What Humanity Needs According To Erich Fromm

What humanity needs most is change, according to Erich Fromm. This German social psychoanalyst and philosopher is known for having dared to challenge Sigmund Freud in his time and for having reformulated the concept of freedom. In addition, this visionary also said that Man was losing his chances of achieving happiness in this increasingly technical, cold and structured society.

In his essential work To have or to be? , he left us a series of timeless messages that continue to spark extremely innovative thinking today. Among these concepts, there is one that you may be very familiar with. According to him, people have become accustomed to living in an environment where those who don’t have, aren’t. Indeed, authentic well-being and human fulfillment reside precisely in being. However, we tend to define ourselves more through our possessions.

30 years have passed since the disappearance of Erich Fromm. Yet his thoughts, reflections and legacy continue to be of great relevance. We indeed need a change, a new paradigm in order to be able to live in complete freedom. A freedom where we would stop considering ourselves according to what we have. A freedom where we would rather appreciate each other according to who we are.

What does humanity need according to Erich Fromm?

According to Erich Fromm, humanity needs several things which we will analyze in the rest of this article. However, to understand the approach and perspective of this thinker, we must first remember that the very foundations of his philosophy have always rested on an almost radical humanism. What does that mean ? This implies that this social psychologist sought above all to free people from their chains.

Each of us carries multiple burdens. And this, almost without knowing it. The industrial, social and political structure in which we live imposes on us a multitude of patterns and obstacles that hinder our development, our capacity for choice, our thoughts and our will. Thus, we ourselves limit our own happiness in different ways.

We do this by choosing, for example, conflict and violence over peace. We also do this by being guided by instinct and not by reason and emotion. Last but not least, we don’t love each other as we should.

Thus, in his book The Passion to Destroy: Anatomy of Human Destructiveness , he indicates that the situation of humanity is very serious today. According to him, it is therefore necessary to create new mental structures. New reflection scenarios are thus necessary in order to produce changes.

Now let’s see what humanity needs to invest in well-being and freedom.

We need to be more spontaneous

In The Fear of Freedom (1941), Fromm appeals to something which can be striking but which is also a source of inspiration. According to him, people place too much weight on rational thinking. However, the human being is in itself a perfect combination of emotion and reason. A subtle blend of feelings and self-control.

Therefore, when it comes to freely expressing our authentic personality, we need to be more spontaneous. This is how we can break the chains and unleash our very essence in order to free ourselves from the conventions imposed by society.

A more united commitment

In his book To have or to be , Erich Fromm has provided various avenues that he believes are essential to prevent humanity from rushing towards a catastrophic future. First of all, he had to face the horrors of WWII himself. Then he also witnessed the Cold War. This period marked by the arms race plunged the whole world into a climate of permanent anguish.

Of course, times are different today. But the essential elements remain quite similar. This is why the suggestions that we find in To have or to be are still as relevant today and remain a great source of inspiration. Here are some of those thoughts.

• Be more united, love and respect life in all its forms
• It is important to feel joy in giving and in sharing. And, not just in the accumulation of goods
• It is necessary to reduce lust, hatred and lies

Erich Fromm on Humanity: We Must Get Rid of Narcissism

What humanity still needs, according to Erich Fromm, is above all to put aside narcissism. In fact, this recurring postulate in his work is so strong that he even introduced an important concept about it. This is what he called evil narcissism. For him, this constant search for personal satisfaction, ego strengthening or greatness is the true essence of evil.

We must cultivate humility, respect for others but also for ourselves with, however, a healthier point of view, more affectionate and in harmony with our own society. Selfishness would be the worst virus. It must be fought at all costs because it maintains ignorance and submission.

In conclusion, it doesn’t matter that Erich Fromm’s works were written decades ago. Indeed, they are still essential and of immense value. The very fact of diving back into it is an invitation to reflect on certain aspects that deserve to be rethought.

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