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The Inferiority Complex

Many of us have experienced feelings of inferiority at some point in our lives for various reasons, but what exactly is an inferiority complex? Well, anything that is a “complex” is a set of ideas, beliefs, and values that dictate how a person views themselves and how they respond to things happening around them. According to one dictionary, a person with an inferiority complex feels that they are of less worth or importance than other people. Many times, a person’s perception of themselves becomes shaped by societal traditions in which one race, gender, or class is unfairly treated as less important by other groups that view themselves as superior. The spirit of inferiority can cause one to feel depressed and powerless, opening the door to anger (which is a manifestation of fear).

So how can we manage an inferiority complex? We have to understand the root cause; then we can begin to renew our minds so that we no longer receive wrong beliefs and generational opinions that cause us to devalue ourselves. There is no inferiority in God! He desires to remove heaviness so that we may receive equality, own it, and possess it!

God wants us to know who we are in Him and not define ourselves by what others pronounce over us. Once inferiority sets in, it opens the gates of its offspring such as insecurity, jealousy, pride, a false sense of superiority, racism, and so on. To address and defeat an inferiority complex, we must first identify the signs such as grudgingly admitting our shortcomings while pointing out those of others, bullying people, or feeling attacked when someone disagrees with us. You know what? I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I welcome disagreement because it allows me to see things differently and change my perspective. I surely don’t know everything; perhaps someone else’s perspective can cause us to see things from a different point of view. However, when we feel attacked because someone disagrees with us, we should ask ourselves why we are defensive, hurt, angry, or enraged. Could it be feelings of inferiority?

Another sign of inferiority is to feel belittled upon receiving correction or confrontation. We display signs of inferiority when we place blame on others for our problems instead of owning the outcomes of the decisions we make. We all must take personal responsibility for our own lives. As adults, we don’t generally seek permission or authorization from others for what we choose to do, where we choose to live, what job we take, or even how we parent. Therefore, we must get rid of the victim mentality and take full responsibility for the choices and decisions that we make. All these traits and signs of inferiority come from the enemy. It’s his nature to deprive us of any self-love, self-worth, or self-value because his mission in our lives is to steal, kill, and destroy.

I have struggled with insecurities, inferiorities, and fear in my past, but once I received Jesus as Lord of my life, things began to change. As I renewed my mind, I understood that my status was elevated in Christ. You have that same opportunity for deliverance if you’re ever faced with an inferiority complex. Keep your eyes open; be aware of how you see yourself and the thoughts that you have; view yourself as Christ views you. Once we allow Christ to become the center of our lives and the core of how we see ourselves, we know that we have been delivered from the complex feelings of inferiority—a wonderful feeling of freedom!

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