What does «compensación» mean in Spanish?
- In psychology, conscious or unconscious adaptation of behavior or thought to compensate for a feeling of inadequacy. It is a common resource that allows a person to overcome his or her limitations and create a more satisfactory self-image. However, the reaction to repression or frustration can be excessive and is sometimes called overcompensation. By compensating for a deficiency and often by exaggerating the response, the person avoids acknowledging his otherwise intolerable feelings of inferiority. Alfred Adler's personality theory emphasizes this psychic process whereby a person tries to compensate for some defect, real or imagined, by striving to acquire power in order to feel superior rather than inferior to others.