Humanist Theory of Personality- Fromm - Essay Example

Humanist Theory of Personality Humanist Theory of Personality Erich Fromm was born in Germany in the year 1900 and lived till the age of 80. He attained his PhD at the age of 22, and co-founded the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute with Frieda Fromm. He later moved to New York in the United States, where he was a faculty member in various higher education institutes and operated his private practice. He helped to found the Mexican Psychoanalysis Institute and later moved to Switzerland for the remainder of his life.

His life’s work involved the determination of personality development, due to his interests in social philosophy and psychoanalysis (Thetford & Walsh, 1985). In his work, Fromm emphasized that human beings were faced with one primary problem: “elimination of separateness, achievement of union and transcending one’s individual life” (Thetford & Walsh, 1985). According to Fromm, since the beginning of time, human beings were faced with an overpowering sense of isolation. This feeling was a result of the perception of humans as separate beings, giving rise to the need to find companionship from fellow beings.

Fromm acknowledged the reaction to this problem as the primary determinant of human development (Thetford & Walsh, 1985). According to Fromm, the resemblance in developmental advancement of individuals and human kind is in the feeling of peace and belonging when at harmony with the surrounding. Human beings seek the feeling of unity through protective bonds that they attain through primary ties. These ties are first seen in birth, between a mother and child, due to the absolute reliance of the child on its maternal parent, with no anxiety or doubt on security (Thetford & Walsh, 1985).

A similar sense of safety was observed during the medieval period in the West, when various races sought peace and protection from the church. The church provided answers to their concerns with regard to their existence and the universe. The reformation period was frightening due to the process of individuation, as the people broke their primary ties in pursuit of full independence (Thetford & Walsh, 1985). Fromm states that human beings are faced with two primary challenges from the instance that they break off from their ties.

These challenges are due to either historical dichotomies or existential dichotomies. The former looks at the cultural and social misfortunes that people can overcome, while existential dichotomies look at tragedies that are immutable, due to disease or death. Fromm suggests that freedom provides individuals with freedom that can facilitate growth. Growth and maturity can, in turn, be beneficial to both the individual and the society (Thetford & Walsh, 1985). It is common for individuals to be afraid of freedom, and to search for safety in various ties.

However, primary ties are not available to provide the sought for illusion of safety. The only option available for such individuals is a pseudoself with thoughts and interests that are not real, but regressive. As such, Fromm suggests that the frightening effect of freedom can be overcome by accepting the separateness and finding an opportunity to be happy and to make a contribution in society. The alternative would result in a feeling of unfulfillment of the actual needs, which can no longer be met after discarding one’s freedom (Thetford & Walsh, 1985).

For an individual to continue to mature, they need to meet various needs including “a feeling of relatedness with self and others, a sense of transcendence over the animal within and become creative, the feeling of identity and belonging that fosters acceptance of self, and a frame of orientation that provides a point of reference to maintain one’s perception of self and the world” (Thetford & Walsh, 1985).According to Fromm, an individual cannot continue to pursue freedom unless the needs above are satisfied.

There is also a need for rational authority, which is exercised by parents on their children as they grow older in preparation for independence. This involves the moderate withdrawal of external guidance, as the need for supervision declines. It allows children to cultivate rational conscience that guides them in making rational decisions in their pursuit for individualism (Thetford & Walsh, 1985). Fromm also looks into the concept of religion and its role in defining personalities. Religion can be either regressive or constructive, based on the individual’s understanding and interpretation.

Unproductive outcomes as people escape the fear of separation in freedom result in withdrawal from the world and indulgence in a life of fantasy. One of the ways that individuals use to escape separation is living life though another person or an external event. This usually involves people relying on others for a sense of adequacy. Another form of escape involves the acceptance of life occurrences in order to evade stressful occasions, and assuming them to be part of life. The third route of escapism according to Fromm is adaptation of individuals to become like those around them.

This form of escaping separation causes people to put aside their unique abilities, like the way they act or think in order to meet the expectations of other people. According to Fromm, this mode of escaping is the most usual one in society, since it cannot be easily identified (Thetford & Walsh, 1985). Fromm suggests that the only problem for humans is that pertaining to overcoming their separateness. He suggests that the only way to deal with the challenge is to face it through what he terms productive orientation.

The productive individual overcomes numerous challenges to avoid regression and attain the true feeling of belonging. At this level, individuals are able to unify their intellect and productive nature to facilitate further growth for both self and society. This is the source of all love, since it reveals a sense of respect, responsibility, justice and caring, as we see in the love of God for human beings. As such, the human dilemma can be solved by attaining a sense of love that fosters creativity and productivity for the benefit of all (Thetford & Walsh, 1985).

ReferencesThetford, W., & Walsh, R. (1985). Theories of personality and psychopathology: Schools derived from psychology and philosophy. Psychiatry , 1(4), 459-461.