Erich Fromms Human Needs Theory - Essay Example

Erich Fromm’s Human Needs Theory: A ‘Complete’ Theory Of Human Needs Introduction Human behavior is a complex thing to explain. As human being is a social being, his behavior and his personality is shaped not only by his innate behavior traits but also by the environmental factors. The question “what drives human beings to behave the way they do?” has given rise to development of many different theories by people who are expert in the field of psychology and sociology. The same question made Erich Fromm to study psychology and find out what drives human behavior. Erich Fromm, who was born in Germany in the year 1900, was exposed to the horrors of the first world war (Boeree, n.d., p.3). The evil nature of the leaders, the mute submission of the civilians to the dictatorship and the way the society functioned developed Erich Fromm’s interest in psychology and social structure. He tried to find the answer to his search for the question, “what drives man to behave the way he does?”, in the psychoanalytical theories of Freud and social theories of Karl Marx (Boeree, n.d., p.4). However, he found that both the theories are incomplete as they treat man either as an individual or as a social animal (Boeree, n.d., p.4). He thinks that human being’s personal and social aspects are related and hence, his behavior and motives cannot be explained by separating the individual and the social aspects of his life (Boeree, n.d., p.4). Hence, Erich Fromm postulated a theory called ‘Human Needs Theory’, to explain those needs of human beings which drive them to behave the way they do and in doing so, has touched every aspect of the human personality(Boeree, n.d., p.10). By explaining how human behavior is not just a result of personal needs but also is a result of his dynamic relationship with existential aspects of life, Erich From has given us one of the most complete theories of human behavior (Boeree, n.d., p.10). The importance of social part of the personality of human being According to Erich Fromm, the conditions of the society in which the human being exists, give birth to his needs (Wozniak, 2000, p.44). He does agree with other behaviorists when they say that every human being has basic biological needs like adequate nourishment and shelter, and meeting those biological needs can provide them with a sense of satisfaction (Wozniak, 2000, p.44). However, according to him, as human being is a ‘social’ being, just the fulfillment of the biological needs does not serve his purpose. The ‘social’ part in his personality has to meet its needs for a feeling of complete satisfaction. Hence, he suggested that apart from the biological needs, human beings have five essential social needs and they are: “1. the need to establish social relationship with others, 2. the need to be actively creative, 3. the need for fixed roots, 4. the need for one’s own identity and 5. the need to orient oneself in the world intellectually” (Wozniak, 2000, p.46). The deep look at needs show that human being has a deep rooted need to find the know the reason for his existence. He tries to impose the importance of his existence by proving that his presence in the society has a purpose and that he can contribute to the development of the society by being creative and intellectual. However, Fromm said the human being is not able to meet these needs as the conditions of the human existence arising from the social events of nineteenth and twentieth century were not conducive to encourage the fulfillment of these needs (Wozniak, 2000, p.46). The Human Needs Theory It is possible to understand the roots of human behavior only when, along with his biological needs, his social needs are also studies. Erich From, in the personality theory, gave importance to the social needs of the human beings because he believed that the human being is not satisfied only with the fulfillment of his biological needs but also wants his social needs to be fulfilled to feel completely satisfied with his life. According to Fromm, “one’s personality is a compromise between one’s inner needs and demands of the society” (Engler,2009,p.135). For Erich Fromm, “finding an answer to his existence”, is the most important need (Boeree, n.d., p.10). Hence, he postulated the theory of human needs. The Human Needs Theory is described by giving the five human needs. They are as follows: 1. Relatedness: Human being feels incomplete when he is separate from other people. Fromm says that human being tries to avoid the feeling of being separate from other by trying to relate with them in some way or other (Boeree, n.d., p.10). Love is the feeling that helps man in achieving relatedness. It is the feeling of separation from others that generates the ‘need of relatedness’ in human being (Boeree, n.d., p.10). According to Fromm, love “is union with somebody, or something, outside oneself, under the condition of retaining the separateness and integrity of ones own self" (Boeree, n.d., p.10). Love is the emotion which has an idea of accepting someone as he is and without demanding him to change (Boeree, n.d., p.10). Hence, when human being feels accepted by others without being judged or without being given any condition for acceptance, he feels satisfied and happy. Love allows this satisfaction as human being can relate with others without leaving his individuality (Boeree, n.d., p.10). This keeps him happy on both the levels, i.e. on individual level and social level. According to Fromm, development of mature love is the best way to overcome the painful and unique feelings of isolation from others (Ewen, 1998, p.66) However, many a times, the need of relatedness does not get fulfilled easily. Some people are not accepted as they are and hence, loving attachment with others in the society is not developed. If this happens, then human being gets desperate to fulfill the need of relatedness. The need of relatedness is so strong that if a human being does not find it easily, he becomes ready to let go of his individuality in an attempt to be accepted by others (Boeree, n.d., p.10). He takes the negative path of fulfilling this need. For example, human being allows other person to control his thinking and his life, he becomes a member of a group which asks him to behave against his nature and wishes, or he surrenders himself completely to the idea of religion imposed on him by that group (Boeree, n.d., p.10). People who are not submissive by nature, find relatedness by dominating others (Boeree, n.d., p.10). However, no matter what strategies are used, the relatedness which is created without the feeling of love, does not satisfy the need of relatedness in human beings (Boeree, n.d., p.10). The separateness remains intact. The reason for the separateness remaining intact lies in the deep rooted need of man of relating with the entire species of human being. This feeling is based on the deep rooted sense of communion with the entire species and so, is not limited to any culture, country, ethnicity or political ideology (Burston, 1991, p.91). So, when the association of a group or a person demands that a person has to love only a ‘particular’ idea or a particular culture and show hatred and inferiority to the other existing ideas or a culture, his deep rooted love for the humanity is challenged. He feels that his self interest is being betrayed in an attempt to adapt to a group or a person (Burston, 1991, p.91). When a person tries to find relatedness by joining a group or giving himself completely to other person, it stops his inborn powers and potential from developing as he is asked to follow what others are dictating rather than following his own thinking (Burston, 1991, p.91). Hence, the methods of social adaptation that demands human being to go against his self-interest does not fulfill his need of relatedness because, in an attempt to overcome separation from others, he gets separated from himself. People who do not find relatedness and do not accept the method of submission and domination, try to overcome the need by denying the existence of this need in their life (Boeree, n.d., p.10). They try to overcome their need by indulging in the opposite trait of relatedness which is ‘narcissism’. People who are narcissist by nature do not feel the importance of being accepted by others as they think that they are complete in themselves and for them, their own world of thoughts, feelings and needs is the only reality (Boeree, n.d., p.10). People with narcissism are so much in love with themselves that they deviate from the normal and healthy thinking pattern and get obsessed with themselves. They become lost in their own imaginary world and lose touch with the real world (Boeree, n.d., p.10). This shows that the need of relatedness is fulfilled only when the relation is based on unconditional love and harmony. 2. Creativity The other need of human being, according to Fromm, is the need of being creative (Boeree, n.d., p.10). He believes that human beings try their best to overcome the sense of being passive uncreative creatures (Boeree, n.d., p.10). Human beings use different methods to transcend their feeling of passivity. They express their creativity by creating babies, indulging in artistic and creative work like painting, pottery and writing, planting seeds, loving each other etc (Boeree, n.d., p.10). From says that human being can create because he knows how to love. Fromm believes that creativity is nothing but the expression of love (Boeree, n.d., p.10). Hence, people who are not loving cannot create. People who are not loving by nature and do not have means of creativity take the up the opposite action of creativity and that is, destruction (Boeree, n.d., p.11). People who cannot create try to overcome the feeling of passivity by being destructive (Boeree, n.d., p.11). Being destructive makes them feel powerful and energetic (Boeree, n.d., p.11). They think that by destroying the things that are created by human beings, they are not only ‘above’ the things that are created but also are superior to the people who create (Boeree, n.d., p.11). Hence, they try to find satisfaction of being active in the act of destruction. However, this sort of method to overcome the sense of passivity fails to bring satisfaction (Boeree, n.d., p.11). Also, From says that creativity, narcissism, destruction and love are nothing but the different methods adopted by human being to relate himself with others (Fromm & Maccoby, 1970, p.14). Narcissist and destructive forms of relatedness are negative forms of relatedness which are adopted by people to solve the problem of feeling of separation (Fromm & Maccoby, 1970, p.14). However, because of its negative impacts, people who practice these forms of relatedness remain unsuccessful in feeling related to others (Fromm & Maccoby, 1970, p.14). 3. Rootedness ‘Feeling at home’ is one of the most important needs of human being (Boeree, n.d., p.11). This feeling is known as rootedness. The care, love and support that human being gets from the adults in his early years helps him to survive the challenges of life (Fromm & Maccoby, 1970, p.xi). While family helps in fulfilling the emotional and biological needs of human beings, teachers equips him with the knowledge that helps him in mastering his environment and live in harmony with the society by controlling his fears and passions (Fromm & Maccoby, 1970, p.xi). When human being finds a meaning in his existence and lives in harmony with the environment, he feels rooted (Fromm & Maccoby, 1970, p.xi). According to Fromm, every human need (that he has described in his theory) is either achieved positively or negatively. The sense of rootedness also is achieved positively and negatively. The natural inclination of man is to get the remain in the place where he gets unconditional love of his mother (Boeree, n.d., p.11). However, to progress in the society, human being has to leave the security of the mother’s love and warmth of his home (Boeree, n.d., p.11). He has to leave the securities that he gets in the biological ties and expand his mind and heart to develop the feeling of brotherhood and sisterhood with other people in the world (Boa, 2004, p.163). Developing a feeling of brotherhood and developing one’s mind in such a way that it feels at home in any part of the world, is the positive way of fulfilling the need of rootedness. However, people who cannot progress emotionally and psychologically find it difficult to leave the securities of their home. People who live in fear of unknown and are scared of facing the insecurities, develop a negative state of mind which is called ‘fixation to the mother’ (Boa, 2004, p.163). People who are scared of leaving their securities develop irrational fear and hate for the other people who are not a part of their culture, their religion, their region and their beliefs (Boeree, n.d., p.11). The fixation to the mother makes people develop psychological problems like neurotic tendencies or fanatic ideas (Boeree, n.d., p.11). People who cannot leave the securities of their home develop negative ideas about the strangers and everyone who does not belong to his ‘secure’ world is dangerous and should be avoided or destroyed (Boeree, n.d., p.11). This is a negative way of achieving the human need of rootedness . 4. A sense of Identity According to Fromm, “man may be defined as the animal that can say ‘I’” (Boeree, n.d., p.11). He meant that human being is the only animal who has a sense of personal identity. He tries to make sense of his existence by finding some difference in himself from others. From says that the sense of identity is a human need as it helps him to stay sane in the complex world of the society (Boeree, n.d., p.11). The need of identity is extremely powerful and if this identity is not achieved by doing something creative and positive, then it can drive a person to do anything for achieving a ‘status’ in the society or by making desperate attempts to conform to the society (Boeree, n.d., p.11). But as this identity is not developed out of original nature and is just a pretentious one, it fails to fulfill the need of identity (Boeree, n.d., p.11). Also, the process of finding own identity makes him feel little lonely as, in search of his identity and individuality, he has to break the ties with the security of home and biological relations (Fromm, 1942, p.23). The process of creation of identity also generates a feeling of separateness from the world (Fromm, 1942, p.23). This feeling affects him strongly and makes him feel powerless and anxious (Fromm, 1942, p.23). The only way he can fulfill the need of identity positively is by developing a “spontaneous relationship with man and nature, a relationship that connects the individual with the world without eliminating his individuality” (Fromm, 1942, p.23). 5. A frame of orientation The final need that From postulated was a need of the human being to understand the world and his role in the this world (Boeree, n.d., p.11). The society that we live in tries its best to help us understand our relationship with the world through religious teachings, mythological figures and stories, philosophy and sciences (Boeree, n.d., p.11). Fromm says that the need of orientation has two aspects. The first frame of orientation makes man to feel that “almost anything will do” (Boeree, n.d., p.11). The need makes them to accept anything that they are offered and so, people are ready to believe anything that is told to them (Boeree, n.d., p.11). If they do not have an logical explanation for their gullible behavior, they try to make one by rationalizing it (Boeree, n.d., p.11). The second aspect of frame of orientation is to develop a frame of adjustment with the society and environment by adopting the methods which are creative, useful and accurate (Boeree, n.d., p.11). According to Fromm, “in a reasonably just and equable society a balance is struck between individual needs and those of wider group” (Burford, 1998, p.139). The deepest need of human being is a desire to know other people in the society and himself (Fromm, 2004, p.159) and he can fulfill this desire by using the reasoning ability that he has. Human being has to use reason to understand the functioning of the world (Boeree, n.d., p.11). According to Fromm, as the need feeling of relatedness is based on love ‘and’ reason (Burston, 1991, p.91), the adjustment process or the method that human being uses to survive and grow in the world, has to be warm and emotion based (Boeree, n.d., p.11). A cold philosophical approach will make people to adopt negative ways to fulfill their needs. 6. Excitation and stimulation Later on, Fromm (1973), added one more need to his human needs theory and that is the need of excitation and stimulation (Engler, 2009, p. 137). This need makes human being to “actively strive for a goal rather than simply responding” (Engler, 2009, p. 137). According to Erich Fromm, the psychological and social aspect of human being cannot exist without each other (Burford, 1998, p.137). Only when human being uses both, reason and love, will he be able to achieve the positive satisfaction of his needs. References Boa, K.(2004). Augustine to Freud: What Theologians & Psychologists tell us about Human Nature and why it matters. Nashville: B & H Publishing Group. Boeree, C.G. (n.d.). Personality Theories. Retrieved from http://www.social-psychology.de/do/pt_fromm.pdf Burford, , E. (1998). Gravity and the creation of Self: An Exploration of Self Representations Using Spatial Concepts. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Ltd. Burston, D. (1991). The Legacy of Erich Fromm. USA: The President and Fellows Of Harvard College. Engler, B. (2009). Personality Theories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Ewen, R.B. (1998). Personality, A Topical Approach: Theories, Research, Major Controversies, and Emerging Theories. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Fromm, E. (1942). The Fear of Freedom. London: Kegan Paul Publication. Fromm, E. (2004). The Dogma of Christ and other Essays on Religion, Psychology and Culture. London: Routledge. Fromm, E. & Maccoby, M. (1970). Social Character in a Mexican Village. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. Wozniak,J.F. (2000). Alienation and Crime: Lessons from Erich Fromm. In K.Anderson & R. Quinney (Eds.), Erich Fromm and Critical Criminology: Beyond the Punitive Society (43-58).USA: Board of Trustee of University of Illinois. Read More