Adler’s Measure of Mental Health Social interest, Gemeinschaftsgefuhl in German, is Adler’s most important and most misunderstood concept. It is often translated as ‘community feeling’ or ‘social feeling,’ but these translations miss the depth of what Adler meant. Social interest is not just caring about others or being nice. It is the fundamental human capacity to see yourself as part of a larger whole, to care about the welfare of others even when it does not benefit you directly, and to contribute to society in ways that extend beyond your own survival and comfort. For Adler, social interest is the...