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Chapter 8    Fromm: Humanistic Psychoanalysis253
lostfeelings ofpower. However, bydestroying other persons ornations, destructive 
people eliminate much oftheoutside world andthusacquire atypeofperverted 
isolation.
Conformity
Athird means ofescape isconformity. People whoconform trytoescape from 
asense ofaloneness andisolation bygiving uptheir individuality andbecoming 
whatever other people desire them tobe.Thus, theybecome likerobots, reacting 
predictably andmechanically tothewhims ofothers. They seldom express their 
ownopinion, cling toexpected standards ofbehavior, andoften appear stiffand
automated.
People inthemodern world arefreefrom many external bonds andarefree
toactaccording totheirownwill,butatthesame time, theydonotknow what they
want, think, orfeel.They conform likeautomatons toananonymous authority and
adopt aselfthatisnotauthentic. Themore theyconform, themore powerless they
feel;themore powerless theyfeel,themore theymust conform. People canbreak this
cycle ofconformity andpowerlessness onlybyachieving self-realization orpositive 
freedom (Fromm, 1941).
Positive Freedom
Theemergence ofpolitical andeconomic freedom doesnotleadinevitably tothe
bondage ofisolation andpowerlessness. Aperson “canbefreeandnotalone, criti-
calandyetnotfilled withdoubts, independent andyetanintegral partofmankind” 
(Fromm, 1941, p.257). People canattain thiskindoffreedom, called positive free -
dom, byaspontaneous andfullexpression ofboththeirrational andtheiremotional 
potentialities. Spontaneous activity isfrequently seeninsmall children andinartists 
whohavelittleornotendency toconform towhatever others want them tobe.They 
actaccording totheirbasic natures andnotaccording toconventional rules.
Positive freedom represents asuccessful solution tothehuman dilemma 
ofbeing partofthenatural world andyetseparate from it.Through positive free-
domandspontaneous activity, people overcome theterror ofaloneness, achieve 
union withtheworld, andmaintain individuality. Fromm (1941) heldthatloveand
work arethetwincomponents ofpositive freedom. Through active loveandwork, 
humans unite withoneanother andwiththeworld without sacrificing theirinteg -
rity.They affirm theiruniqueness asindividuals andachieve fullrealization oftheir
potentialities.
Character Orientations
InFromm’s theory, personality isreflected inone’s character orientation, thatis,a
person’s relatively permanent wayofrelating topeople andthings. Fromm (1947) 
defined personality as“thetotality ofinherited andacquired psychic qualities which 
arecharacteristic ofoneindividual andwhich make theindividual unique” (p.50).
Themost important oftheacquired qualities ofpersonality ischaracter, defined as
“the relatively permanent system of all noninstinctual strivings through which man relates Final PDF to printer