Outer Child

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Outer Child theory is discovered by Susan Anderson and is described in Taming Your Outer Child.

Psyche Components Description
Inner Child

(Little You)

  • feelings, needs, wants
  • developed during early childhood
  • emotional core, innocent, vulnerable, obstinate, selfish, impulsive, knee-jerk reaction
  • Needs to be heard and honored
  • to be calmed
  • origin of primal fears seated in the amygdala
  • part of Freud's Id
Outer Child
  • acts out what the inner child feels inappropriately (e.g: quick fixes)
  • developed later
  • "yes but", self-rebellious, reactive behavior patterns, defense mechanisms
  • can be self-defeating patterns
  • manifests outwardly
  • interferes in the internal dialog between Inner Child and Adult Self
  • to be tamed
  • part of Freud's Id
Adult Self
  • nurture Inner Child
  • limit/parent Outer Child
  • achieve your goals
  • to be strengthen

Outer Child

Outer Child
is excessive spending, binge eating
is drama queen
  • plays the victim, the martyr, the injured
  • underreactswhen someone steps on your toes
  • cries as a manipulation tactic
loves distraction
  • makes a mess and takes time to clean-up
  • uses projection of his shortcomings to others as a defense mechanism
is uncompromising
  • perfectionist but as a form of bargaining, with a vice "If I do this perfectly, I merit a reward"), if there is no reward, he is going to act out.
  • self-spiteful: make you miserable just to punish someone else. E.g.: Outer can keep you/Adult Self heartbroken just to prove the injustice of the breakup.
is selfish
  • some hide this selfishness better than others
  • defensive rather than open
  • self-justifying rather than self-aware
loves blaming obsessed and intolerant with other's outer children
is master of disguises
  • acts pure and innocent but hides his vulnerabilities really well. E.g.: he never hates asking for direction when lost.
  • pleasing persona developed by Inner Child's fear of abandonment but only to prevent them from rejecting you
  • hides mean or selfish actions by altruism/moral superiority/righteous indignation/benevolence
  • can express anger by being overly passive
  • compliance to make others think he does not want control
  • acts and believe his own act
is demanding
  • is people pleasing (but expect something in return)
  • seeks emotional salves from others
  • cannot stand waiting
  • always seeking for love insurance. E.g. Outer chases after someone and becomes his "caretaker" in hopes of becoming so valuable he will never leave.
wants it and now
  • wants to skip the work and directly gets the benefits
loves the getting, not having
  • loves pursuing challenging lovers and thinks unavailable people are attractive but this goes against what Inner Child wants
Is about surface
  • attracted to form rather than substance, attracted to status, beauty rather than integrity and kindness
thinks it is my way or no way
  • thinks he is never wrong
  • keeps endless protests against reality he does not want to accepts
  • believes are for everyone else and obeys rules only not to get caught up
  • believes what it wants to believe

Step 1: Separate feelings (Inner Child) from behaviors (Outer Child)