Literature Review #2: "To Have or to Be?" by Erich Fromm

Fromm, Erich. To Have or To Be? (Continuum Impacts) Kindle ed., Open Road Media, 2013. Retrieved from Amazon.com.

Summary

Fromm introduces the reader with the idea of "The Great Promise" and the corresponding "illusion of happiness." He defines this promise as "the promise of domination of nature, of material abundance, of the greatest happiness for the greatest number, and of unimpeded personal freedom" (1). He explains that observable data shows this pursuit of happiness actually cripples wellbeing and produces a society of lonely, anxious, depressed, destructive, and dependent people (1). This sets up the book up for his idea that humanity is stuck in a "having" versus "being" mode. Fromm examines the differences between these two states of living. In a state of having, an individual focuses on possessing materialistic things and possessive qualities. In a state of being, an individual concentrates on intrinsic meaning and self-realization, or the fulfillment of one's own potential. He first takes the reader on a journey through the history of consumerism and linguistics to demonstrate the origin of the terms and how "having" was invented only after "being." He reflects on works of Buddha, Jesus, and Marx to support his claim that a state of being is supreme. He also reflects on the poetry of Tennyson, Basho, and Goathe to illustrate how modern man does not fully understand the mode of being because we possess to understand (without admiration and deliberate awareness). Most languages do not have a word for "to have" and express possession indirectly, centering around importance of the individual. In these languages, "I have" is expressed as "it is to me." This type of phrasing focuses on the object's meaning to the individual rather than focusing on the appearance of the actual possession. Focusing on the possession is problematic because it removes the individual from personal identity and authenticity: 

"By saying 'I have a problem' instead of 'I am troubled,' subjective experience is eliminated: the I of experience is replaced by the it of possession. I have transformed my feeling into something I posses: the problem. But 'problem' is an abstract expression for all kinds of difficulties. I cannot have a problem, because it is not a thing that can be owned; it, however, can have me. That is to say, I have transformed myself into 'a problem' and am now owned by my creation. This way of speaking betrays a hidden, unconscious alienation" (9).

Accordingly, the identity of the individual becomes the possession itself. Consumers identify themselves by what they have and consume rather than what they actually are (defined as the "marketing character). This is evident in modern Western societies as nouns continue to be used more than verbs. Fromm argues that modern societies are plagued by a state of having rather than a state of being due to consumerism and a transition in speech, as expressed in the quote above. This type of environment affects everyday experiences: learning, remembering, conversing, reading, exercising authority, knowledge, faith, love, etc. When Learning in the having mode students listen to lectures, memorize, and only possess statements of professors. Students learning in the being mode listen and respond actively, taking in the information internally and growing from it. A having mode supports mechanical and logic remembering while students in the being mode actively recall information through experience. Reading in the a having mode just stores clumps of text in the student's mind while reading in the being mode helps the student break down meaning of sentences to gain personal insight. Having faith leads to certainty without daring to search for it, while being in faith leads to certainty in oneself and experience. The "being" mode always prevails and supports tangible human growth. Fromm ends his work on a rather positive note by introducing the concept of the "New Man" that is awakening. Assuming the premise that only a fundamental change in human character from a having mode to a being mode of existence is correct, he provides a platform that explains the conditions by which humanity can come together and change for the better.

About the Author

Erich Fromm (1900-1980) was considered to be one of the world's leading psychoanalysts. He was also attributed as a social behaviorist, humanistic philosopher, and democratic socialist with Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud being two of his main influences. He produced many psychoanalytic literatures during his time and had an extensive academic record. Furthermore, he helped establish the Mexican Institute of Psychoanalysis and was its director until a few years before his death. His research was centered around improving the conditions of human life to foster the evolution of human physical and intellectual ability. 

Key Terms & Concepts

The Great Promise - the promise of domination of nature, of material abundance, of the greatest happiness for the greatest number, and of unimpeded personal freedom (1)

Illusion of Happiness - the pursuit of happiness by material wealth actually cripples wellbeing and produces a society of lonely, anxious, depressed, destructive, and dependent people (4)

Having Mode - a state of existence in which an individual focuses on possessing materialistic things and possessive qualities (14)

Being Mode - a state of existence in which an individual concentrates on intrinsic meaning and self-realization (14)

Self-Realization - the fulfillment of one's own potential which is blocked by the having mode (64)

Marketing Character - human character based on experiencing oneself as a commodity and one’s value not as “use value” but as “exchange value” (147)

New Man (Marx) - the awakening conscious of humanity whereby mankind can change his perception of existence for the better through the transition from a having to being mode (157)

Joy versus Pleasure - idea that joy is the satisfaction of a desire that is internally everlasting and attained in the being mode while pleasure is the satisfaction of a desire that does not require activity (in the sense of aliveness) to be satisfied and a is result of the having mode; we live in a world of "joyless" pleasures (116)

Quotes

"But even without theoretical analysis the observable data show most clearly that our kind of 'pursuit of happiness' does not produce well-being. We are a society of notoriously unhappy people: lonely, anxious, depressed, destructive, dependent— people who are glad when we have killed the time we are trying so hard to save." (5)

What I saw has led me to conclude that this distinction, together with that between love of life and love of the dead, represents the most crucial problem of existence; that empirical anthropological and psychoanalytic data tend to demonstrate that having and being are two fundamental modes of experience, the respective strengths of which determine the differences between the characters of individuals and various types of social character." (16)

"By being I refer to the mode of existence in which one neither has anything nor craves to have something, but is joyous, employs one's faculties productively, is oned to the world." (18)

"Modern consumers may identify themselves by the formula: I am  = what I have and what I consume." (27).

"Everything and anything can become an object of craving: things we use in daily life, property, rituals, good deeds, knowledge, and thoughts. While they are not in themselves 'bad,' they become bad; that is, when we hold onto them, when they become chains that interfere with our freedom, they block our self-realization." (64)

"Yet the distinction between joy and pleasure is crucial, particularly so in reference to the distinction between the being and the having modes. It is not easy to appreciate the difference, since we live in a world of 'joyless pleasures.'" (116) 

"Of course, in order to become rich or famous, individuals must be very active in the sense of busyness, but not in the sense of the 'birth within' When they have achieved their goal they may be 'thrilled,' 'intensely satisfied,' feel they have reached a 'peak.' But what peak?... they may have reached this state driven by passions that, though human, are nevertheless pathological, inasmuch as they do not lead to an intrinsically adequate solution of the human condition. Such passions do not lead to greater human growth and strength but, on the contrary, to human crippling." (116-117) 

"A person [in the market character] is not concerned with his or her life and happiness, but with becoming salable." (148)

"ASSUMING THE PREMISE IS RIGHT—that only a fundamental change in human character from a preponderance of the having mode to a predominantly being mode of existence can save us from a psychologic and economic catastrophe—the question arises: Is large-scale characterological change possible, and if so, how can it be brought about?" (168)

Value

This work is extremely valuable to my research endeavors. I will use it to reflect on consumerism and relate the "student-as-consumer" mentality to one that promotes a mode of having rather than a mode of being in higher education. It will help me demonstrate the effects of privatization on the developing mind and how the environment it creates (evoking the "marketing character" and view of oneself as a commodity) causes internal alienation, depression, anxiety, and other disorders. Like Erika L. Rosenberg, Fromm believes increased awareness can help lift humanity from this strife. Rosenberg explains how mindful meditation can help an individual raise awareness and, while Fromm does not directly mention meditation, he similarly explains that mindful introspection is crucial. Therefore, this source will also help me suggest a way for students to successfully cope with their environment and increase internal growth and ingenuity.