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Madness Quote by Erich Fromm

“I wonder sometimes whether a person has to become insane these days in order to feel certain things. Lessing once said, “Who doesn’t become insane over certain things, has no sanity to lose,” quote by Erich Fromm
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““I wonder sometimes whether a person has to become insane these days in order to feel certain things. Lessing once said, “Who doesn’t become insane over certain things, has no sanity to lose,””

Erich Fromm

About This Quote

Source Essay: The Art of Loving, by Erich Fromm, 1956

The passage suggests that feeling intense emotions may require a loss of conventional sanity, implying that madness and deep feeling are linked.

In simple terms: Intense feelings can feel like insanity, risking one's sanity.

Key Takeaway

Embrace emotional depth cautiously.

Themes

sanity emotion philosophy

Mood

thoughtful philosophical

Type

reflective introspective

When to use this quote

  • Therapy
  • creative writing
  • personal crisis

Key Concepts

Existentialism psychology human experience

Questions to Reflect On

  • Is losing sanity necessary for true feeling?
  • Can we balance sanity with passion?
A Different Perspective

Insanity may be a metaphor, not a literal state.

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