Alfred Adler and His Observations

Alfred Adler was one among the few was fond of Freuds basic observations. Born in
1870 he was founs weak and sick in his childhood. This prompted him to become a
physician. Later he showed interest in psychiatry. Freud invited him to Vienna to
join his psychoanalytical society in 1910. Since he had objection to Freuds
sexuality related theories, he left the organization and started another but
similar organization. He passed away in the year 1937 due to heart attack.

Adlers Important Observations

1. Individual Psychology
The technical meaning of Individual here is indivisible. This means that an
individual has a fundamental nature of his thoughts, emotions etc. in totality.
This differs from person to person. This means that though there is correlation in
peoples behaviour, the fundamentals behind the behaviour will be different. Adler
argued that each persons behaviour is to be treated and analyzed separately rather
than treating all in common.
2. Physically handicapped and attempt to compensate
Adler observed that physically handicapped will try to compensate to reach other
heights I their lives through hard work. It is this desire I the child to become
like elders that prompts him/her to turn around, to swim, to stand up and walk
later. It is the inferiority complex in one that generates the desire to grown more
than others.
3. Masculine Protest
Adler interpreted that the masculine nature is to reign and feminine nature is to
surrender. On the basis of these he classified individuals into Superior and
Inferior. This awareness helps to analyze the relationships between people.
4. The Desire to Success
Adler observed that the aspiration to perfection or success is the inner force of
every behaviour. The inner thirst of a person to achieve heights in his life is not
one amongst the desires that promotes his personality. It is the one that binds up
all such desires to a single cause to success.
5. Success and Social Interest
Even though everyone has a desire to succeed, the ways of success depend on ones
mental health. A neurotic person reaches success with his personal feel that he
must be different from others and he becomes selfish in achieving the height. But a
person having mental health treats the humanity as a whole and cares
unconditionally.
6. Personality and Life Style
Adler says that there are four life styles and accordingly there are four
personalities.
a) Ruling Type: Those who are not at all helping minded; they always want to
control others.
b) Getting Type: They always look for getting things from others.
c) Avoiding Type: These people lack social interest. They withdraw to
themselves. They do not react and cooperate with the group of people.
d) Socially Useful Type: They are people with mental health. They have enough
vision on their lives.
In Adlers view social interest in a person is a symptom of his mental health.

7. Fictional Finalism
Adler proved that it is the internal understandings that influence the behaviour of
a person rather than external attitude. He pleaded that conscious mind is stronger
than unconscious. While Freud says that the past of a person creates his present
and future, Adler argues that the present molds the future. Therefore, it is
possible for a person to work dreaming his success. Though there might be many
goals in his life, he will be totally aware on the immediate goals right in front
of him. The immediate goal stays in the conscious and the ultimate remains in the
unconscious.
8. Birth Order
Adler pointed out that personality differs from first child, second child and so on
in a family. He has classified the children into four types: first, second, third
and single. First born gets the love and attraction of all the family members. When
a second one is born the first gets jealous of the second as the parents love is
diverted to the second. In other words the first demands for over protection.
Adler says that the state of the second child is better. He compromises with the
first and his desire to be better than the first makes him succeed in his
ventures. The third might be a problematic child. He might be subject to
inferiority complex because he is junior to two others. On the other hand the
competition might help him to shine. The single child may have problems in his
personality. Since there are no siblings to compete, he or she may start competing
with parents. They may have less interest in social attachments. They will become
more dependent on others.
Freud and Adler
While Freud examined a persons inner sense Adler stretched his thoughts to the
social phase of a person. Adler gave importance to the social aspects that
influence a persons behavior. Freud based a persons past in deciding his future
while Adler emphasized the importance of the present. Freud treated sexual energy
as the source of behavior while Adler treated the will to power as the source of
behavior. Freud based his findings on unconscious mind wherein Adler depended on
the conscious for the same. Adler also pointed out the indivisibility in persons.