INFERIORITY FEELINGS AND HOSTILITY

Feelings of inferiority generally stem from warping and impairment of the emotional development, which result from various abuses in the rearing of children. The feeling of inferiority, which may or may not be fully conscious, is reacted against in a number of ways, of which three are of particular importance; overcompensatory egotism, power-seeking, and hostility. We live in a world in which feelings of inferiority are widespread. This betokens a widespread amount of emotional crippling. Emotional cripples, reacting against their feelings of inferiority with exaggerated egotism, power-seeking and hostility, should be recognized as such, for they play an important part in creating the problems of the world, between nations, within nations, and even in small groups.