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The paper on the genealogy of a drive for apparent heterosexual relations indicates the correctness of Dr. Otto Rank's contention that sex, as it appears in analysis, is always a cover for something else. The thing covered appears to be invariably a drive for power the attainment of which is symbolized in sex and other phantasies and later, in many individuals, in sex and other acts of various sorts. This suggests the possibility of agreement with Dr. Alfred Adler in his repeated statement that all the manifestations of mental disease represent a drive for power which is based on feelings of inferiority. Thus far I am in accord with him. I will go further and agree that the feeling of inferiority has its origin in comparative physical weakness. But I do not believe that this weakness need be present in the adult patient.
The inferiority feelings originated in infancy when the individual undoubtedly is weak compared to others in his environment. These stronger people, especially his parents, exhibit much evidence of their desire for power over the infant. He is unable to meet this on a physical basis. He feels inferior to them, as he is. As a reaction against their attempts to dominate him and to compensate for the true state of affairs, he turns first to phantasy. He dreams methods of overcoming them and attaining greater power than theirs.
These he later translates into innumerable acts which to him symbolize conquering them. Negativism is an example.
These two, the phantasies and the acts, are a source of such great satisfaction that even when his power does approximately equal theirs, as a result of his growth, he suffers a great temptation to pretend that he is still the weakling as an excuse to retain his imaginary control over them. This temptation is increased by the impossible grandiosity which his dreams have attained by this time. He really cannot actually do the things of which he has dreamed. He fears that reality would be less satisfactory than the dreams.