While it won’t provide a professional diagnosis, it may suggest that your self-esteem — defined by the American Psychological Association as “a person’s physical self-image, view of his or her accomplishments and capabilities, and values and perceived success in living up to them” — could use a boost.
How you interpret the results is up to you. That’s because these results capture just a small snapshot of your personality.
But know that any “B” responses can point to areas that could use shoring up when it comes to self-confidence. If you find that to be true, don’t despair: Being aware is the first step toward developing a healthier mindset.
The next step is to get help, either with the aid of a self-help book, such as The Undervalued Self by Elaine Aron, PhD, or The Self-Esteem Workbook by Glenn R. Schiraldi, PhD, or by consulting a mental health professional.
As poet e. e. cummings so wisely put it, “Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”
1. If I’m Invited to a Party, I’m More Likely To:
A. RSVP yes immediately
B. Find an excuse to stay home
Many people with chronic low self-esteem experience social anxiety disorder, a diagnosable condition per the American Psychiatric Association’s current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Also known as social phobia, it’s marked by extreme discomfort in classes, parties, work gatherings, and similar situations due to an intense fear of being judged or rejected by others. Similarly, a more deep-rooted condition, avoidant personality disorder, causes such intense feelings of nervousness, inadequacy, and dread of rejection that it can lead a person to avoid most social interaction, per research published May 4, 2023, in Frontiers in Psychology.
2. When It Comes to Good Fortune, I’d Describe Myself As:
A. Extremely lucky
B. A bad luck magnet
People with chronic low self-esteem sometimes cope with their uncomfortable feelings by blaming external factors, such as bad luck, for their perceived mistakes and failures. The irony is that research by experimental psychologist Richard Wiseman, PhD, a professor of the public understanding of psychology at Britain’s University of Hertfordhsire, and author of The Luck Factor: The Scientific Study of the Lucky Mind, shows that believing you’re unlucky tends to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words, the unluckiest people of all are those who — like someone with an inferiority complex — expect to be unlucky.
3. My Preferred Method for Staying in Shape Is:
A. Signing up for a class or joining a team
B. Going solo by taking a walk or using a workout video
According to “The Comparison Trap,” by Rebecca Webber, published in Psychology Today: “Unsurprisingly, those with low self-esteem are more likely to feel that they don’t stack up.” They often avoid any type of activity where their abilities will be compared with others. But Webber notes that it’s not “all bad news.” Research has found, she points out, that the tendency to compare ourselves with others declines as we age, possibly because as we get older we are more likely to evaluate ourselves against our own past rather than the present of others.
RELATED: How to Have a Healthier Body Image
4. When Someone Criticizes Me, I Typically:
A. Defend myself, if appropriate, or use the feedback in a positive way to improve my future performance
B. Feel like a failure and replay the criticism over and over in my mind
“For people with low self-esteem, the inner voice becomes a harsh critic, punishing one’s mistakes and belittling one’s accomplishments,” according to the University of Texas at Austin Counseling and Mental Health Center. Nurturing self-compassion — treating yourself with kindness rather than judgement — can raise self-esteem by helping you feel more stable and capable when things are difficult, research published online December 6, 2019, in Frontiers in Psychology suggests.
One simple exercise to try: Think of what you would say to a friend who is facing a similar situation or engaging in negative self-talk, “then direct these compassionate responses to yourself,” advise Harvard Medical School experts. Find more free self-compassion exercises at Self-Compassion.org.
5. Offered a Chance to Head a New Project at Work, I’d Probably:
A. Be proud, excited, and eager to start
B. Try to turn it down by saying I’m too busy
As psychologist Lois Frankel, PhD, president of Corporate Coaching International and author of the bestselling Nice Girls Don’t Get The Corner Office, explained to Forbes: “People with low self-esteem often try to remain under the radar screen because they don’t think they’re capable of success.” As a result, they hold themselves back, preventing them from achieving the very goals that could enhance their self-esteem. Not surprisingly, a study published online November 9, 2020, in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, suggests that recognizing and targeting that belief can enhance well-being.
RELATED: 4 Ways to Overcome Low Self-Esteem at Work
6. If a Friend Cancels on Me at the Last Minute, I’m Most Apt To:
A. Check my calendar to schedule a new meet-up
B. Feel hurt, even angry, and avoid setting up another date because I’m sure they don’t really want to see me
One telltale sign of an inferiority complex is misinterpreting the behavior of others, which then sets off feelings of anxiety, frustration, depression, and even anger. Mental health professionals call these unhelpful, inaccurate thoughts “cognitive distortions.” An example of a cognitive distortion is mind reading (or jumping to conclusions): You assume you know what someone else is thinking and feeling — in this case that your friend is feeling negatively toward you — without any proof. Tellingly, research published online August 7, 2020, in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships linked low self-esteem with social anxiety, in particular with the idea that other people are having fun without you.
[ad_2]
