The following questions, answers, and comments about Classical Adlerian philosophy, theory, and practice have been excerpted from discussion forums, newsgroups, and e-mail correspondence. The text has been edited minimally for clarity and readability. All of this material is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the expressed consent of Dr. Stein at htstein@att.net.
| 49. Interpreting Dreams | 50. Stress, Tension, and Motivation | 53. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs |
Question from Forum: I am looking for references for understanding/using dreams from an Adlerian perspective. Can you offer any recommendations?Dr. Stein: The following excerpt is from a journal article, "On the Interpretation of Dreams," by Alfred Adler.
"If we are really to discover the purpose of dreams, we must find what purpose is served by forgetting dreams or by not understanding them. This was the most vexing problem before me when I started, some quarter of a century ago, to try to find the meaning of dreams. It occurred to me one day that perhaps the real significance of a dream is that it is not to be understood; perhaps there is a dynamism of the mind working to baffle us. This idea furnished me with the first real clue to an adequate dream interpretation. Searching further, I asked myself, "For what purpose are we "fooling" ourselves?" In answer, another clue then came to me from ordinary social intercourse. We all know people, including ourselves, who purposely speak so as not to be understood for the purpose of concealing the truth, or they speak to themselves in a way which common sense would not allow. Here, then, is a very close analogy to dreams-in fact more than an analogy since it can be shown that they are both the product of the same mental dynamism. It is not in the thoughts that we "fool" ourselves, but in the emotions and feelings aroused by the thoughts and pictures of a dream. The purpose of the dream is achieved by the use of emotion and mood rather than reason and judgment. Reasoning alone could not purposely deceive us. Thoughts may give rise to errors in judgment, but this would be due to inadequate factual data. When our style of life comes into conflict with reality and common sense, we find it necessary, in order to preserve the style, to arouse feelings and emotions by means of the ideas and pictures of a dream which we do not understand."Interpreting dreams requires an ability to translate all of the images, actions, and feelings into movements and their relation to people and life tasks. Penetrating the meaning of a dream also necessitates an appreciation of associative thinking, metaphor, and the symbolic distortions of time, place, and identity.
My mentor, Sophia de Vries, worked with an Indonesian man who was too embarrassed to talk about the details of his personal problems. He was also very hesitant about revealing early childhood memories, or any information about his family. However, he was quite willing to reveal and discuss all of his dreams. Consequently, his therapy progressed almost entirely through a discussion of his dream life.
For additional reading about dreams, check:
What Life Could Mean to You, by Alfred Adler, pages 86-106.
Understanding Life, by Alfred Adler, pages 86-99.
Social Interest, by Alfred Adler, pages 178-196.
Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler, edited by Heinz and Rowena Ansbacher, pages 357-365.
Question from Forum: In the "incessant striving" of an individual towards a goal of superiority is it possible to determine what part tension plays (e.g. is tension or stress necessary to push the person toward his/her goal of superiority or does constant pushing of oneself cause exhaustion and nervousness)?Dr. Stein: When the striving of an individual is characterized by a "deficiency motivated" sense of inferiority, and is directed toward an over-blown, compensatory superiority over others, there is indeed a chronic, resulting tension. This tension, stress, or anxiety is the gap that he feels between the dreaded (usually hidden)feeling of inferiority and the compulsive demand for an excessive proof of superiority, or a condition of security (one that reality cannot offer). There is a constant "push" from the feeling of inferiority, and a "pull" from the fictional final goal. This is the dilemma of a self-centered style of life that has never been recognized and overcome.Also, how does one maintain a balance in life with this constant striving (i.e. not become a "workaholic")?
On the other hand, when striving is characterized by "growth motivation," and is no longer pushed by a feeling of deficiency, but guided by a "higher value (see Maslow on self-actualization), there is no longer a painful gap, but a genuine self-acceptance and the gratification of continual improvement. One may gain a "superiority" over one's previous level of functioning, but there is no irrational urge to relieve a feared feeling of inferiority and prove (or imagine) one's superiority over others.
Exhaustion and nervousness may reflect a willingness to sacrifice one's health (as well as the health of others) in the service of a fictional goal that promises relief of inferiority and the "high" of superiority.
A balance in life, between work, love, family, and friendship is best achieved by developing a stronger feeling of community that embraces the well-being of all, including oneself. You can be considerate of and helpful to others, but you also know when to stop, when to rest, and when to ask for help. Taking care of oneself is an essential part of the feeling of community. Self-care should embrace physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Many "workaholics" make generous financial contributions to their families but ignore the impact of their limited family time and pervasive negative feelings.
Achieving a balance in life is related to the kind of person you want to become. If professional or financial success, power, and prestige is primarily driving a person, balance may be superfluous. However, if becoming a fully functioning human being, and helping others do the same, becomes a primary goal, then balance is a logical necessity. Often, the issue of character is overlooked when one is in the grip of burning ambition.
An imbalance may also reflect an unconscious strategy for minimizing or avoiding activities that one is unprepared to engage in, or that do not feed an excessive demand for prestige. Cutting a big deal, or soaking up the admiration of an audience may overshadow the experience of providing understanding and empathy to a spouse or child.
A well-developed feeling of community is the most reliable path to achieving a balanced life. Common sense must be combined with a sensitivity to feeling (one's own and others'), and an openness to feedback from those we have regular contact with. Daniel Goleman, in his new book Working With Emotional Intelligence, draws some similar conclusions.
Comment: Thank you very much for your response. Would you please provide an example which would help me to clarify the differences between "deficiency" and "growth" motivations. Does "growth motivation" make the tasks feel more effortless?Dr. Stein: The following two examples might help clarifiy the differences between deficiency and growth motivation.
His cold and isolated childhood left him very bitter: an unhappy mother; a remote father; and a hell-raising older brother whom he hated, but who was the center of the parents' attention and frequently got away with illegal behavior. By contrast, he was a compliant child who didn't make any trouble, and was ignored.
The felt neglect of his father and lack of love from his mother were at the roots of his inferiority feelings. His life style was catching many "bad guys" and seeing that they were locked up. Since many were not, he was perpetually frustrated. He also viewed his parents and brother as unpunished criminals. His unconscious goal was to secure compensation and revenge for his miserable childhood. Revenge was not working out to his satisfaction, but he did look forward to the compensation of a comfortable retirement, a symbol of what he felt entitled to.
The "effortlessness" that you refer to is a frequent symptom of growth motivation. However, not all tasks, or stages of development can yield this experience. Becoming a skilled Adlerian diagnostician, for example, usually requires many years of struggling to understand the style of life, fictional final goal, inferiority feelings, private logic, and antithetical scheme of apperception of hundreds of cases, under the guidance of an experienced mentor. One has to study the theory deeper and deeper, often experiencing the frustration of not being able to understand what appears to come so effortlessly from one's mentor. Eventually, after you have really mastered the theory, digested the hundreds of case examples, and overcome the limits of your own style of life in a study-analysis, you discover the marvelous feeling of "effortlessness" in uncovering the hidden dynamics of each new case.
For more information about deficiency motivation, growth motivation, and higher values, read The Farther Reaches of Human Nature, by Abraham Maslow.
Comment: What's confusing for me is that in trying to obtain any goal, A LOT of effort is usually required. This naturally causes some stress and tension as one struggles to attack problems. Even with "growth motivation", doesn't this naturally cause a much greater effort for someone who usually avoids improving oneself and a situation? (i.e. are you implying that a person can achieve just as much in a self-accepting/calm way rather than a more aggressive approach?)Dr. Stein: The expenditure of great effort toward a goal may be challenging and stimluating, and might result in fatigue, but does not have to include psychological stress and physical tension. Much of the disturbing distress may come from fearing or feeling a dreaded sense of inferiority, or unconsciously sensing the comparison between one's actual accomplishments and an overblown, fictional, final goal. (The perceived progressive distance from that goal is also experienced as progressive anxiety.)
Struggling with a formidable difficulty can even be felt as highly pleasurable. A relatively constant attitude of improving oneself and situations can be carried out quite effectively with calm, self-acceptance--chronic dissatisfaction and frustration are not the very best motivators. Positive "aggression," as in attacking a problem vigorously, can be quite stimulating and even yield what Hans Seyle described as a state of positive "eu-stress" (an optimal level of stimluation for an individual). A task that may be "too much work" or "too hard" for the individual operating according to deficiency motivation, may be "delightful play" to another functioning at the level of growth motivation. The differences in feelings and results can be dramatic when one loves what one is doing for its own sake, and one is not trying to silence a exaggerated feeling of deficiency.
Question from Newsgroup: How does Maslow's hierarchy of needs relate to Adlerian theoryDr. Stein: From a Classical Adlerian perspective, Maslow's "needs" could be seen, not as a hierarchy, but as a flat group. Depending on the individual's unconscious, fictional final goal, and feeling of inferiority, one need would be pursued "as if" it were primary.
An exaggerated goal of personal superiority security and significance (originally adopted in childhood) could intoxicate an individual with the illusion of an intensified "need" that they believe could only be satisfied in a specific, concrete form. Classical Adlerian psychotherapy attempts to trace these mistaken ideas, about security and significance, back to childhood, and then correct them.
In psychotherapy, it is fascinating to see how clients' "felt needs" change after they recognize and give up a dysfunctional goal.
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Alfred Adler Institute of Northwestern Washington
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