In your own words, how would you define "inferiority/superiority complex?"?

Answer 1

Sorry but most of what I know about it is what is taught in school, which I think is pretty much outdated if you ask me now.
It all began with a guy named Adler, so here is a gist
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Inferiority feelings and compensation originated with Adler's early studies of organ inferiority and compensation. In his book, Study of Organ Inferiority and Its Physical Compensation (1907), Adler described the process of compensation for physical disabilities or limitations. Depending on the attitude taken toward his defects, his compensation for disabilities or limitations will be satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Favorite examples for Adler were Demosthenes, who became a great speaker in compensation for an early defect in speech; Annette Kellerman, who became a champion swimmer not as much despite as because of bodily weakness; and the limping Nurmi, who become a famous runner. Others with similar problems did not compensate by excelling but used their defect as an excuse to preserve their fantasy that they would have gained prestige had they not had the defect.
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Wilkepedia defines them differently
superiority complex
an exaggerated estimate of your own value and importance
Inferiority complex

An inferiority complex, in the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis, is a feeling that one is inferior to others in some way. It is often unconscious, and is thought to drive afflicted individuals to overcompensate, resulting either in spectacular achievement or extreme antisocial behaviour.
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Ok, those are the book definitions,so they would be the "accepted" definition.

My own definition?-is that people as a rule like to lump others into comfortable bins- When they meet someone who does not conform to what they feel culturally to be acceptable behavior, based on their own upbringing of course, they immediately put labels on these people instead of figuring out the whys and wherefores.

So- the word "complex" is a convenient term. No one has to explain it. These two terms are so outdated that no one uses them anymore, since it is now more glamorous to do your own brand of analyzing people and describing their psychoses through what everybody encounters on TV shows, ie Dr Phil, ( no offense to Dr Phil) etc.

Answer 2

If we live in a way we know is wrong or that makes us unhappy, we basically live a lie. To be happy we need to understand what is right and how to make ourselves happy so we can avoid wanting to be superior to others and outdo them. The more lost and inferior we feel, the more we attempt to appear superior,so we fall victim to the inferiority-superiority complex.

Basically you just have to find a way to be happy with yourself and what you have, find a way to be content so you don't need to hide the fact that you don't think much of yourself by making your self seem more then you are .