How To Overcome Inferiority Complex: Ever wondered why you always seem to measure your success or beauty or joy by the standards of others? Are you constantly unhappy about your journey or the decisions you have made different from that of others?
What you are experiencing may be an issue of inferiority complex. Maybe you already know this but know next to nothing on how to change how you feel about yourself. All you need to do is go through this article, digest the ways to build up your confidence, and practice it in your own life.
What is Inferiority Complex?
Inferiority complex is the nagging feeling of not meeting up with whatever other people have going on in their lives. It is a lack of self-worth and always has its victims second-guessing themselves. A lot of times, it comes from the steady comparison of oneself to others, most times, without the unique lens of context. Because of this, a person could live out their days; always worried about what other people might think of their accomplishments or beauty or worth.
When a person has an inferior complex, they go by other people’s definition of value and of what matters or should matter. We find that because such a person does not derive joy from within, there is a perpetual struggle to be more of those things they lack. This is a very ineffective attitude to life because the things that make people happy vary and it is not possible to possess all of them.
There are many effects of inferiority complex, and all of them affect the victim negatively. They include;
a. Low Productivity: When you have low self-esteem, you may never reach your full potential because you focus mostly on the things that are `lacking’ that little attention is paid to your strengths.
b. Sadness/Depression: You could end up being very sad and depressed because of the constant worry over people’s perceptions of you.
c. Strained Relationships: Inferiority complex could go on to affect your relationships. This is because the people in your life could notice how small you feel when you are around them and decide to stay away from you. Also, when you are constantly striving to get what they have and become who they are for clearly wrong reasons, it could put a strain on your relationship with them.
If you have this toxic trait, there are two things you should do to get better. You could either go for more a professional and hands-on method like therapy or you could try practicing the following;
How To Overcome And Get Rid Of Inferiority Complex
1. The very first step to overcoming inferiority complex is by understanding the situation and that it is actually a challenge that need to be dealt with.
It is not a challenge unless you see it as such and not seeing it as a challenge makes you feel comfortable with it and, when you get comfortable with it, you remain in that position longer than you would have.
2. There should be a will to overcome the challenge and the will must be strong enough to carry you through. It should be the desire to become confident about yourself and become more productive in the society.
If the will is not there or it is not as strong as it should be, you might be having issues overcoming inferiority complex in you.
3. Reduce the comparisons: Comparisons are not particularly bad in themselves. They make us better versions of ourselves as we try to emulate others. However, in this case, the level of comparison is alarming. They are only going to hurt you because there would surely be areas other people are doing `better‘ than you these days. Remember that your journey would always be different from that of others, even if they are your peers.
If social media is the place where you see these things the most, reduce how often you get on there. Whenever a person tells you of their achievements, resist the urge to immediately start comparing your journey with theirs.
4. Challenge your reasoning: Inferiority complex has more to do with the mind than physical things. This is why the mind is the first place to start work on. You can do this with the aid of several materials like books and podcasts on self-love and acceptance.
There are other things like fatphobia, elitism, and racist thoughts that need to go before a person can be committed to loving themselves. Read a book, watch a movie, anything. The goal here is that the change would start from the inside before anyplace else.
5. Find people who make you feel happy: The whole point of good company is that you’re happy in their midst. Staying around people who keep you in negative energy and make fun of you is no way to do that. Don’t feel bad when you have to chart a different course than your friends.
6. Don’t depend solely on encouraging declarations: Affirmations are good for building up one’s confidence. However, repeating them without doing the bulk of the job is problematic. For example, it is one thing to feel very beautiful and project yourself in a certain manner, and another to be completely deceptive. Make up your own affirmations as you make your journey through life.
7. Stop sabotaging yourself: If you tend to avoid situations where you could fail or might feel inadequate, try instead to put yourself in situations where realistic achievements are possible.
People that suffer from this complex are likely to shy away from responsibilities that do would demand a lot from them or platforms that attract a lot of attention. Instead of doing this, you could try taking on smaller tasks or responsibilities.
8. Stay in the present: It is also important that you stop clinging to the past. If there are missteps or things you regret in the past, do not let them affect how you see yourself in the present.
Nothing ever changed as a result of unrelenting worry. Learn from your mistakes, correct them, if there’s any chance. If not, focus on the things you have going on right now.
9. Come to a place of self-acceptance: Do not be too hard on yourself. It is alright to make mistakes and not-so-great decisions. Own yourself and learn to live with your choices.
If you want to change something you don’t like, do it because you truly want to. If not, stop fighting yourself. Once you get to this place, you’d find that so much would cease to get to you or affect how you see yourself and your accomplishments.
In conclusion, the most important step to overcoming inferiority complex is deciding you want to put your happiness before anything or anyone. When you have made this decision, you would not have the`guilt’ that lingers every time you put your joy first. Also, as we stated earlier, constantly gauge how you feel about certain places or people and remove yourself if they make you feel less. Decide to always be at peace with yourself and whatever decisions you make.
