Signs and Symptoms of Inferiority Complex
Inferiority complex can manifest differently among people, although low self-esteem and persistent self-doubt are always at the root. Some common signs and symptoms include:
Focusing on the Negative
Whereas someone with a healthy amount of self-esteem is able to move past setbacks, bad experiences, and negative emotions in a reasonable amount of time, someone with an inferiority complex will continuously dwell on them, and can get stuck in a self-defeating pattern.
“You get what you expect and people with very low self-esteem expect very little,” Dr. Flowers says. “It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.” As disappointments mount, you become more discouraged and more vulnerable to being biased against yourself. The result is a pervasive feeling of being “less than” across most aspects of life: psychological, intellectual, social, and physical.
Shutting Down or Withdrawing
It’s normal to want to curl up on the couch after a particularly bad day, but those with an inferiority complex will regularly shut down out of shame, guilt, embarrassment, or an inward sense of defeat.
In fact, someone with an inferiority complex might avoid social situations altogether, for fear that they’ll never measure up to those around them, says David Tzall, PsyD, a psychologist based in New York City. This leads to social isolation, which can make self-esteem even worse.
Demeaning Others
Some people with inferiority complex will overcompensate for their own feelings of insufficiency by being overly competitive or overly critical of others, and may simultaneously have what’s called a superiority complex.
“A superiority complex is characterized by an exaggerated sense of one's own abilities, achievements, or importance,” Dr. Tzall says. “Individuals with a superiority complex tend to overestimate their capabilities and often believe they are better or more important than others. They may seek to assert their dominance, belittle others, or display an attitude of condescension.”
Avoiding Competition
On the flip side, other people with an inferiority complex might go out of their way to avoid any situation where their efforts might be directly compared with others. “People with very low self-esteem don’t take risks,” Flowers says. “They don’t try things and they end up missing out on many opportunities.”
