Understanding human nature: the psychology of personality

Alfred Adler (1870-1937) was an Austrian physician, psychotherapist, and one of the founding fathers of modern psychology. In Understanding Human Nature, (1928), Adler sets out to acquaint the general public with the basics of Individual Psychology, which holds that the driving force of human behavior is the individual’s striving for power, partly to compensate for feelings of inferiority.

Each individual’s personality structure finds expression in their lifestyle, their goals and how they strive to attain them, but the individual cannot be considered apart from society as all the important issues of life are social.

The book demonstrates the practical application of psychological principles to the conduct of relationships and the organization of daily life. With reference to the nature of the psyche, Adler looks at different personality types and character traits, and explains how character develops; the emotions, feelings and moods that shape the personality are placed under the spotlight.

The purpose of the book is to identify mistaken behaviors and show how they undermine healthy relationships, in order to gently guide the individual towards adjustment.