I feel that creativity often results from struggle. Is this struggle against inferiorty (Adler)? Is this struggle against the oppression of industrial sociaty (Durkhiem)? Is this struggle against class bias (Marx, Engles, Hegel)? Is this struggle against/between good and evil (Christianity)? I don't have all the answers here but I would like to split this discussion into two parts . One, the struggle from. Two, the struggle toward. It appears to me that Adler encompases an element of both of these "struggles." The struggle from inferiority and the struggle toward creativity. Somehow the attainment of creativity reducing the feelings of inferiority and enhancing the feelings of self esteem and "connectedness". Emile Durkhiem (Anomie and Deviant Behavior) suggests that man/woman is naturally alienated from modern industrial society due to its complexity and mechanization (Ref. Herman Hesse: Steppenwolf/Sidhartha/Beneath the Wheel/The Glass Bead Game. This alienation or anomie leads to rejection of societal values and the loss of "connectedness" (Adler concept). This anomic condition was Durkhiem's explanation for many human problems : from violence and crime to anxiety (angst) and depression. Iam partial to Durkhiem's theory of alienation and, at this point, prefer it to Adler's theory of inferiority. Understanding that one is intra psychic in nature and the other is more of a sociological ontology. ..... Moving on to modern communism as an explanation of struggle, Marx would define the lack of "connectedness" due to class distinctions taht are made by society. The poor and the "scum of the earth" (a real humanist that Marx guy) struggle to throw off the yoke of their social class and this results in class struggle , class warfare and revolution. Thus, it is the attempt of modern communism to reduce this struggle by making society classless and thus boring the hell out of all those who live within it (sorry...personal comment). Obviously, this has failed to work mostly due to its impact on motivation and human initiative. In addition, it failed due to its lack of recognition history and human spirituality (which it attempts to negate. .....The appeal of modern Christianity lies primarily in the concept of an afterlife. No matter what the struggle in this life we can all be saved in the afterlife if we are good Christians. The struggle thus becomes not of this planet but how we live our lives here in an attempt to have a better existence when we pass on. Unlike communism which believes in a dialectic evolution toward heaven on earth (dialectical materialism) Christianity projects our reward towards an afterlife. .....It appears to me that life and death are merely a continium. One is not absolved from lifes deeds solely as a result of death nor does death begin a completely new level of existence. We are here as we always were (native American source unkown). I like Adler but I prefer the objectivity of Ellis. I like Humanism but I prefer the ex post facto elements contained in modern existentialism. I like the concept of connectedness but I see life as only one stage of existence as we proceed , non materially, toward the pull of a higher power. ......................Ed