HOW TO DEAL WITH INFERIORITY COMPLEX

A few years back I got selected as one of the Mandela Washington Fellows. I was one of nine who were selected that year. This is an opportunity given to highly motivated young people who are working to change their communities. So being a part of it means that your work is being recognised as significant and pivotal to change.

Awkward

But when I got to the Unites States, and met other young people from all over Africa, I suddenly felt like what I did was not enough. We all have felt a bit awkward in a room full of people who are as capable as we are. That’s called an inferiority complex.  An inferiority complex is when a person has feelings of inadequacy or inferiority, whether real or imagined. These feelings may result from a physical defect or surface in situations where we feel less intelligent than our peers. Other times, feelings of inferiority may be concocted from purely imagined shortcomings.Feeling inferior goes beyond unhappiness that a colleague got a promotion over you or even feeling sad after achieving a low score on a class-wide test. These are expected, even healthy reactions to disappointments, and are usually nothing to worry about.

Recognise

There are several things to look out for when trying to recognise an inferiority complex. Learn what these signs are, potential causes of inferiority, and ways to cope with your own feelings of inadequacy so that you can avoid this feeling. One of the signs is the tendency to over-analyse compliments and criticisms. Another one which is common in social media is persistently looking for validation and praise from others. This usually leads to low self-esteem if you don’t get that praise. The last sign I will talk about, though there are many, is the refusal to participate in competitive events for fear of being compared to others. I find that one of the causes of inferiority complex is childhood experiences. Events in our childhood may lead to feelings of inadequacy, especially if you grew up in an environment where parents constantly compared you to others.

In the contrary, children who grew up with adult who tended to cater for their every need may grow up feeling weak and incapable of doing things for themselves, hence leading to feeling inferior to others. These children were deliberately made to feel helpless and small when they were young, and they feel the same as adults. Going through life with the belief that others are better than you, or consider you inadequate because of some deficiency or other, can be incredibly challenging. But there are ways to deal with inferiority complex. One of the ways is attending therapy.

Therapy can help you recognise your worth and capabilities, and get rid of negative thoughts and feelings about yourself. Practicing positive affirmations is another way. Tell yourself all the good things about you, and why you’ve been recognised for your work. Tell yourself that you deserved that promotion because you worked hard for it, and you got that job because you qualify. 

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