So the head is raised from
below to above and soon the child can seat himself and then to stand. The "upward movement" from a physically inferior position accelerates. That young mind starts to wish more and more to rise beyond its obstacles. Soon it stands clinging to the crib rails or to a local chair. The face of pure pleasure smiles at the parents if indeed the parents are pleased. And as it gains first six inches in altitude and then eight inches, its horizen rapidly expands. The below to above progression has its own rich rewards, and the big people start to notice. The struggle achieves notice (assuming a loving family), or may achieve no notice in the less loving family. But the child can not yet do what it is starting to see the "big people do"; it may also be a deep discouragement depending entirely on the conclusions of the child, coupled with the attitude of its local community ... usually a family! If a desire to be above ensues we would view this to be "movement in a wrong direction" away from "social interest" and therefore not good or acceptable. This discouragement may lead to a goal of being
socially/psychologically above ... the goal of "fictional superiority" (More on this will follow later ... please be patient. It a a comprehensive theory and inclusive, so it takes a great deal of time to even begin to expose the basic notions.)
But what if all is not right in the childs physical body? It may not be able to speak at the expected level. It may struggle with physical balance and stability. It is disadvantaged and can not act upon this growing urge to develop and achieve. Adler refers to these overburdening problems as "
organ inferiorities". These "deficiencies" are a very early development in his personality theory. These inferiorities may be an impediment, but the child may quickly
learn to use them as a little quite brilliant tool,
to put the family in his service or maybe indeed eventually to put all of mankind if he can, in the service of filling up his perceived inadequacy. But he must do something with these organ inferiorities either for good or ill. He is a good little observer and notes that he does not have a level field on which to play. Will he try harder, or adapt with new stratagies, or will he give up and seek to put others in his service? Helen Keller was a Canadian lady who became a writer and she was both blind and deaf. She did not lie back on the "oars of cruel fate" but rather with an encouraging teacher and much personal courage and persistance, she achieved much for the common good. These organ inferiorities
need not condemn the course of a child's life to dependency and impovrishment, but rather with encouragement and personal courage,
they may even prove a blessing.
It is not what the child does not have that is the problem, but rather what he does with the tools at hand. Of course a severe cognitive impairment may be an overwhelming problem that can not be overcome, but all too many folks with "organ inferiorities" are tempted to excuse themselves from what Adler called "The iron clad logic of communal living".
Adlerians do not accept many physical limitations as an outlet strategy from the tasks of life. Very few humans have nothing to offer!
