Meditation Quote by Erich Fromm
““Take for instance a man driven to incessant work by a sense of deep insecurity and loneliness; or another one driven by ambition, or greed for money. In all these cases the person is the slave of a passion, and his activity is in reality a "passivity" because he is driven; he is the sufferer, not the "actor." On the other hand a man sitting quiet and contemplating, with no purpose or aim except that of experiencing himself and his oneness with the world, is considered to be "passive", because he is not "doing" anything. In reality, this attitude of concentrated meditation is the highest activity there is, an activity of the soul, which is possible only under the condition of inner freedom and independence.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Art of Loving, Erich Fromm, 1956
A person driven by external motives becomes a slave to passion, while quiet contemplation, true activity of the soul, requiring inner freedom.
In simple terms: External drives enslave; inner quiet empowers.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate inner freedom for authentic activity.
Themes
freedom
inner
contemplation
passivity
activity
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
spiritual
When to use this quote
- stressful work
- ambitious career
- meditative practice
- personal growth
Key Concepts
psychology
existentialism
spirituality
Questions to Reflect On
- What passions enslave you?
- How can you create inner freedom?
A Different Perspective
Quiet contemplation may be misunderstood as laziness.
![“...even though [my psychiatrist] understood mor than anyone how much I felt I was losing--in energy, vivacity, and originality--by taking medication, he never was seduced into losing sight of the overall perspective of how costly, damaging, and life threatening my illness was. He was at ease with…” quote by Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/57f/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_life_even-though-my-psychiatrist-understood-m_3399.jpg)
