Sign in Sign up

Photo of erich fromm

Erich Fromm

Psychoanalyst

1900–1980

Biography

Erich Fromm (1900-1980) was a German social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, and humanistic philosopher. He is best known for his works "Escape from Freedom" (1941) and "The Art of Loving" (1956). Fromm's critical analysis of the intersections between psychology and society set him apart as a distinctive voice in 20th-century thought. In "Escape from Freedom," he examined the psychological conditions that facilitated the rise of totalitarian regimes. His book "The Art of Loving" explored the nature of love, emphasizing its importance as an active art rather than a passive state. Fromm co-founded the William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and Psychology in 1943, further solidifying his influence in the field.

About

Born March 23, 1900

Died March 18, 1980

Birthplace Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Nationality German-American

Education PhD in Sociology

School University of Heidelberg

Resting Place Bellinzona, Switzerland

Popular Quotes

"Modern man lives under the illusion that he knows what he wants, while he actually wants exactly what he is supposed to want"

Self-awareness Individuality Psychology Human behavior

"There is scarcely any passion without struggle"

Motivation Resilience Determination Perseverance

"For the greedy, there is no life, for they never are satisfied, only stuck in the perpetual pursuit of more wealth"

Philosophy Human nature Contentment Wealth

"Paradoxically, the ability to be alone is the condition for the ability to love"

Personal growth Love Relationships Self-discovery

"The ability to be alone is the condition for the ability to love"

Personal growth Love Relationships Self-discovery

"We are determined by the fact of birth, by the bodily and mental structure we bring into the world"

Human nature Identity Psychology Fate

"Man may be defined as the animal that can say "I," that can be aware of himself as a separate entity"

Philosophy Self-awareness Human nature Identity

"If other people do not understand our behavior—so what? Their request that we must make sense to them can be just an attempt to control us"

Individuality Authenticity Independence Self-expression

"The fundamental concept in social science is Power, in the same sense in which Energy is the fundamental concept in physics"

Influence Power Authority Energy

"There is no meaning to life except the meaning man gives his life by the unfolding of his powers"

Personal growth Philosophy Self-discovery Psychology

"The only thing we know about the future is that it will be different"

Change Transformation Future Progress

"The most beautiful as well as the most ugly inclinations of man are not part of a fixed and biologically given human nature, but result from the social process which creates man"

Human nature Human behavior Social psychology Nature vs nurture

"To die is poignantly bitter, but the idea of having to die without having lived is unbearable"

Philosophy Life Reflection Purpose

"Love isn't something natural. Rather it requires discipline, concentration, patience, faith, and the overcoming of narcissism"

Personal growth Love Relationships Faith

"Necessity is not an established fact, but an interpretation"

Philosophy Perspective Perception Understanding