Alfred Adler - Safeguarding Techniques

Safe-guarding Techniques

[Abnormal Development]

• Neurotic people

             - Root cause : under developed social interest

             - Manifestations

                     - Set their goals too high

                     - Live in their own private world

                     - Have a rigid and dogmatic style of life

• External factors in maladjustment

             - Exaggerated physical deficiencies

                    - Exaggerated physical deficiencies : also exaggerates feeling of inferiority

             - Pampered style of life

                     - Tendency to perpetuate the parasitic relationship

                     - Feels incapable of anything; therefore, inferior

             - Neglected style of life

                     - Distrustful of other people and of society

• All involve low self-esteem and all contribute to lower level of social interest

[Safeguarding Techniques]

• Conscious techniques that prevent neurotic people's inflated self-images to be disgraced in public.

             - Excuses

             - Aggression

             - Withdrawal

• Excuses

             - "Yes, but" & "If only" statements

• Aggression

             - Depreciation

                     - Undervaluing someone's effort

             - Accusation

                     - Blaming others for one's failures

             - Self-accusation

                     - Hunting one's self to hurt others

• Withdrawal

             - Moving backward

                     - Similar to regression of Defense Mechanism

             - Standing still

                     - Not doing anything

             - Hesitating

                     - Procrastinating until it's too late

             - Constructing obstacles

                     - Create your own problem

                            - Surpassing the obstacle will rise self esteem

                            - Not surpassing the obstacle will serve as an Excuses