Theories of Personality 9th Edition

Chapter 3 Adler: Individual Psychology 93

to have a causal effect. Whether the recalled experiences correspond with objective
reality or are complete fantasies is of no importance. People reconstruct the events
to make them consistent with a theme or pattern that runs throughout their lives.
Adler (1929/1969, 1931) insisted that early recollections are always consistent
with people’s present style of life and that their subjective account of these experiences
yields clues to understanding both their final goal and their present style of life. One
of Adler’s earliest recollections was of the great contrast between his brother Sigmund’s
good health and his own sickly condition. As an adult, Adler reported that

One of my earliest recollections is of sitting on a beach... bandaged up on
account of rickets, with my healthier elder brother sitting opposite me. He could
run, jump, and move about quite effortlessly, while for me movement of any sort
was a strain.... Everyone went to great pains to help me. (Bottome, 1957, p. 30)
If Adler’s assumption that early recollections are a valid indicator of a per-
son’s style of life, then this memory should yield clues about Adler’s adult style

TABLE 3.2

Adler’s View of Some Possible Traits by Birth Order

Positive Traits Negative Traits

Oldest Child

Second Child

Highly anxious

Exaggerated feelings of power

Unconscious hostility

Fights for acceptance

Must always be “right,” whereas

others are always “wrong”

Highly critical of others

Uncooperative

Nurturing and protective of others

Good organizer

Highly motivated

Cooperative

Moderately competitive

Highly competitive

Easily discouraged

Realistically ambitious Pampered style of life

Dependent on others

Wants to excel in everything

Unrealistically ambitious

Socially mature Exaggerated feelings of superiority

Low feelings of cooperation

Inflated sense of self

Pampered style of life

Youngest Child

Only Child