“Temperament refers to the mode of reaction and is constitutional and not changeable; character is essentially formed by a person’sexperiences, especially of those in early life, and changeable, to some extent, by insights and new kinds of experiences. If a person has a choleric temperament, for instance, his mode of reaction is “quick and strong.” But what he is quick or strong about depends on his kind of relatedness, his character. If he is a productive, just, loving person he will react quickly and strongly when he loves, when he is enraged by injustice, and when he is impressed by a new idea. If he is a destructive or sadistic character, he will be quick and strong in his destructiveness or in his cruelty. The confusion between temperament and character has had serious consequences for ethical theory. Preferences with regard to differences in temperament are mere matters of subjective taste. But differences in character are ethically of the most fundamental importance.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Character
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“Who will tell whether one happy moment of love or the joy of breathing or walking on a bright morning and smelling the fresh air, is not worth all the suffering and effort which life implies.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Life
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“Why should society feel responsible only for the education of children, and not for the education of all adults of every age?”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Education
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“In love the paradox occurs that two beings become one and yet remain two.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Love
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“Immature love says: ‘I love you because I need you.’ Mature love says ‘I need you because I love you.'”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Love
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“The pace of science forces the pace of technique. Theoretical physics forces atomic energy on us; the successful production of thefission bomb forces upon us the manufacture of the hydrogen bomb. We do not choose our problems, we do not choose our products; we are pushed, we are forced–by what? By a system which has no purpose and goal transcending it, and which makes man its appendix.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Science
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“To die is poignantly bitter, but the idea of having to die without having lived is unbearable.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Death
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“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Creativity
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“Most people die before they are fully born. Creativeness means to be born before one dies.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Creativity
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“Man’s biological weakness is the condition of human culture.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Weakness
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“Not he who has much is rich, but he who gives much.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Charity
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“The task we must set for ourselves is not to feel secure, but to be able to tolerate insecurity.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Security
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“The successful revolutionary is a statesman, the unsuccessful one a criminal.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Evolution
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“There is no meaning to life except the meaning man gives his life by unfolding of his powers.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Purpose
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“If I am what I have and if I lose what I have who then am I?”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: General
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“Immature love says: I love you because I need you. Mature love says: I need you because I love you.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Love
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“Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Love
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“Integrity simple means not violating one’s own identity.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Integrity
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“Man may be defined as the animal that can say I, that can be aware of himself as a separate entity.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: General
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“Only the person who has faith in himself is able to be faithful to others.”
Erich Fromm
Submitted by Quonation |Category: Faith
