An inferiority complex is often confused with low self-esteem, but there is a significant difference.
Psychologist Maria Nikolaeva explained what an inferiority complex is.
If self-esteem is produced by a person consciously and it is relatively easy to change it with sound thinking, then an inferiority complex is rather an irrational feeling, a subconscious self-perception that has no clear explanation, therefore it is often much more difficult to cope with it.
Certain specifics are associated with the time factor, and the inferiority complex manifests itself in different ways in terms of the tasks set and one’s achievements.
The biggest problem in life that leads to complete failure is that a person is so unsure of his abilities that he doesn’t even try to do anything, saying, “I won’t succeed anyway.”
Other people seem more capable, and you don’t want to make a fool of yourself, so it’s better to avoid competition and rivalry, and concede victory immediately.
Such a person buries his talents, is constantly tormented by his worthlessness, secretly suffers from envy and jealousy, but recognizes the superiority of his rivals without a fight.
A completely different scenario can unfold in life if the notorious inferiority complex affects rather the already existing achievements, which a person nevertheless receives due to hard work and thanks to attempts to somehow justify his failure. Here, the effect of "false modesty" arises, which is why a person devalues everything done and received, considering it necessary to start all over again.
No accomplishment brings satisfaction, even if it delights other people, but in one’s own eyes remains small and insignificant, bringing no joy.
Since an inferiority complex is not very receptive to reflection, such a person usually needs external support and targeted psychological help. Sometimes a person can seem to split in two and realize that he is not behaving confidently enough and he is no worse than others, but subconscious programs still take over when he is faced with a real choice of how to behave, and again he becomes embarrassed.
A person with an inferiority complex can be easily identified by his vocabulary, which contains many expressions of doubt and uncertainty, and by his shy behavior.
The saddest thing about the fate of such a person is that he becomes of no interest to anyone, so there are not many chances to get out of the subconscious pit. It is easy to literally "wipe him out like a rag", as Dostoevsky described the tragedy of the "little man".
Even a rare rebellion against oneself turns out to be grotesque, and one only confirms one’s worthlessness and falls into self-abasement even deeper.
You can only love such a person out of pity, although sometimes there is something in him that you can truly admire, and this is probably the only salvation available in society.
A person with an inferiority complex is rarely dangerous to others, being prone to depression, he is more often ready to engage in self-harm, even suicide. However, sometimes such people turn on the desire for compensation, and then they can behave defiantly and even aggressively.
These are desperate attempts by a drowning person to attract attention with eccentric antics, unusual clothes, and expensive things.
Of course, trying to assert oneself through external attributes does not help at all to get rid of the feeling of internal inferiority, and this does not solve the problem at all.
It is important to note that, like any complex, this is not a simple but a complex phenomenon in the psyche, so even professionals find it difficult to unravel such a tangle of contradictions!
