In psychology, compensation is a strategy whereby one covers up, consciously or unconsciously, weaknesses, frustrations, desires, or feelings of inadequacy or incompetence in one life area through the gratification or (drive towards) excellence in another area. It is a way people hide something that they cannot do well, or something they lack, by doing something else really well, or considering something they have. They may not even be aware that they are doing it. It is the counterbalancing of perceived flaws or weaknesses by instead emphasising strength. In simple language, compensation is to seek what you lack.
Examples of myself and what I have detected from people:
- A person with a strict upbringing being crazy for maintaining a "bad boy/girl" image. This type of people have grown up a number of family rules and restrictions, and now they are looking for things they used to want but unable to do or have.
- Over focusing on particular things (strength) but ignoring all others (weakness). Eg. A male who loves his body, over trains his arms but ignores his legs, which leads the unbalancing of the (trained or over trained) arms being much too bigger than the (untrained or less trained) legs. As he probably achieved great results of his previous training on arms, which made him feel the strength.
- I was once crazy for pretending to be a little girl while I was already an adult. The reason is that I have always been made to be a true lady since childhood. Then I started seeking the enjoyment of being a kid, which I missed out while learning to be a lady.
Compensation can cover up either real or imagined deficiencies and personal or physical inferiority. However it does not really solve the cause of the problem. Positive compensations may help one to overcome one's difficulties. On the other hand, negative compensations do not, which results in a reinforced feeling of inferiority, and can even make a problem worse.
Alfred Adler, founder of individual psychology, introduced the term compensation in relation to inferiority feelings. For more information, please search for his book Study of Organ Inferiority and Its Physical Compensation (1907).
