Feist−Feist: Theories of
Personality, Seventh
EditionII. Psychodynamic
Theories- Adler: Individual
Psychology
© The McGraw−Hill^79
Companies, 2009Subjective Perceptions
Adler’s second tenet is: People’s subjective perceptions shape their behavior and
personality.
People strive for superiority or success to compensate for feelings of inferior-
ity, but the manner in which they strive is not shaped by reality but by their subjec-
tive perceptions of reality, that is, by their fictions,or expectations of the future.
Fictionalism
Our most important fiction is the goal of superiority or success, a goal we created
early in life and may not clearly understand. This subjective, fictional final goal
guides our style of life, gives unity to our personality. Adler’s ideas on fictionalism
originated with Hans Vaihinger’s book The Philosophy of “As If”(1911/1925). Vai-
hinger believed that fictions are ideas that have no real existence, yet they influence
people as ifthey really existed. One example of a fiction might be: “Men are supe-
rior to women.” Although this notion is a fiction, many people, both men and women,
act as if it were a reality. A second example might be: “Humans have a free will that
enables them to make choices.” Again, many people act as ifthey and others have a
free will and are thus responsible for their choices. No one can prove that free will
exists, yet this fiction guides the lives of most of us. People are motivated not by what
is true but by their subjective perceptions of what is true. A third example of a fic-
tion might be a belief in an omnipotent God who rewards good and punishes evil.
Such a belief guides the daily lives of millions of people and helps shape many of
their actions. Whether true or false, fictions have a powerful influence on people’s
lives.
Adler’s emphasis on fictions is consistent with his strongly held teleological
view of motivation. Teleologyis an explanation of behavior in terms of its final pur-
pose or aim. It is opposed to causality,which considers behavior as springing from
a specific cause. Teleology is usually concerned with future goals or ends, whereas
causality ordinarily deals with past experiences that produce some present effect.
Freud’s view of motivation was basically causal; he believed that people are driven
by past events that activate present behavior. In contrast, Adler adopted a teleologi-
cal view, one in which people are motivated by present perceptions of the future. As
fictions, these perceptions need not be conscious or understood. Nevertheless, they
bestow a purpose on all of people’s actions and are responsible for a consistent pat-
tern that runs throughout their life.
Beyond Biography Why did Adler really break with Freud?
For motivations behind the Adler-Freud breakup, see our website
at http://www.mhhe.com/feist7Physical Inferiorities
Because people begin life small, weak, and inferior, they develop a fiction or belief
system about how to overcome these physical deficiencies and become big, strong,
and superior. But even after they attain size, strength, and superiority, they may act
as ifthey are still small, weak, and inferior.
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