Superiority And Social Interest: A Collection Of Later Writings [Paperback]

Adler Alfred (Author)

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Text: English, German (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc.; Revised edition (July 17, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393009106
• ISBN-13: 978-0393009101
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 4.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #713,454 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Social Interest as Adler's Final Contribution, January 14, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Superiority And Social Interest: A Collection Of Later Writings (Paperback)

The great 20th century psychologist and therapist Alfred Adler began his career with the idea of the "inferiority complex" and the compensatory striving for superiority. In his later work, he came to view the human capacity for social interest (interest outside the self) as the key to both individual psychological health and social life. Even today, text books over-emphasize his early work on striving for superiority and under-emphasize his later work on social interest. So you have to track down the sources to understand Adler's mature, final theory of personality. It is well worth the effort. Adler's concept of the "creative self" integrates the simultaneous striving for perfection of self and society. His anti-narcissism stance is refreshing today, and his personality theory is useful. For example, he gave insightful advice to parents about how to raise children with healthy levels of social interest -- by avoiding both pampering and neglect. And his theory of gender equality or "cooperation between the sexes" was way ahead of its time in psychiatry. Indeed, there are lots of good reasons to read Alfred Adler.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, wonderful book, April 7, 2011

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T. - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Superiority And Social Interest: A Collection Of Later Writings (Paperback)

This book is the first book by Adler I had ever read, and it cleared up so many things in my life. It made me understand what motivated narcissistic people with superiority complexes that I had known and become frustrated with in my life, but even more importantly, it forced me to take a good, hard look at myself and acknowledge my own issues with narcissism and superiority complexes, and it made me realize that I suffer from many of the same overcompensations. It really showed me how much I lack social interest in my own life, and how important it is to develop it. It seems so simple and straightforward in comparison to the technical jargon and complicated concepts of Freud that it's easy to underestimate just how profound and brilliant Adler's insights actually are. I highly recommend it.

1 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I am not defined by what I do or acheive but by God., April 22, 2005

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jimc (not kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Superiority And Social Interest: A Collection Of Later Writings (Paperback)

There is a big adlarian school at the U of C. Nietzsche is a required class there. He says that the belief in Christian predestination is a superiority compex. An infieriority complex would be a clinical failure. But the infieriority feeling is normal and productive. But the person can get overwhelmed and becomes neurotic and needs a socratic kick in the pants because he is "foundering". If he doesn't he will start to psychotically believe in predestination and become a real danger to God and man. Alfred Alder is truly connected to Fascism /Nazism /Behavioral Science/ Network Marketing/ GlennGary Glen Ross/ Life Coaches etc... For example they always interview the family members separately. That is because the assumption is that they are part of the reason why he is unmotivated. They push and marshal and coach the family memebers to not put up with any more mangy excuses. Love is not spiritual but only human and social interst is defined by increasing group think (cooperation). In other words love is God but God is not love.

I happen to like some of those who are unshamed to refer to themselves as "hardshell hyperCalvinists". Until recently I tought that "hyper" was an inhearently negetively loaded word. I don't agree that Arminians are unsaved but sometimes I am not entirely offened by the other truly superior wisdom that these individuals have. Some of them are people who aren't even Calvinsts themselves but thier briliant unregenerate reprobated human minds have mastered the language of intense hatred. But that certainly doesn't mean that there is a general call! You can still get a linguistics major at MBI! Show me China in the Bible? (I know that the characters all contain Biblcal types and fuigures.) Even Hank Hannegraph leans more towards that God forsees which babies will choose Him and damns the rest of the little vipers to hell forever!

But I am a supralapsarian and proud of it! GOD WAS NOT CONSTRAINED TO BALANCE OUT REPROBATION WITH ANY ELECTION! And I believe in God's concealed commandments! Have you run across that one yet? Hypercalvinsts only believe in God's concealed will! I beleive that sin is OF GOD not just from Him! Sin is part of his Spirit! That would be because He is infinte and we are finite. Even though FINTIE sin is IN HIM HE completely subsumes all of it by virtue of His INFINITE VIRTUE. HERE IS THE MATHEMATICAL FORMULA FOR EXISTANCE: x/infinity = .00000000000000 whereas "x" includes all of Heaven and Hell and the Angles and Satan and the world system and all of the tihings and people in it good and bad. "X" in anything and everything that is not OF GOD.

The Buddists say that there is "no distinction between God and history" and they mean that there is only history. But the computer can't be God or else it is an idol. And "I" am not God or else I am God. If you accept history and philosphy then you also accept the Holy Roman Catholic Transubstantianted Empire/World System. Therefore there is no such thing as "history and philosphy" if we are to make way for the OMNIPRESENCE of GOD. AS OMNISCIENCE IS ALL ENCOMPASSING, SO IS OMNIPOTENCE, and... so NO ONE AND NOTHING IS TRULY PRESENT BUT OMNIPRECENSE. IN OTHER WORDS I DON'T TRULY BELIEVE IN PREDESTINATION BECAUSE IT IMPLIES THE EXISTANCE OF HISTORY OR PHILOSOPHY!!!! TO THINK OR PERCEIVE DOES NOT IN FACT IMPLY EXISTANCE! ETERNAL CONSCIOUS TORMENT IS THE GREATEST DOCTRNE AND GATEWAY AND ULTIMATE BIBLCAL DETERMINAITON OF ELECTION. AND OF COURSE IT IS INFINITE TORMENT FOR ALL ETERNITY.

Alfred Alder was not a Christian.