Erich FrommThinkers

Advertising (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠today, such that it appeals to emotion rather than reason like a kind of hypnoid suggestion.

Alienation (n.) is, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠in modern society, the now almost total loss of ownership of the human being owing to the fact that he is owned by his creations, and has lost ownership of himself.

Alienation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a loss of the sacred. Optimism is an alienated form of faith, just as pessimism an alienated form of despair.

Anxiety's (n.) source ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠is always separation.

Approval (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠at root about the question "am I loved?" and unbeknownst to the asker, is in fact really a version of the question 'Can I approve' or "am I able to love?''.

Authoritarianism (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an existential threat to humanity. Human history began with an act of disobedience and it is not unlikely that it will be terminated by an act of obedience.

Authority (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠(as irrational authority) always built upon the buttresses of power on the one side and fear on the other.

Authority (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a quality one person 'has,' in the sense that he has property or physical qualities. Authority refers to an interpersonal relation in which one person looks upon another as somebody superior to him.

Boredom (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠(as not knowing what to do with oneself and one's life) the worst form of mental suffering.

Boredom (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠nothing but the experience of a paralysis of our productive powers.

Capitalism (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a system whereby man does not only sell commodities, he sells himself and feels himself to be a commodity.

Capitalism (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠where any person still capable of suffering over the suffering of others and who has not become a thing (i.e. who has not acquired fully the having mode of existence) cannot help feeling lonely, powerless, and isolated.

Capitalist society's (n.) principles ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠are acquisition, profit, and property, which 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.

Central relatedness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠perceiving another from a place of core brotherhood, from (center to center), rather than in terms of surface differences (periphery to periphery).