Topdog vs. underdog is a phrase coined by
Fritz Perls
Friedrich Salomon Perls (July 8, 1893 – March 14, 1970), better known as Fritz Perls, was a German-born psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and psychotherapist. Perls coined the term "Gestalt therapy" to identify the form of psychotherapy that he devel ...
, the father of
Gestalt therapy
Gestalt therapy is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes personal responsibility and focuses on the individual's experience in the present moment, the therapist–client relationship, the environmental and social contexts of a person's life, ...
, to describe a self-
torture
Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts c ...
game that people play with themselves in order to avoid the
anxiety
Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...
that they encounter in their environment.
Description
The topdog describes the part of an individual which makes demands based on the idea that the individual should adhere to certain societal norms and standards. These demands are often characterized by "shoulds" and "oughts".
The underdog describes the part of an individual which makes excuses explaining why these demands should not be met. It is often the case that these excuses act as internal
sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...
to ensure that the demands are never met.
The topdog and underdog intersect in oneself and the relationship is very dynamic. The topdog gets more powerful as well as frustrated as the underdog begins to get more resistant. To get out of the cyclical nature of the topdog vs. underdog relationship, the topdog needs to move from "shoulds" to being more personable. The underdog must open up more in its resistance while taking responsibility.
Gestalt therapists often guide their patients through an exercise where the patients takes on both of these roles. With the guidance of the therapist, the patients can come to gain insight about themselves which can help them have a healthier relationship with their environment.
References
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The Gestalt Center of Gainesville, Inc.
Gestalt therapy