Inferiority is the feeling of being of a lower degree, rank, value, or merit than others. This crippling emotion can manifest in many ways. One way is the inability to speak up because the person struggling with inferiority feels their input is not valuable enough to voice. They may also downplay special occasions in their lives, thinking that a celebration would not interest anybody else. They often worry they are an inconvenience to people.

For this reason, they are quick to put themselves last or take themselves out of the equation altogether. They frequently demean themselves before others have an opportunity. They live life feeling undeserving because they sincerely believe they are inferior.

Inferiority hinders judgment and sound choices because it stems from a faulty foundation. A simplified example might look like this: If a person’s shoe size is seven, and they were teased in their young lives for having bigger feet, they may buy undersized shoes that are painfully tight. Their choice is based on a faulty foundation that stems from a past influence.

Faulty choices can overflow into many areas of life for someone who feels inferior. The people they choose to date may be bad for them. The job they take might be in an unhealthy environment. The friends they select might have negative influences on their lives. The person struggling with inferiority will think (based on their faulty foundation) that these decisions are their best options, even if they are not.

Unfortunately, most people will treat a person who feels inferior according to their inferiority simply because the world responds to the power of observation and suggestion. In the psychological realm, this is called neuron mirroring. For instance, if the person is intelligent yet feels stupid, they may project the latter. Most people they come in contact with will treat them the way they think, even if they are brilliant.

The truth is that none of their feelings of inferiority have any basis in spiritual reality. Yet, they still feel bound by them until the value they place on the world’s opinion becomes less. The only hope for their struggle is to become intimately acquainted with God’s value system—and then learn to embrace it—regardless of how they feel.

Christians who struggle with inferiority may have head knowledge of how much God values people but never believe it is true for them. 

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The following brief descriptions touch on emotions common to our humanity. Insecurity, Discouragement, Loneliness, Anxiety, Inadequacy, Inferiority, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Approval Seeking, Obsession, Neediness, Identity Confusion, Feeling Second Best, and other areas of emotional struggle.

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