“We cannot say that if a child is badly nourished he will become a criminal. We must see what conclusion the child has drawn.”
- February 7, 1870 – May 28, 1937
- Austrian
- Psychotherapist, Medical Doctor, Founder of Individual Psychology
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Quote
“We cannot say that if a child is badly nourished he will become a criminal. We must see what conclusion the child has drawn.”
Explanation
This quote highlights Alfred Adler’s belief in the subjective interpretation of experience as a driving force in human behavior. Rather than asserting that poor circumstances—such as bad nourishment or poverty—inevitably lead to negative outcomes like criminality, Adler emphasizes that what truly matters is how the child perceives and responds to those conditions. The child’s internal conclusions, shaped by emotion, cognition, and personal context, are more decisive than the circumstances themselves.
This view emerged from Adler’s divergence from deterministic theories, particularly those of Freud and biological essentialism. In early 20th-century Vienna, where Adler practiced, many scholars attributed behavior to heredity or fixed trauma. Adler, however, proposed that each individual creates a unique life plan based on early experiences, guided by an innate drive to overcome inferiority and seek significance. Thus, two children in identical environments might take radically different paths, depending on how they interpret their reality.
Today, this insight underpins approaches in modern psychology and education, particularly in trauma-informed care and cognitive-behavioral therapy. A teacher or counselor, for instance, might ask not just what a child has endured, but how the child has made sense of it. One child might respond to hardship with resilience and empathy, while another might react with anger or withdrawal. Understanding the child’s internal narrative allows for more effective and compassionate interventions.
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