The criterion of mental health is not one of individual adjustment to a given social order, but a universal one, valid for all men, of giving a satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence. Erich Fromm More Quotes by Erich Fromm More Quotes From Erich Fromm When people can't handle God any more, they turn to religion. Erich Fromm turnspeoplereligion The affirmation of one's own life, happiness, growth and freedom, is rooted in one's capacity to love. Erich Fromm capacity-to-lovegrowthhappiness We are a society of notoriously unhappy people: lonely, anxious, depressed, destructive, dependent - people who are glad when we have killed the time we are trying so hard to save. Erich Fromm lonelyunhappypeople A society whose principles are acquisition, profit, and property produces a social character oriented around having, and once the dominant pattern is established, nobody wants to be an outsider, or indeed an outcast; in order to avoid this risk everybody adapts to the majority, who have in common only their mutual antagonism. Erich Fromm simplecharacterorder There can be no real freedom without the freedom to fail. Erich Fromm freedomrealmotivational Love isn't something natural. Rather it requires discipline, concentration, patience, faith, and the overcoming of narcissism. It isn't a feeling, it is a practice. Erich Fromm disciplinepracticefeelings An illusion shared by everyone becomes a reality. Erich Fromm illusionreality Well-being is possible to the degree to which one has overcome one's narcissism; to the degree to which one is open, responsive, sensitive, awake, empty.... Well-being means, finally, to drop one's Ego, to give up greed, to cease chasing after preservation and the aggrandizement of the Ego, to be and to experience one's self in the act of being, not in having, preserving, coveting, using. Erich Fromm giving-upselfmean The mother-child relationship is paradoxical and, in a sense, tragic. It requires the most intense love on the mother's side, yet this very love must help the child grow away from the mother, and to become fully independent. Erich Fromm mommotherchildren Integrity simply means not violating one's own identity. Erich Fromm identityintegritymean Intellectuals are hindered on the way to being, by their narcissism. Erich Fromm narcissismway To spare oneself from grief at all cost can be achieved only at the price of total detachment, which excludes the ability to experience happiness Erich Fromm mourninggriefgrieving Most people see the problem of love primarily as that of being loved, rather than that of loving, of one's capacity to love. Hence the problem to them is how to be loved, how to be lovable. Erich Fromm capacity-to-loveproblempeople The scars left from the child's defeat in the fight against irrational authority are to be found at the bottom of every neurosis. Erich Fromm neurosisfightingchildren Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence. Erich Fromm philosophicallovelife Man's main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is. The most important product of his effort is his own personality. Erich Fromm birthdaycharacterlife Mother's love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved. Erich Fromm marriagefamilylove A dream is a microscope through which we look at the hidden occurrences in our soul. Erich Fromm souldreamlooks Independent of others and in concert with others, your main task in life is to do what you can best do and become what you can potentially be. Erich Fromm independenttaskslife Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says 'I need you because I love you.' Erich Fromm loveromanticlife
