Superiority complex

A superiority complex "is a belief that your abilities or accomplishments are somehow dramatically better than other people’s. People with a superiority complex may be condescending, smug, or mean to other people who don’t agree with them." Superiority complexes were first identified by the Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler in his theory of individual psychology.

Journal articles

• Relationship between the inferiority and superiority complex and the Big Five and Dark Triad traits, Personality and Individual Differences. Volume 206, May 2023, 112123
• Fundamental Theorem of the Theory of Superiority Complex by Desmond Ayim-Aboagye. International journal of Emerging Trends in Science and Technology, July 2018

Friedrich Nietzsche's superiority complex in relation to his thoughts about God

See also: Atheism and arrogance

The atheist Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: "But now God is dead. You superior men, this God was your greatest danger. Only since he is in the grave, have you risen again. Only now comes the great noontide; only now the superior man will be – Lord!".

The picture of Nietzsche above was taken in 1899. Nietzsche died in 1900.

See also

• Narcissism
• Narcissistic personality disorder
• Grandiose narcissism
• Dunning-Kruger effect
• Hubris
• Self-confidence vs. conceit
• Inferiority complex

External links

• What Is a Superiority Complex?, WebMD
• Superiority complex: Everything to know, Medical News Today
• What Is a Superiority Complex?, VeryWellMind.com
• Study links inferiority and superiority complexes to specific personality traits, PsyPost
• Superiority Complex Defined: 5 Signs of a Superiority Complex
• Adler’s Inferiority and Superiority Complex
• Superiority complex? People who claim superior beliefs exaggerate their own knowledge, University of Michigan