2025.04.07

Future-oriented power ~ Human potential learned from Adlerian psychology

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Adlerian psychology is a psychological theory proposed by Austrian psychiatrist Alfred Adler (1870–1937) in the early 20th century, also called "individual psychology". This theory is based on teleology, which holds that human behavior and thinking are based on a specific purpose.

While traditional psychology focuses on past events and traumas, Adlerian psychology is future-oriented and considers that humans have the freedom to choose their actions based on their own goals and wishes. This innovative perspective continues to provide important implications for modern society in the quest for personal growth, self-fulfillment, and harmony with society.

Article Contents

Adlerian Psychology ~ Practical Psychology for Human Understanding and Growth
- The Birth of Adlerian Psychology ~ Breaking with Freud and New Horizons

Adlerian Psychology ~ Practical Psychology for Human Understanding and Growth

We will delve deeper into the background, basic concepts, and significance and specific examples of Adlerian psychology in practice.

The Birth of Adlerian Psychology ~ Breaking with Freud and New Horizons

Alfred Adler was initially one of the main members of Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis. However, he questioned Freud's way of thinking, broke with it in 1911, and developed his own psychological system.

Freud's "causal theory" was based on the idea that past traumas and unconscious desires determine current behavior. In response, Adler argued that human beings are not bound by the past, but choose their actions based on goals and motivations for the future.

Adler proposed "teleology," in which human beings consciously or unconsciously have goals and choose their current actions to achieve them.

This mindset was the foundation for personal growth, social connection, and a happy life.

In addition, Adler emphasized the "holistic" perspective, which sees human beings as holistic beings in which the body, mind, and environment function as a whole. This approach allows for a more holistic understanding by viewing the individual as an organic whole, rather than just a collection of parts.

This perspective is not limited to the fields of clinical psychology and personal development, but has been applied to various fields such as education, work environment, and child-rearing, and has had a significant impact.

Basic Concepts of Adlerian Psychology ~ Six Pillars to Guide Behavior

Adlerian psychology is based on unique and practical concepts, such as those presented below. These concepts guide us to better understand ourselves, build better relationships, and grow.

Teleology: The Goal Behind Action

Teleology is the idea that human behavior is not determined by past events, but by goals and motivations for the future.

Unconsciously, we choose our actions to achieve certain objectives. For example, a person who avoids public speaking is interpreted as having a future-oriented purpose: "I don't want to avoid failure and shame" rather than because of past trauma.

From this perspective, we can be more conscious of our actions and not be trapped in the past.

Lifestyle and unique behavior

Lifestyle refers to each person's unique way of life, values, and behavior patterns. Lifestyle is shaped by childhood experiences and serves as a basic guiding principle while changing throughout life.

For example, people who had fewer opportunities to develop self-confidence in childhood may have a tendency to over-perfectionism and worry about the evaluation of others as adults.

Understanding your lifestyle not only helps you better understand yourself, but also helps you understand the behavior of others.

Facing Life Tasks and Life's Challenges

Adler categorized the important tasks in life into three life tasks: work, companionship, and love. All of these challenges require interaction with others and are essential elements of building and maintaining interpersonal relationships.

By tackling these challenges in a balanced manner, a person can feel fulfilled and happy. Adlerian psychology believes that actively engaging in these life tasks is the key to living a richer life.

Separation of issues, self-responsibility, and respect for others

"Separation of tasks" is an approach that makes a clear distinction between one's own and those of others. We often interfere more than necessary in other people's affairs, causing unnecessary stress and burden. By practicing the separation of tasks, you will be able to focus on your own tasks.

You can build healthy relationships without taking too much responsibility for other people's problems. For example, parents can foster their autonomy by respecting their child's own responsibility to learn, rather than being overly concerned about their child's grades.

Recognize a sense of community and connection with others

The sense of community is one of the central concepts in Adlerian psychology and refers to the consciousness that emphasizes connection with others. We do not live in isolation, we exist in cooperation with society and others. The development of a sense of community leads not only to self-fulfillment, but also to healthy relationships with those around and a sense of well-being. Adler understood the sense of community in terms of two aspects, a sense of belonging and a sense of contribution, and believed that by feeling connected to others and contributing to others, we gain deeper happiness.

Inferiority complex and the driving force for overcoming and growing

Adler did not see inferiority as simply a negative emotion, but as a driving force for growth and challenges. People feel that they are inferior to others, which leads to a desire to improve themselves. However, if you are excessively trapped in an inferiority complex, you will have an "inferiority complex" and it can be a cause of inhibiting behavior. Adlerian psychology believes that it is important to overcome inferiority complexes and aim for self-growth.

Benefits of practicing Adlerian psychology - self-growth and improvement of relationships

Adlerian psychology is not just a theory, it is a practical psychology that can be used in everyday life. The practice of Adlerian psychology offers many benefits, including:

Deepen self-understanding and be aware of the purpose of actions

Understanding the purpose behind your actions will increase your sense of self-determination and help you make more conscious choices about your actions. By getting into the habit of asking yourself, "Why do I feel the way I do?" and "Why did I choose to do what I dos?" you can gain a deeper understanding of yourself. This deepening of self-understanding will be a great help in making various choices in life.

Reducing stress and anxiety and separating tasks

Separation of tasks can reduce unnecessary stress and burden by drawing appropriate boundaries with other people's problems. Focusing on your own challenges without getting overly involved in other people's problems can help you maintain peace of mind. For example, if you feel like you're responsible for a coworker's mistake at work, being aware of the separation of issues can help you focus on helping your coworkers solve their own problems.

Improving relationships and fostering a sense of community

By emphasizing a sense of community, you can build empathy and trust with others. Being "encouraging" is very important in reducing stress in interpersonal relationships and fostering good relationships. Encouragement means not only complimenting and encouraging the other person, but also fostering their independence and empowering them to face difficulties.

Motivated by motivation for growth and an inferiority complex

An inferiority complex is a great driving force for self-growth by calmly looking at the parts of yourself that you lack, and continuing to make efforts to make up for them. Proper handling of inferiority complexes can lead to improved self-performance, self-confidence, and a more fulfilling life. Adlerian psychology sees the inferiority complex as an opportunity for growth and emphasizes encouraging self-growth.

Practical examples: Application examples of Adlerian psychology

Adlerian psychology has applications in a variety of fields, including education, the workplace, and counseling. The following are some specific application examples.

Promoting autonomy through change and encouragement in educational settings

In conventional education, there are many situations where students are severely reprimanded for mistakes and failures, but education based on Adlerian psychology emphasizes "encouraging" students. For example, actively acknowledging a student's small successes or praising their efforts can increase their self-esteem and encourage self-directed learning and behavior.

One school has dramatically improved students' motivation to learn as a result of implementing initiatives to share student success stories.

Energize the team by separating applications and issues in the workplace

When managers in the workplace practice "separation of issues," they can reduce interference with their subordinates and develop their ability to solve problems on their own.

For example, respecting their opinions and encouraging them to take proactive action rather than giving them excessive instructions will increase the motivation and productivity of the entire team. It's also important to delegate responsibility for their failures and give them opportunities to grow.

Promotion of self-transformation through counseling outcomes and teleology

In the field of counseling, we can promote self-transformation by applying the "teleology" of Adlerian psychology to clients who are trapped in past trauma or failure experiences.

By asking future-oriented questions such as "What do you want to do in the future?" and "What do you want to aim for?" rather than blaming past events, clients can be more proactive in their own behavioral choices and regain confidence.

Summary ~ The contribution of Adlerian psychology in modern society

Adlerian psychology provides solutions to many of the problems of modern society. It is not just a theory of psychology, but a practical approach to achieving self-growth, social coordination, and happiness.

In particular, ideas such as "self-understanding," "cooperation with others," and "future-oriented" provide us with very important perspectives for surviving in today's rapidly changing society.

Adlerian psychology will give us hope that we have the power to open up the future rather than being bound by the past, and will be a guidepost for living a richer and more fulfilling life.

By studying this psychology, we should be able to understand ourselves and others more deeply, build better relationships, and create a better society.

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