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What exactly is psychology? - In case you had any other ideas, it is explicitly the study of cognitive processes and behavior. It started out as a branch of philosophy, but has now migrated into the realm of science.

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Who was Alfred Adler? - Alfred Adler (1870-1937) was a psychologist alive at the same time as Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) and Carl Jung (1875-1961).

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You know his ideas -

While you may not know him by name, Adler’s ideas feature in most psychology theories. He has always remained under the radar.

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Context - In order to understand the genius of Adler, it is important to roughly know the methods of the two other important figures in the field. These explanations are very simplified, as they are just meant to give some context.

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Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) - Freud thought that we had the unconscious and conscious mind. In order to uncover your present, you have to dig deep into your past through psychoanalysis. He put a lot of emphasis on the desire for physical intimacy as a proxy for your unconscious desires.

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Carl Jung (1875-1961) -

For Jung, every person consisted of the ego, personal unconscious, and collective unconscious. He still analyzed dreams, but, unlike Freud, he thought that different people had different symbols in their dreams.

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The split - Both Adler and Jung thought that Freud placed too much importance on the desire for physical intimacy. But while Jung’s theory has some similarities to Freud’s, Adler took a different turn.

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What did he write? -

Adler introduced what he called "Individual Psychology" in a series of essays and books. The most notable is ‘The Practise and Theory of Individual Psychology’ (1927) and ‘Understanding Human Nature’ (1927).

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What is it? - Adler’s theory states that everybody has the power to be happy if only they have the courage to do so. He believes that everyone feels inferior and strives for superiority. What is inferior and superior is completely fabricated by the individual.

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What is it? - Adler believed that humans are most happy when they are integrated into society without feeling too inferior or too superior. Social cohesion and acceptance of one’s own character are key to Adler’s ideas.

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Individual - The individual in this sense does not mean the person’s inner life. It means the indivisible whole of reality. Other people in your life, your job, your romances, etc. cannot really be distinguished from your inner-life, because they create it.

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Problems - If you have any doubt as to this inferiority thing, think about it. Adler says that all problems come from inter-personal relationships. Can you think of any issues in your life that do not come from some kind of comparison or standard set by others?

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Dealing - Superiority and inferiority are not all bad. They can be used to create goals and humble you. However, the feeling cannot be so strong as to pull you out of society.

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The big difference - While Freud and Jung would want to look back into your past to find the reasons for your issues, Adler looks into the present and the future. This is called a teleological approach.

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Why? - By looking back into your past and finding reasons for your present actions, Adler thinks you will create a "life lie." This is when, instead of finding a way to do something, you justify your lack of courage with the past.

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Pain - The approach does not deny that some things cannot be ignored. Trauma is still there. However, Adler’s approach liberates you from the shackles of it. Your trauma does not prevent you from doing things, even if it still causes pain.

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Freud - Freud would say that in order to live a normal life with trauma, you would need to undergo psychoanalysis and unpack the past. You would not be able to move on without doing so.

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Adler - Adler says that you can find methods to deal with the pain while still moving on with your life. Blaming the past is just a "life lie" that gives you the freedom to blame circumstances rather than yourself.

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Blame - Adler does not want you to feel bad about not taking control. In fact, the idea of the "life lie" is meant to liberate you. You are fully in control and can beat anything in your past, no matter how difficult.

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Example - The method is best understood by using the example of someone who is unhappy in their current life. Sam, our unhappy person, believes they are inferior in many ways to others. They cannot try for the job they really want because they do not think they are good enough. They do not ask out the apple of their eye because they are sure it would never work out.

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Sam -

But consider what is really going on here? Sam is saying they are not good enough, but could it be that it’s a "life lie" for other fears? Sam is afraid of being hurt–they are afraid of being rejected.

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Sam - When you think about what your actual fears and goals are, you can change your psychological processes around them. Afraid of being hurt is not a reason to not try something. So, if Sam acknowledges this, they would have a better chance of overcoming their feelings of inferiority.

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Unconscious - Think of the unconscious as the part of your goals that you do not know. Regarding your goals in this way will allow you to unpack what is actually obstructing you from achieving what you want.

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How? - One of the best things about Adlerian psychology is that it is easy to do without professional guidance. A way to start is to write down all the things you want to achieve on a piece of paper.

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Reasons -

With every goal you do not think you can achieve, write down why you think this might be the case. Do not think too much about it–write what you feel.

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Assess - Look over these reasons and think back over your life to try and figure out why you may be thinking this way. This is to identify any "life lies" you may have unconsciously made up to justify your recent circumstances.

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Real reasons - Then go back over why you have not achieved your goals and figure out the real reason, not the "life lie." Are you afraid of commitment? Do you feel too good for a certain kind of employment?

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Solutions - Once you have identified a few, try and understand that your thinking is the only thing getting in the way of your achieving. When you think you are not good enough, remember that you are. The reasons for feeling inferior are completely fabricated in your mind, no matter how deeply rooted they are.

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Work on it -

Like with any kind of change, it takes a little work. Nevertheless, it is worth it. Using Adlerian psychology, you can essentially take your happiness into your own hands.

Sources: (ThoughtCo) (Verywell Mind)

See also: Sigmund Freud: Remembering the father of psychoanalysis

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