You Think You Suck, and That’s Awesome

The best way to success is to develop an inferiority complex.
Ben Deda

Author: Ben Deda

@ben_deda

There was a recent Quora question about “What is the single most unfair advantage someone can have?” The answers ranged from wealth, intelligence, race, birthplace, to basic things like health. I think that every one of these answers misses one of the biggest advantages someone can have. I wouldn’t call this advantage unfair – but my experience is that it is highly correlated to success.

An inferiority complex.

No. Seriously. Successful people have inferiority complexes.

Everyone has talked about it at one point or another, usually to make themselves feel better: how that bully or that pretentious dick just acts that way because they don’t feel good about themselves.

Know what? You’re right. And that is why they are currently kicking your ass.

Why inferiority works

People with an inferiority complex always have a chip on their shoulder. They have a reason that they should work harder or push farther than everyone else. Because they remember the feeling of failure. Of being picked last. Of not being as good as everyone else.

And they hated it.

And it will never happen again.

The inferiority complex is that raven sitting above their door, shouting out, “Nevermore!” Nevermore will they be pushed to the bottom. Nevermore will someone else laud successes over them. The inferiority complex won’t let them.

Sure, some will be overrun by the inferiority complex. They will believe that they are not as good as others, and behave in a commensurate manner. Those are the weak. And sure, some will never fail in their life and always be confident in their superiority. Those are just the breaks. But I still find that people with an inferiority complex are willing to push themselves further to try and prove their worth.

Embrace failure

So if you have that self doubt, if you remember that time you failed miserably, embrace it. Let it be what fuels you at 1 am. Let it be what makes you go the extra mile. If you are confident in your abilities and think you are the cream of the crop…get out more. There are people smarter, faster, stronger, more patient, better looking, better at ____ (take your pick) than you.

You just haven’t met them yet.

But they are out there.

And you should have an inferiority complex.

Let it keep you up at night.

Let it make you take those extra steps.

Let it drive you to be better.

Because you are inferior.

…but you don’t always have to be.

  • http://blog.kwiqly.com/ James Ferguson @kWIQly

    Great Message – I think you can modify it a little and it then applies to pretty much all startups.
    Rather than “I suck” which makes it fairly personal – “Our product / service / website (ours does) sucks – in comparison with what we can make it.”
    At the end of the day competition doesn’t matter – all you can do is improve. Work on your own stuff until there is nothing left to improve and then take a look at the competition – wash , rinse, repeat

    • http://twitter.com/Ben_Deda Ben Deda

      Great point James. I first approached this on an individual basis because I think the personal part is what makes this so powerful. It definitely can be expanded to an entire team, and as you said it is often better to focus on what you are doing internally. But, I think you can still gain a lot by having that chip on your shoulder. It’s what makes teams scrappy and willing to push just a little bit harder. It might not be that you are comparing yourself to your direct competition. You might just be comparing yourself to the best in the business. Where were they at this point in the life cycle?

  • http://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com/ JLM

    .
    All the slights, slings and arrows that one endures in life become a very precious commodity — fuel.

    This fuel is what drives people to overcome everything in their path. Including doubts and self loathing.

    You are a bit simplistic in your logic as it is not an inferiority complex as much as it is a more complex web of issues which are woven into an entrapping tapestry of challenge.

    The fuel provides the energy to tear that tapestry apart and to get to the other side.

    Remember one thing about an inferiority “complex” — you really might be inferior.

    Just kidding.

    Everyone can succeed if you just put your mind to it — get up early, stay late, work hard, read about your profession an hour every day.

    JLM — http://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com

    • http://twitter.com/Ben_Deda Ben Deda

      It is simplistic, but simplicity is often the best way to get a point across. You are completely right that there often are a myriad of other factors that tie into it.

      You are also right that the person might really be inferior. In fact I guarantee they are, at least in a certain reference. That’s why I said if you don’t have an inferiority complex you need to get out more. There is someone out there that is better than you. Find them and set chase.

      It’s why I always love running with someone faster than me. They set a pace and next thing I know I am setting a PR.