“Continuously feeling superior is a characteristic of immaturity.”

Eraldo Banovac, energy expert & author

These are two kinds of sufferings. A person with an inferiority complex knows it but a person with a superiority complex is ignorant about it.

Here is a story to even out the complexes:

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Rose. She was the loveliest Rose in the entire garden. However, she noticed that people would only look at her from afar.

One day, she realized that there was a big, bumpy Toad that was always at her side. This was the reason that no one would get too close to look at her. Angry at having discovered this, the Rose ordered the Toad to leave immediately. “That’s fine, as you wish,” the Toad said and left obediently.

Not long after, the Toad passed by where the Rose was planted but was surprised to see that the Rose was completely withered, without petals or leaves.

The Toad asked her, “Oh no! You look awful! What happened?” The Rose replied, “Ever since you left, the ants have been eating my leaves day after day and now I’ll never be the same!”

The Toad replied, “Well, yes. When I was next to you, I would eat all of the ants. That’s why you were always the most beautiful Rose in the garden.” (1)

Traditionally, our society has been divided into socioeconomic classes. This division has often led people to believe themselves as either superior or inferior to others.

Superiority Complex means a sense of superiority that a person feels in comparison to others. A person who has a superiority complex is exceedingly confident of himself. He appears to be dominant and arrogant. Many times, a person can hide his inferiority through a superior complex. This way it works as a mask to hide the reality.

The inferiority complex is the feeling of irrelevance by an individual. A person who has an inferiority complex doubts his abilities. He is pessimistic, suffers from low self-esteem, is shy, and feels worthless.

The problem with people suffering from a superiority complex is they mostly are not aware of their complex whereas people with an inferiority complex are aware of their feelings. If you are not suffering from an inferiority complex, check it out, you might be suffering from a superiority complex.

Many of us are the victims of either a superiority complex or an inferiority complex. Alfred Adler, the person who coined the idea of Complexes writes,” We should not be astonished if in the cases where we see inferiority [feeling] complex we find a superiority complex more or less hidden.

On the other hand, if we inquire into a superiority complex and study its continuity, we can always find more or less hidden inferiority [feeling] complex.”(2)

Neither complex is good and desired. When we are comparing ourselves with others, we either feel superior or inferior. But that will always be as no one individual is similar in all respect. A unique or balanced complex is the right complex we all should be living with. We should either feel unique about ourselves or feel balanced but neither inferior nor superior.

Comparison with others brings complexes. Do not compare & you do not suffer. Awareness is the key to know your sufferings. Living in either of the complexes is sufferings. It is better to become aware of it as not curing for long, these sufferings can affect the other aspects of our life.

Eckhart Tolle, in his book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose writes; “In essence, you are neither inferior nor superior to anyone. True self-esteem and true humility arise out of that realization. In the eyes of the ego, self-esteem and humility are contradictory. In truth, they are one and the same.” (3)

“Don’t devalue yourself, you are the world’s most precious stone.”

Michael Bassey Johnson, playwright & poet

Many times, we don’t appreciate those around us because we think about our superiority and others’ inferiority. Others are inferior therefore useless. But everyone has something special to offer, something to learn from, or even something to teach. No one should disregard anyone else.

We can coin a new phrase Unique Complex person. No one is either superior or inferior, everyone is Unique. We all are in the same complex of Uniqueness. This is balancing.

This is one of the chapters of my new ebook Balancing is the Work, now on Amazon. There are 100 such balancings that affect and influence our peace are covered in the book. Buy Now. The book could be a life-changing read.