Birth Quote by Erich Fromm
““The child starts out by being attached to his mother as "the ground of all being." He feels helpless and needs the all-enveloping love of mother. He then turns to father as the new center of his affections, father being a guiding principle for thought and action; in this stage he is motivated by the need to acquire father's praise, and to avoid his displeasure. In the stage of full maturity he has freed himself from the person of mother and of father as protecting and commanding powers; he has established the motherly and fatherly principles in himself. He has become his own father and mother; he is father and mother. In the history of the human race we see—and can anticipate—the same development: from the beginning of the love for God as the helpless attachment to a mother Goddess, through the obedient attachment to a fatherly God, to a mature stage where God ceases to be an outside power, where man has incorporated the principles of love and justice into himself, where he has become one with God, and eventually, to a point where he speaks of God only in a poetic, symbolic sense.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm, 1956
Human development mirrors a journey from dependence on external figures to internalizing their virtues, culminating in self‑sufficiency and a symbolic relationship with the divine.
In simple terms: We grow from needing others to embodying their best traits within ourselves.
Cultivate inner principles rather than relying on external authority.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- parenting
- personal growth
- therapy
- education
- spiritual practice
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What external influences have you internalized?
- How can you nurture self‑parenting?
Over‑reliance on external validation can stall maturity; balance external guidance with inner reflection.