Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
ALFRED ADLER - UNDERSTANDING HUMAN NATURE
FOREWORD by Dr James Hemming
PART ONE: FUNDAMENTALS OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
WHAT IS THE PSYCHE?
The concept of consciousness
The function of the psyche
Our purpose and goal-directedness
SOCIAL ASPECTS OF MENTAL LIFE:
The absolute truth
The need for communal life
Security and adaptation
Social feeling
THE CHILD AND SOCIETY:
Infancy
The effect of obstacles
The individual as a social being
THE WORLD WE LIVE IN:
Our mental universe
The way we see the world
Perception
Memory
Imagination
ASPECTS OF UNREALITY:
Fantasy
Dreams: general considerations
Empathy and identification
Influence, suggestion and hypnosis
THE INFERIORITY COMPLEX:
Early childhood
Compensation: The striving for recognition and superiority
The graph of life and the cosmic picture
PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Preparation for life
Attention and distraction
Criminal negligence and forgetfulness
The unconscious
Dreams
Intelligence
MALE AND FEMALE:
Men, women and the division of labour
Male dominance
The alleged inferiority of women
Rejecting the woman’s role
Tension between the sexes
What can we do?
THE FAMILY CONSTELLATION
PART TWO: THE SCIENCE OF CHARACTER:
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS:
How do we become who we are?
Social feeling, community spirit and the development of character
How character develops
The old school of psychology
Temperament and endocrine secretion
To sum up
AGGRESSIVE CHARACTER TRAITS:
Vanity and ambition
Playing God
Jealousy
Envy
Greed
Hate
NON-AGGRESSIVE CHARACTER TRAITS:
Withdrawal
Anxiety
Timidity
The detour syndrome
Absence of social graces
OTHER EXPRESSIONS OF CHARACTER:
Mood and temperament
Manner of speech
Schoolroom behaviour
Pedantry and prejudice
Submissiveness
Imperiousness
Bad luck
Religiosity
FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS:
Disjunctive feelings
Anger
Grief
Disgust
Fear
The misuse of emotion
Conjunctive feelings
Joy
Sympathy
Humility
GENERAL REMARKS ON CHILD-REARING AND EDUCATION
CONCLUSION
GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS
Alfred Adler (1870-1937) was an Austrian psychiatrist and psychotherapist who is best known as the founder of Individual Psychology. Adler's theories have had a significant influence on modern psychology and continue to be relevant today.
Adler's approach to psychology focused on understanding the individual as a whole, taking into account their social context and the pursuit of personal goals. He believed that people are motivated by a striving for significance and a desire to overcome feelings of inferiority. Adler emphasized the importance of social factors, including family dynamics and the influence of society, in shaping an individual's behavior and personality.
Adler's writings and teachings contributed to the development of various therapeutic approaches, including Adlerian psychology, which focuses on understanding the individual within their social context and encouraging personal growth and social contribution.
ALFRED ADLER - UNDERSTANDING HUMAN NATURE
FOREWORD by Dr James Hemming
PART ONE: FUNDAMENTALS OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
WHAT IS THE PSYCHE?
The concept of consciousness
The function of the psyche
Our purpose and goal-directedness
SOCIAL ASPECTS OF MENTAL LIFE:
The absolute truth
The need for communal life
Security and adaptation
Social feeling
THE CHILD AND SOCIETY:
Infancy
The effect of obstacles
The individual as a social being
THE WORLD WE LIVE IN:
Our mental universe
The way we see the world
Perception
Memory
Imagination
ASPECTS OF UNREALITY:
Fantasy
Dreams: general considerations
Empathy and identification
Influence, suggestion and hypnosis
THE INFERIORITY COMPLEX:
Early childhood
Compensation: The striving for recognition and superiority
The graph of life and the cosmic picture
PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Preparation for life
Attention and distraction
Criminal negligence and forgetfulness
The unconscious
Dreams
Intelligence
MALE AND FEMALE:
Men, women and the division of labour
Male dominance
The alleged inferiority of women
Rejecting the woman’s role
Tension between the sexes
What can we do?
THE FAMILY CONSTELLATION
PART TWO: THE SCIENCE OF CHARACTER:
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS:
How do we become who we are?
Social feeling, community spirit and the development of character
How character develops
The old school of psychology
Temperament and endocrine secretion
To sum up
AGGRESSIVE CHARACTER TRAITS:
Vanity and ambition
Playing God
Jealousy
Envy
Greed
Hate
NON-AGGRESSIVE CHARACTER TRAITS:
Withdrawal
Anxiety
Timidity
The detour syndrome
Absence of social graces
OTHER EXPRESSIONS OF CHARACTER:
Mood and temperament
Manner of speech
Schoolroom behaviour
Pedantry and prejudice
Submissiveness
Imperiousness
Bad luck
Religiosity
FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS:
Disjunctive feelings
Anger
Grief
Disgust
Fear
The misuse of emotion
Conjunctive feelings
Joy
Sympathy
Humility
GENERAL REMARKS ON CHILD-REARING AND EDUCATION
CONCLUSION
GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS
Alfred Adler (1870-1937) was an Austrian psychiatrist and psychotherapist who is best known as the founder of Individual Psychology. Adler's theories have had a significant influence on modern psychology and continue to be relevant today.
Adler's approach to psychology focused on understanding the individual as a whole, taking into account their social context and the pursuit of personal goals. He believed that people are motivated by a striving for significance and a desire to overcome feelings of inferiority. Adler emphasized the importance of social factors, including family dynamics and the influence of society, in shaping an individual's behavior and personality.
Adler's writings and teachings contributed to the development of various therapeutic approaches, including Adlerian psychology, which focuses on understanding the individual within their social context and encouraging personal growth and social contribution.
