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Napoleon complex
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis, Napoleon complex (or Napoleon syndrome) is a colloquial term used to describe a type of inferiority complex suffered by people who are short. The term is also used more generally to describe people who are driven by a perceived handicap to overcompensate in other aspects of their lives. This can sometimes go as far as to lead to acts of violence or will to dominate those that are larger than the short person.
Alfred Adler pioneered the psychological work on inferiority complexes[1], and used Napoléon Bonaparte as an example of someone whom he thought was driven to extremes by a psychological need to compensate for what he saw as a handicap: his small stature, although Napoleon was actually taller than average for his time.
A recent study into the so-called Napoleon complex has led to results opposite those expected. It was discovered in the study that tall men were more likely to lose their temper than short men. The experiment used to test the complex, called the Chopstick Game, involved subjects dueling each other with sticks. During the "duel", one subject would deliberately rap the other's knuckles. Heart monitors revealed that taller men were more likely to lose their tempers and hit back.[2]
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