How did Alfred adlers childhood experiences affect his personality theory?

1. Adler was the second of six children born to a Jewish couple in a suburb of Vienna, Austria. His father was a grain merchant who suffered from asthma and was often sickly. Adler's mother was a strong and energetic woman who ran the household and helped with the family business.

Adler's younger brother, Rudolf, died at the age of three from diphtheria. Adler was deeply affected by this loss and felt that he had to compensate for his brother's death by being strong and successful.

2. Adler was a sickly child and suffered from rickets, a bone disease that caused his legs to be deformed. He was often teased and bullied by other children, which made him feel inferior and insecure. However, Adler's parents encouraged him to be self-reliant and to overcome his physical limitations.

3. Adler's father died when he was 14 years old, and Adler had to take on a lot of responsibility for his family. He helped his mother with the family business and also attended school. Adler found that he was good at school and that he enjoyed learning. He was also a talented musician and played the violin.

4. Adler's experiences as a child and adolescent helped to shape his personality theory. He believed that people are motivated by a desire to overcome their feelings of inferiority and to achieve superiority. He also believed that people are social beings who need to feel connected to others.