--- title: "6 Love Primarily Quotes By Erich Fromm" description: "6 Love Primarily quotes by Erich Fromm. Plus more from Erich Fromm and more Love Primarily sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/erich-fromm-367_love_love-is-an-activity-not-a-passive-affect_311304.jpg" --- > [“Love is an activity, not a passive affect; it is a “standing in,” not a “falling for.” In the most general way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/love-is-an-activity-not-a-passive-affect-it-is-a-standing-in-not-a/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/erich-fromm-367_love_love-is-an-activity-not-a-passive-affect_311304.jpg) > [“Love is not primarily a relationship to a specific person; it is an attitude, an orientation of character which determines the relatedness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/love-is-not-primarily-a-relationship-to-a-specific-person-it-is-an/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee9/erich-fromm-367_1956_love-is-not-primarily-a-relationship-to_490257.jpg) > [Most people see the problem of love primarily as that of being loved, rather than that of loving, of one's capacity to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/most-people-see-the-problem-of-love-primarily-as-that-of-being-loved/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/erich-fromm-367_art-of-loving_most-people-see-the-problem-of-love-prim_879176.jpg) > [Love is not primarily a relationship to a specific person; it is an attitude, an ordination of character which determines the relatedness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/love-is-not-primarily-a-relationship-to-a-specific-person-it-is-an-2/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/erich-fromm-367_attitude_love-is-not-primarily-a-relationship-to_1006107.jpg) > [Envy, jealousy, ambition, any kind of greed are passions; love is an action, the practice of human power, which can be practiced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/envy-jealousy-ambition-any-kind-of-greed-are-passions-love-is-an/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52c/erich-fromm-367_action_envy-jealousy-ambition-any-kind-of-greed_1436534.jpg) > [“Most people see the problem of love primarily as that of being loved , rather than that of loving , of one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/most-people-see-the-problem-of-love-primarily-as-that-of-being-loved-2/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd2/erich-fromm-367_capacity-to-love_most-people-see-the-problem-of-love-prim_2091927.jpg) ## More by Erich Fromm > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Only when man succeeds in developing his reason and love further than he has done so far, only when he can build a world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/only-when-man-succeeds-in-developing-his-reason-and-love-further-than/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Freedom does not mean license.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/freedom-does-not-mean-license/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“It is hardly necessary to stress the fact that the ability to love as an act of giving depends on the character development of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/it-is-hardly-necessary-to-stress-the-fact-that-the-ability-to-love-as/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [The pace of science forces the pace of technique. Theoretical physics forces atomic energy on us; the successful production of the fission bomb forces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-pace-of-science-forces-the-pace-of-technique-theoretical-physics/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Exploitation and manipulation produce boredom and triviality; they cripple man, and all factors that make man into a psychic cripple turn him also into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/exploitation-and-manipulation-produce-boredom-and-triviality-they/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Well-being is possible to the degree to which one has overcome one's narcissism; to the degree to which one is open, responsive, sensitive, awake,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/well-being-is-possible-to-the-degree-to-which-one-has-overcome-one-s/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“The wealth of data to be found in social and political life. The belief that people do not want to make sacrifices is notoriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-wealth-of-data-to-be-found-in-social-and-political-life-the/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [By equality, one once understood equality in the very same sense in which the Bible speaks of equality: that we are all equal, inasmuch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/by-equality-one-once-understood-equality-in-the-very-same-sense-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“Human beings had two basic orientations: HAVING and BEING HAVING: seeks to acquire, posses things even people BEING: focuses on the experience; exchanging, engaging,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/human-beings-had-two-basic-orientations-having-and-being-having-seeks/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“Most people are not even aware of their need to conform. They live under the illusion that they follow their own ideas and inclinations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/most-people-are-not-even-aware-of-their-need-to-conform-they-live/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Just as modern mass production requires the standardization of commodities, so the social process requires standardization of man, and this standardization is called equality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/just-as-modern-mass-production-requires-the-standardization-of/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [To respect a person is not possible without knowing him; care and responsibility would be blind if they were not guided by knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/to-respect-a-person-is-not-possible-without-knowing-him-care-and/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Love is an active power in man; a power which breaks through the walls which separate man from his fellow men, which unite him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/love-is-an-active-power-in-man-a-power-which-breaks-through-the-walls/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“Perhaps most trivial talk is a need to talk about oneself; hence, the never-ending subject of health and sickness, children, travel, successes, what one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/perhaps-most-trivial-talk-is-a-need-to-talk-about-oneself-hence-the/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-primarily/erich-fromm/#itemlist", "name": "6 Love Primarily Quotes By Erich Fromm", "numberOfItems": 6, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Love is an activity, not a passive affect; it is a “standing in,” not a “falling for.” In the most general way, the active character of love can be described by stating that love is primarily giving, not receiving.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Erich Fromm" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/love-is-an-activity-not-a-passive-affect-it-is-a-standing-in-not-a/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/erich-fromm-367_love_love-is-an-activity-not-a-passive-affect_311304.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/erich-fromm-367_love_love-is-an-activity-not-a-passive-affect_311304.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/erich-fromm-367_love_love-is-an-activity-not-a-passive-affect_311304.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Love is an activity, not a passive affect; it is a “standing in,” not a “falling for.” In the most general…” — Erich Fromm", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Love is not primarily a relationship to a specific person; it is an attitude, an orientation of character which determines the relatedness of a person to the world as a whole, not toward one “object” of love. If a person loves only one other person and is indifferent to the rest of his fellow men, his love is not love but a symbiotic attachment, or an enlarged egotism. 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Hence the problem to them is how to be loved, how to be lovable.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Erich Fromm" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/most-people-see-the-problem-of-love-primarily-as-that-of-being-loved/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/erich-fromm-367_art-of-loving_most-people-see-the-problem-of-love-prim_879176.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/erich-fromm-367_art-of-loving_most-people-see-the-problem-of-love-prim_879176.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/erich-fromm-367_art-of-loving_most-people-see-the-problem-of-love-prim_879176.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Most people see the problem of love primarily as that of being loved, rather than that of loving, of one's…” — Erich Fromm", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Love is not primarily a relationship to a specific person; it is an attitude, an ordination of character which determines the relatedness of the person to the whole world as a whole, not toward one object of love", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Erich Fromm" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/love-is-not-primarily-a-relationship-to-a-specific-person-it-is-an-2/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/erich-fromm-367_attitude_love-is-not-primarily-a-relationship-to_1006107.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/erich-fromm-367_attitude_love-is-not-primarily-a-relationship-to_1006107.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/erich-fromm-367_attitude_love-is-not-primarily-a-relationship-to_1006107.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Love is not primarily a relationship to a specific person; it is an attitude, an ordination of character…” — Erich Fromm", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Envy, jealousy, ambition, any kind of greed are passions; love is an action, the practice of human power, which can be practiced only in freedom and never as a result of compulsion. Love is an activity, not a passive affect; it is a \"standing in,\" not a \"falling for.\" In the most general way, the active character of love can be described by stating that love is primarily giving, not receiving.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Erich Fromm" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/envy-jealousy-ambition-any-kind-of-greed-are-passions-love-is-an/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52c/erich-fromm-367_action_envy-jealousy-ambition-any-kind-of-greed_1436534.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52c/erich-fromm-367_action_envy-jealousy-ambition-any-kind-of-greed_1436534.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/52c/erich-fromm-367_action_envy-jealousy-ambition-any-kind-of-greed_1436534.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Envy, jealousy, ambition, any kind of greed are passions; love is an action, the practice of human power…” — Erich Fromm", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Most people see the problem of love primarily as that of being loved , rather than that of loving , of one's capacity to love. Hence the problem to them is how to be loved, how to be lovable. In pursuit of this aim they follow several paths. One, which is especially used by men, is to be successful, to be as powerful and rich as the social margin of one's position permits. Another, used especially by women, is to make oneself attractive, by cultivating one's body, dress, etc. … Many of the ways to make oneself lovable are the same as those used to make oneself successful, to 'win friends and influence people'. 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