According to Adler, the healthy way to deal with physical inferiorities is through

• A. Repression
• B. Projection
• C. Compensation
• D. Regression

Answer: (C)

Feelings of inferiority can be a natural spark for growth. Adler taught that the healthy way to handle physical inferiority is compensation—using that sense of deficiency as energy to develop other abilities and to contribute to society. By channeling effort into areas where you can excel, you turn a limitation into a strength and build social usefulness, which aligns with his emphasis on social interest and cooperation.

Repression keeps uncomfortable feelings out of awareness, projection shifts those feelings onto others, and regression retreats to earlier, less mature behaviors. These strategies avoid or mask the challenge rather than channeling it into constructive growth, which is why they don’t fit the healthy Adlerian approach.