Cinderella complex

This article is about the syndrome. For the song, see C\C (Cinderella\Complex).

Not to be confused with Cinderella effect.

The Cinderella complex was first described by Colette Dowling,^[1] who wrote a book on women's fear of independence, as an unconscious desire to be taken care of by others. The complex is said to become more apparent as a person grows older.

Colette Dowling attempts to define women as being motivated by an unconscious desire to be taken care of as a fear of independence termed "Cinderella complex". An important aspect of the work can be defined as identifying an aspect of a larger phenomenon as to why women choose to stay in dysfunctional relationships.

This phenomenon can be defined as a syndrome characterized by a series of specific motivations or causes. Dowling identifies only one motivation, while the syndrome is in fact a combination of many motivations, which are in themselves characteristics that make up a complex.

The term syndrome has been largely used to define conditions apparent in medicine. However, in recent decades the term has been used outside of medicine to refer to a combination of phenomena seen in association.

Nomenclature

This complex is named after the fairy tale character Cinderella. It is based on the idea of femininity portrayed in that story, where a woman is beautiful, graceful and polite but does not take independent action to change her circumstances, and who must be rescued by an outside force, usually a man (i.e. the Prince).

References

1. ^ Colette Dowling (1981). The Cinderella Complex: Women's Hidden Fear of Independence. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0671733346. 

Further reading

• Anthony Wilden (1987). Man and Woman, War and Peace: The Strategist's Companion. Routledge. p. 85. ISBN 0710098677. 

See also

• Cinderella effect