The experience of men about short stature is not always manifested in the form of a painful inferiority complex. Napoleon’s complex is always accompanied by a man’s suffering over the smallness of his body, lack of strength and muscle mass, as well as a feeling of his general imperfection. The internal struggle with their shortcomings makes the young man make efforts in the development of intelligence, creativity or sports achievements. The desire for superiority over others compels him to devote a lot of time to studying someone of one subject or phenomenon, which he can then talk about for hours, becoming a scientific value in this field of knowledge.
The origins of the inferiority complex
Alfred Adler believed that the feeling of inferiority is inherent in every person, because the child, being brought up by adults, understands that they are stronger and smarter than him. The inferiority of the child becomes the driving force of his development: the desire to grow as big and strong as dad, or as beautiful and economic as his mother. But if, according to his genetic characteristics, a person is shorter than his peers, the feeling of a child who must still grow remains dominant in him. Napoleon’s syndrome begins to appear as a result of personal suffering from an incorrect approach to education:
1) Hyperopeca does not allow the child to show independence. Constantly patronizing the baby, parents demonstrate their superiority over him, not allowing him to feel strong, healthy and skillful.
2) Hypoopeca, which is manifested through the rejection of the child by the parents, forms an inferiority in children, because they constantly feel unnecessary, unwanted, unsure of their abilities.
The combination of growth insufficiency and mistakes in education helps to ensure that the inferiority complex does not become the driving force of the child’s development, but a pathological complex, which in psychology is called the “Napoleon complex”.
Complex of excellence among passionate leaders
Passionarity is an innate property of people to absorb energy from their immediate natural environment and realize it for the benefit of the development of an ethnic group. In the theory of L.N. Gumilyov, passionate people are described as energetic warriors, commanders with the ability to infect other people with their activity. Passionaries have increased sexuality, as well as a reduced need for rest. Napoleon's complex, combined with innate passionarity, forms a personality that is great in all respects. L.N. Gumilyov drew attention to the fact that many prominent commanders and rulers of states had low growth: Charles the Great, Alexander the Great, Mussolini and others. The complex of a small person is often accompanied by manifestations of increased aggression both in relation to opponents, and in relation to rivals with growth that is significantly higher than average. Many characteristics of passionate leaders are considered by modern researchers not only as a manifestation of their innate, but also acquired social qualities, as a result of education. Therefore, the Napoleon complex throughout life can be supported by the energy of passionarity of low men.
The inferiority complex can equally be manifested in both women and men. Napoleon's complex is a manifestation of only masculine features. Women are by nature less risky and less aggressive. Unless a modern lady occupies a man’s place and position, displays more masculine rather than feminine qualities, strives for superiority over others, and considers her short stature not miniature, but weakness and weakness.