We have all seen the members of the nobility strutting along cordoned off roads adorned by a long carpet. They are perfect individuals in every respect, omnipotent beings with a haughty look and petulant pose .

However, what would happen if one of these blue-blooded subjects transcended their characteristic pomp and found himself in such ordinary places as a shopping centre or a fish shop? We would probably think that they are unpleasant people, people who feign an inflated self-esteem that is clearly perceived as false. They are people who suffer from a so-called superiority complex.

Related article: “False Trust: The Heavy Mask of Self-Deception”

But what are the causes of the superiority complex?

People with a superiority complex are people trapped in an eternal feeling of delusional contempt for others , people who believe that their fellow man is inferior and that he should be at their service. We could explain various causes to understand the behavior behind the man, but with the reader’s permission, I think it would be more interesting to investigate in a concrete way the matter in question.

It is in the depths of our being that we meet our true primal self. In that intrapersonal reality neither money nor power make much sense and it is for this very reason that in that place those concepts fall by their own weight, becoming what they are, a mere human illusion created by a human mind that tries to justify an existence, probably, devoid of meaning .

A noble self-deception

It may seem contradictory, but many people with airs and graces share one key characteristic: their self-esteem needed to be built into a wall to protect themselves and not to be weak, but the very need to have such a barrier already carries the stamp of weakness.

Feeling superior or inferior has a direct relationship with self-esteem. Self-esteem is formed at an early age and is associated with the social environments closest to the child, family and school. In these social environments, as is logical, children can have both positive and negative experiences and these experiences are what will build their self-image, that is, the vision they have of themselves in relation to society and other people in their environment.

Many children, suffering from bullying, create their own reality to make their suffering more bearable, which overflows and breaks them inside. For this reason, shows of support and affection both at school and in the family are important in these cases , since they act as a counterpoint to the negative feelings that the child suffers.

So if you run into one of these blue-blooded characters and he looks down on you, he’s probably putting on medals that he certainly doesn’t deserve. It’s not his fault, he may have a low self-esteem problem.

The traits of the aristocrat

The characteristics of a person with a superiority complex are present throughout his social life, from the way he dresses to the way he looks and finally to the way he speaks. In a certain way, d icho contempt for others is a cognitive projection of his own defects , defects that are displaced towards others by means of defence mechanisms to make his condition a little more bearable.

They are pedantic and arrogant, always concerned about their image; they have an exaggeratedly positive opinion of themselves, although sometimes the opposite effect occurs (and this is when their true self-esteem comes out), as they often cause rejection in people by being so arrogant.

They are also very histrionic and theatrical with their emotions, even having tantrums. Paradoxically, excessive joy and motivation is also common in this behavior . On the other hand, they probably think that everyone is jealous of them. As long as they can talk about themselves they will not leave any room for other topics.

Similarities and differences between superiority complex and inferiority complex

Although they are two different complexes, the truth is that they share the same cause: self-loathing. Those individuals who suffer from an inferiority complex are more likely in the future to idealize their person through fantasy.

When this happens, as they are basically people with low self-esteem, those who live in large dream castles will seek to hide in activities where they have some advantage in which to stand out, because they desperately need to reaffirm the false beliefs they have about themselves .

In search of balanced self-esteem

From Psychology and Mind we want to highlight a series of recommendations to the parents of children and adolescents to prevent the superiority complex.

  • Encourage realistic goals.
  • Not to hide from them the reality of the world around them.
  • Establish clear rules and boundaries.
  • Support them in their strengths and weaknesses.
  • Avoid being overly permissive.

By way of conclusion…

In conclusion, we must be careful with people with a superiority complex, since they are subjects who at the time have not managed to overcome certain feelings of frustration, frustration that they pay with others. To hide this anger towards themselves they exaggerate their qualities, that is why they are usually arrogant . We should be careful with them

Do not be fooled; every person who needs to constantly exhibit his virtues brings behind him a whole bomb of insecurity that sooner or later will explode. The best we can do is try to help them, giving them our sincere support so that they can express their insecurities without masks. And, if necessary, a psychologist can treat these people so that they can overcome their blockages.