Adler, A. (1935a). What is neurosis? International Journal of Individual Psychology, 1(1), 9-17.

A neurotic line of movement is defined as a retreat from the tasks of life: society, occupation, and love. Symptoms originate from a mixture of inborn constitutional factors and acquired psychic factors. The perceived threat of defeat, often provoked by a recoil from an exogenous factor, leads to erecting a goal of personal superiority, a goal that does not have enough interest in others.