To answer: most people are imperfect or even weak, why isn’t fulfilling the need for approval a good way to help them regain courage
children live with feeling of inferiority
Mind develops faster than physical body, gap between what I want to do and what I can do
Experience powerlessness and incompleteness of self
Feeling of inferiority also stimulates effort and growth
due to biological weakness human creates communities
Community feeling is fundamental and isolation is the scariest
To gain sense of belonging, people try to stand out (not becoming everyone else) and be irreplaceable
Praising = fleeting realization of worth
Will seek more praise (position of dependence)
Praise stands in the way of self reliance
Better way:
- approve oneself
- Accept ordinary selves
- Being normal is an aspect of individuality. It’s absolute instead of relative. Not based on comparison and differences from others
Next: 3 life tasks