Feeling of Anxiety
Counselors report that of all the problems they hear described by college students, the most common is unfavorable self-evaluation. d it can be added that attitudes of inferiority are so common among ts that we regard them as a normal aspect of living.
Why are feelings of inferiority so common? One reason is that culture is success-oriented. We expect to win at games, get to the in business, exert social influence. And many of us have to prove ething to someone. From the time of birth the individual is compared and contrasted on every level-looks, intelligence, muscular strength, academic and social accomplishment, and a host of other things. Each of us, in his or her struggles to win, picks "an idleal" as a standard of comparison. We do this even knowing that it may be unfair. In looks we rate ourselves with the model or entertainer, in athletic ability with the professional. In academic pursuits we have parents or an older brother or sister to match in accomplishment. We feel infenor in the classroom because the teacher knows more than we do. In most areas, someone else exce:s. In other words, the "ideal" does not exist, but we fail to realize this. Instead, we try to measure ourselves by our mistakes rather than by our accomplishments.
Another reason why all of us have feelings of inferiority is that we know more about our own feelings than anyone else doee. We often see only the surface feelings of others, and we observe only their many cover-ups through lhe roles they play. In being ourselves, we come closer to our problems and see our failures. We are aware of what people think of us, and this disturbs us.
One psychologist characterizes a feeling of inferiority as an emotional reaction to an assumed failure. At the level of theory he has proposed that personality development is a continuous series of reactions to inferiority, whether real or fancied. He views inferiority feelings as essential to psychological growth. These feelings become detrimental for gdod adjustment only when they become excessive or when a person strives for success and fails repeated'.
Indicators of Inferiority Attitudes
There are six common ways to recognize feelings of inadequacy in everyday life. Up to a point, they can be counteracted.
One common indicator of inferiority is a marked sensitivity to direct or implied criticism. A student may devote much effort to prove that his solution to a problem is correct. On the other hand, he may more profitably search for a better method of attack. If a better method is found, reinforcement sets in to help offset the attimde of "I can't do it."
A second indicator of the inferiority attitude is referEnce of all criticism to oneself. A whispered comment or chance laughter by others, which may actually have no relationship to the anxious person, may cause him to feel that he is being attacked. Seclusiveness is a third indicator of an inferiority attitude. In the extreme instance, the individual will cross to the other side of the street to avoid meeting people. He will not join with students gatheril:g in the
. hall. He feels that he is not wanted. A note of caution, however, is needed here. The fact that a person does not chat in the hallway is not in itself an indication of feelings of inferiority. There may simply be more important things to do.
Fourth, the person with feelings of inferiority characteristically overresponds to flattery. This seems to help him improve his own eelings of adequacy. Anyone who supports his ego will be given a· elcome reception. But again, let us point out the need to draw a line etween ovcrresponse a,nd liking to hear good things about ourselves. A teacher's appreciation of a favorable comment about himself may be in no way related to inferiority. The chances are that such appreciation is normal in the educational climate since, in general, the professor gets mostly negative feedback from students. Those who do poo'rly drop the word that he is a poor teacher. Those who do well, and who honestly think he is an excellent teacher, rarely if ever tell him so. Hence, it is only human nature that he may respond with good feelings to indirect flattery.
A fifth indicator of inferiority feelings is a poor reaction to competition. The person is not a good loser. Every contest he enters, whether a game of skill or an attempt to impress a friend, is played most seriously. He prefers, however, to compare his skill with that of someone he can defeat. He likes obscure games in which he has a high degree of competence; he avoids more conventional situations in which winning is somewhat a matter of chance.
Sixth, a tendency to depreciate others indicates an attitude of inferiority. Pointing out the faults of others not only helps to minimize 'TIe's own defects, but also involves some projection. When we feel inferior, we want, perhaps unconsciously, to know that we have ompany.
Excessive Feelings of Inferiority
Mst of us probably keep our feelings of inferiority within reasonable bounds, but for some people feelings of depression go along with severe inferiority. There is no prediction of moods from outward events. Friends and relatives often do not realize. the extent of the depression. While normal feelings of inferiority relate to comparisons ith the ideal, such comparisons carried to excess turn to envy. The individual makes comparisons about his weaknesses, rarely about his -trong points. Most such people actually have a number of accom•. lishments, but they themselves do not realize this fact.
The person who lacks confidence to a great degree not only fails :n adjusting to many normal problems, but also makes his life :niserable. His fear of himself often is severe enough to cause him to :epress his talent.s and abilities. Outwardly, this person may display ability, but actually he holds back because of fear of failure; even
mild risk taking is shunned. Said one counselor: "If I can get the client to better understand the nature of fear and anxiety, he or she may come around to taking the chance of a possible failure."
