Everything Can Also Be Different: From Clinical Observation to Lifelong Motif

Adler frequently said, “Everything can also be different,” and it seems to have been a theme that permeated his life and is also relevant to anyone who follows his theory today. Adler saw movement from a “felt minus” to a “perceived plus” as an inherent part of his life view as well as his theory. He emphasized the importance of the individual’s creative response to life’s challenges rather than the influence of any type of determinism. Following his service as a physician in the trenches of World War I, he developed the concept of Gemeinschaftsgefühl , or social interest or community feeling, as a mark of mental health and a fictional goal toward which all can strive.