Inferiority Psychology
Evan Hansen is an unhealthy person and, following Adler’s description, displays a very rigid style of life.
He shows little flexibility in his everyday life and doesn’t adapt to social situations very well. He is also
the avoiding type and keeps very low contact with others, most of the time communicating with people
only when necessary.
Evan was also brought up with a neglected style of life. His mother rarely had enough time for him
because of the demands of her work. His father also didn’t give him any attention after his parents’
divorce. This parenting style made him feel unloved and unwanted, and most probably contributed to
his anxiety and insecurities.
Adler also focused on birth order as a factor for personality. However, his personality descriptions for
‘only children’ doesn’t fit Evan Hansen.
Inferiority psychology also puts emphasis on goals and how people strive for it. Of the two distinct goalstriving courses, Evan displayed striving for superiority the most. His personal goal was to feel affection,
an effect from his neglected childhood. He shows little social interest, and majority of his actions in the
movie displayed selfishness in striving for love from the people surrounding him. He does outgrow this
unhealthy striving for superiority, and by the end of the movie we see him accept the consequences of
his actions and start striving for success. By this point, he also begins to develop social interest.
There were some safeguarding tendencies we see Evan apply in order to protect his sense of self. We
see him make a lot excuses for his passivity and his inability to socialize with others. He also justifies
withholding the truth to Connor’s family by thinking that he’s making them feel better through his lies,
when he’s actually mostly motivated by his need for affection.
Another safeguarding tendency which Evan used was aggression marked with self-accusation. His
feelings of inferiority led to guilt and self-hate, and he ends up hurting himself because of these feelings.
He also blamed himself for his parents’ divorce and felt distaste for his own personality.
The last safeguarding tendency we witness from Evan’s behavior is withdrawal in the form of standing
still. It is even more notable in the beginning of the movie. He continuously expressed his desire for Zoe
Murphy, yet withdrew from her even when she approached him herself. He also lets majority of the
events around him run their course, going along with things rather than actively pursuing his goals. His
compulsive lying is also another sign of his apathetic personality, as he would rather fabricate things
than risk confrontations.