The whole life of the individual is nothing but the process of giving birth to himself; indeed, we should be fully born when we die.
Interpretation
Life is a journey of self-discovery and personal development that ideally culminates in true self-awareness by the time of death.
Erich Fromm's quote suggests that an individual's entire life revolves around the idea of self-creation and realization. It emphasizes the importance of personal growth and understanding oneself, indicating that by the time we face death, we should have fully understood and defined who we are, thus achieving a state of completeness in our identity throughout life's journey.
In practice
This quote could be used in a graduation speech to inspire students to embrace their journey of self-discovery.
Love, experienced thus, is a constant challenge; it is not a resting place, but a moving, growing, working together; even whether there is harmony or conflict; joy or sadness, is secondary to the fundamental fact that two people experience themselves from the essence of their existence, that they are only one with each other by being one with themselves, rather than by fleeing from themselves.
Both dreams and myths are important communications from ourselves to ourselves. If we do not understand the language in which they are written, we miss a great deal of what we know and tell ourselves in those hours when we are not busy manipulating the outside world.
Infantile love follows the principle: "I love because I am loved." Mature love follows the principle: "I am loved because I love." Immature love says: "I love you because I need you." Mature love says: "I need you because I love you.
To have faith requires courage, the ability to take a risk, the readiness even to accept pain and disappointment. Whoever insists on safety and security as primary conditions of life cannot have faith; whoever shuts himself off in a system of defense, where distance and possession are his means of security, makes himself a prisoner. To be loved, and to love, need courage, the courage to judge certain values as of ultimate concern β and to take the jump and to stake everything on these values.
In times of change, learners inherit the earth
In the nineteenth century the problem was that God is dead. In the twentieth century the problem is that man is dead.
I have a kind of magnetic attraction to situations of violence.
In analysing history do not be too profound, for often the causes are quite superficial.
Judges ought to be more leaned than witty, more reverent than plausible, and more advised than confident. Above all things, integrity is their portion and proper virtue.
A fool cannot be an actor, though an actor may act a fool's part.
Openness isn't the end. It's the beginning.
We must remember that in time of war what is said on the enemy's side of the front is always propaganda and what is said on our side of the front is truth and righteousness, the cause of humanity and a crusade for peace.
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