--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Alienation as we find it in modern…" description: "\"Alienation as we find it in modern society is almost total… Man has created a world of man-made things as it never existed before. He has constructed a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/erich-fromm-367_alienation_alienation-as-we-find-it-in-modern-socie_414229.jpg" --- # Alienation as we find it in modern society is almost… ![“Alienation as we find it in modern society is almost total… Man has created a world of man-made things as it never existed before. He has constructed a complicated social machine to administer the technical machine he built. The more powerful and gigantic the forces are which he unleashes, the…” quote by Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/erich-fromm-367_alienation_alienation-as-we-find-it-in-modern-socie_414229.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/erich-fromm-367_alienation_alienation-as-we-find-it-in-modern-socie_414229.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/erich-fromm-367_alienation_alienation-as-we-find-it-in-modern-socie_414229.jpg) > “Alienation as we find it in modern society is almost total… Man has created a world of man-made things as it never existed before. He has constructed a complicated social machine to administer the technical machine he built. The more powerful and gigantic the forces are which he unleashes, the more powerless he feels himself as a human being. He is owned by his creations, and has lost ownership of himself.” [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern society alienates humans, making them feel powerless under their own creations. **In simple terms:** Technology and social systems can dominate humanity. Key Takeaway Regain control over personal and societal structures. Themes alienation technology humanity Mood reflective critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - workplace - urban living - digital media - political systems Key Concepts existentialism social critique autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance innovation with human agency? - What personal practices resist alienation? A Different Perspective Progress can also empower individuals if directed wisely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alienation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alienation/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Modern society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-society/) [Ownership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ownership/) [Powerless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerless/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Routine is the god of every social system; it is the seventh heaven of business, the essential component in the success of every factory,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/routine-is-the-god-of-every-social-system-it-is-the-seventh-heaven-of/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [God created man and He created the world for him to live in and I reckon He created the kind of world He would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/god-created-man-and-he-created-the-world-for-him-to-live-in-and-i/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“A second premise behind the attitude that there is nothing to be learned about love is the assumption that the problem of love is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/a-second-premise-behind-the-attitude-that-there-is-nothing-to-be/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“We are a society of notoriously unhappy people: lonely, anxious, depressed, destructive, dependent — people who are glad when we have killed the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/we-are-a-society-of-notoriously-unhappy-people-lonely-anxious/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“Modern capitalism needs men who co-operate smoothly, and in large numbers; who want to consume more and more; and whose tastes are standardized and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/modern-capitalism-needs-men-who-co-operate-smoothly-and-in-large/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [In the 19th century inhumanity meant cruelty; in the 20th century it means schizoid self-alienation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/in-the-19th-century-inhumanity-meant-cruelty-in-the-20th-century-it/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“The "pathology of normalcy" rarely deteriorates to graver forms of mental illness because society produces the antidote against such deterioration. When pathological processes become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-pathology-of-normalcy-rarely-deteriorates-to-graver-forms-of/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“The absolutely alienated individual worships at the altar of an idol, and it makes little difference by what names this idol is known.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-absolutely-alienated-individual-worships-at-the-altar-of-an-idol/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [In the development of both capitalism and communism, as we visualize them in the next fifty or a hundred years, the processes that encourage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/in-the-development-of-both-capitalism-and-communism-as-we-visualize/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Socialism is the abolition of human self-alienation, the return of man as a real human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/socialism-is-the-abolition-of-human-self-alienation-the-return-of-man/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“Among the many forms of alienation, the most frequent one is alienation in language. If I express a feeling with a word, let us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/among-the-many-forms-of-alienation-the-most-frequent-one-is/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [God had created the world in play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramakrishna/god-had-created-the-world-in-play/) [Ramakrishna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramakrishna/) > [“While Genesis borrows the science of its day, it does so in order to make its main points about Who created the world and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-fackre/while-genesis-borrows-the-science-of-its-day-it-does-so-in-order-to/) [Gabriel Fackre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-fackre/) > [One puts into one's art what one has not been capable of putting into one's existence. It is because he was unhappy that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-de-montherlant/one-puts-into-one-s-art-what-one-has-not-been-capable-of-putting-into/) [Henry de Montherlant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-de-montherlant/) > [I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/i-want-to-know-how-god-created-this-world-i-am-not-interested-in-this/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) ## 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/) [Explore all 558 Erich Fromm quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) ## More Alienation quotes > [ Anthropology has always struggled with an intense, fascinated repulsion towards its subject… \[The anthropologist\] submits himself to the exotic to confirm his own inner… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/anthropology-has-always-struggled-with-an-intense-fascinated/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [“Everyone who lived in high-up, magical places must feel the same way. You come down into the world and you mingle, but all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjum-hasan/everyone-who-lived-in-high-up-magical-places-must-feel-the-same-way/) Arjum Hasan > [“If his long day were lived in a European novel, he'd become "D" when on the run or near disappeared.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kudera/if-his-long-day-were-lived-in-a-european-novel-he-d-become-d-when-on/) [Alex Kudera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kudera/) > [Perhaps a creature of so much ingenuity and deep memory is almost bound to grow alienated from his world, his fellows, and the objects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/perhaps-a-creature-of-so-much-ingenuity-and-deep-memory-is-almost/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [“She would not say of anyone in the world now that they were this or were that. She felt very young; at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-would-not-say-of-anyone-in-the-world-now-that-they-were-this-or/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Holidays are in no sense an alternative to the congestion and bustle of the cities and work. Quite the contrary. People look to escape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/holidays-are-in-no-sense-an-alternative-to-the-congestion-and-bustle/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [The universe must be experienced as the Great Self. Each is fulfilled in the other: the Great Self is fulfilled in the individual self,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-berry/the-universe-must-be-experienced-as-the-great-self-each-is-fulfilled/) [Thomas Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-berry/) > [“We are accustomed to think of ourselves as a great democratic body, linked by common ties of blood and language, united indissolubly by all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/we-are-accustomed-to-think-of-ourselves-as-a-great-democratic-body/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [“Alienation produces eccentrics or revolutionary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-holzer/alienation-produces-eccentrics-or-revolutionary/) [Jenny Holzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-holzer/) > [“A consequence of this alienation of humans from their own nature is that they are also alienated from each other. Productive activity becomes ‘activity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/a-consequence-of-this-alienation-of-humans-from-their-own-nature-is/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [I feel what they feel: man-hating, that volatile admixture of pity, contempt, disgust, envy, alienation, fear, and rage at men. It is hatred not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-levine/i-feel-what-they-feel-man-hating-that-volatile-admixture-of-pity/) Judith Levine > [Part of the gestation of 'The Wall' was this business of alienation from the audience, and so the interesting thing was, what 'The Wall'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-mason/part-of-the-gestation-of-the-wall-was-this-business-of-alienation/) [Nick Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-mason/) > [“Most of her friends owned laptops and seemed to spend more time with their phones than anything else. Steffy kept her latest playlists and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-allison-parker/most-of-her-friends-owned-laptops-and-seemed-to-spend-more-time-with/) [Jaime Allison Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-allison-parker/) > [The number one problem in our world is alienation, rich versus poor, black versus white, labor versus management, conservative versus liberal, East versus West…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-number-one-problem-in-our-world-is-alienation-rich-versus-poor/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [What unites Trump's voters is a sense of alienation from America's wealthy and powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/what-unites-trump-s-voters-is-a-sense-of-alienation-from-america-s/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) [Browse all 392 Alienation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alienation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Alienation as we find it in modern society is almost total… Man has created a world of man-made things as it never existed before. He has constructed a complicated social machine to administer the technical machine he built. The more powerful and gigantic the forces are which he unleashes, the more powerless he feels himself as a human being. 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