Alfred Adler authored few books of his own in his life, but his work was nonetheless very influential on the psychology community. Understanding Life, a summation of Alfred Adler's key inferences on life, is a book that was compiled together from notes taken from his numerous speeches and lectures. Adler's theories are collectively known as Individual Psychology, which is actually a social psychology. Its basis is that human interaction is necessary for survival, and it details the various personality aspects resulting from these interactions. Understanding Life discusses the topics of goal setting, inferiority/superiority complexes, and dreams.
Individual Psychology strives goal setting because goals are the stimulus that guide humans through life. Adler theorizes that there are just as many goals set by the unconscious as the conscious, if not more. Accordingly, he states that humans are motivated by the future, not the past. There are short, mid, and long-term goals, all that relate to the "fictional final goal", which is a person's ultimate purpose (i.e. "I want to be good"). Accordingly, the fictional final goal is what dictates behavior and purpose in all humans. However, not all final goals are socially beneficial, and therefore lead to issues.
Alfred's main examples of issues are the inferiority/superiority complexes. These naturally occur in every human and for the most part are healthy to individual's overall development. There are instances when a person experiences an unmanageable amount of inferiority. When this happens, the person can lose their motivation for goal achieving or setting and become dismal. Also, an abundance of inferiority can lead to a cover up with superiority. This is expressed through behaviors such as overcompensation, belittling of others, and showing off. These issues all deal with the connection of the unconscious and the conscious and the resulting behavior.
