Erich Fromm

Psychology German-American 1900 – 1980 268 quotes

Humanistic psychoanalyst, The Art of Loving

Most quoted

"Modern man is alienated from himself, from his fellow men, and from nature. He has been transformed into a commodity, experiences his life force as an investment which must bring him the maximum profit obtainable under existing market conditions."

— from The Sane Society, 1955

"Modern man is alienated from himself, from his fellow men, and from nature. He has been transformed into a commodity, experiences his life as an investment which must bring him a maximum profit under existing market conditions."

— from The Sane Society, 1955

"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."

— from The Art of Loving, 1956

All quotes by Erich Fromm (268)

The ultimate concern of man is to love and be loved.

The Art of Loving

The human being is the only animal who can be truly creative.

The Sane Society

The ultimate goal of man is to achieve spiritual growth.

Man for Himself: An Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics

The most profound experience of man is the experience of his own freedom.

Escape from Freedom

The ultimate concern of man is to find his place in the universe.

Man for Himself: An Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics

The human being is the only animal who can be truly responsible.

Escape from Freedom

The ultimate goal of man is to achieve a sense of purpose.

Man for Himself: An Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics

The most important task of man is to discover his own potential.

Man for Himself: An Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics

The ultimate concern of man is to live authentically.

Man for Himself: An Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics

The human being is the only animal who can be truly aware.

The Sane Society

The ultimate goal of man is to achieve self-transcendence.

Man for Himself: An Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics

The most profound experience of man is the experience of his own mortality.

The Heart of Man: Its Genius for Good and Evil

The ultimate concern of man is to make a difference in the world.

Man for Himself: An Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics

The human being is the only animal who can be truly compassionate.

The Art of Loving

The ultimate goal of man is to achieve a sense of belonging.

Man for Himself: An Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics

The most important task of man is to learn to love himself.

The Art of Loving

The ultimate concern of man is to live in harmony with nature.

The Sane Society

The human being is the only animal who can be truly grateful.

The Art of Loving

The most important and most basic question for any society is not how to produce more, but how to live.

To Have or to Be? 1976

Love is not primarily a relationship to a specific person; it is an attitude, an orientation of character which determines the relatedness of a person to the world as a whole, not toward one 'object' of love.

The Art of Loving 1956