--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man does not only sell commodities, he…" description: "\"Man does not only sell commodities, he sells himself and feels himself to be a commodity.\" — Erich Fromm" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/erich-fromm-367_commodity_man-does-not-only-sell-commodities-he-se_3054530.jpg" --- # Man does not only sell commodities, he sells himself and… ![“Man does not only sell commodities, he sells himself and feels himself to be a commodity.” quote by Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/erich-fromm-367_commodity_man-does-not-only-sell-commodities-he-se_3054530.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/erich-fromm-367_commodity_man-does-not-only-sell-commodities-he-se_3054530.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/erich-fromm-367_commodity_man-does-not-only-sell-commodities-he-se_3054530.jpg) > “Man does not only sell commodities, he sells himself and feels himself to be a commodity.” [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. People treat themselves as commodities, reducing their identity to market value and losing humanity. **In simple terms:** Self‑commodification erodes humanity. Key Takeaway Preserve human dignity. Themes commodification identity humanity Mood cautionary reflective Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - workplace culture - consumerism - self‑esteem Key Concepts social critique psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does commodification affect self‑worth? - What alternatives preserve dignity? A Different Perspective Market forces can empower self‑expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Commodities Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commodities-sells-5095126/) [Commodity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commodity/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Feels Commodity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels-commodity-5095125/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Man Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-does/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Sell Commodities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sell-commodities-5095127/) [Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sells/) ## Related quotes > [If you take a salesman, who sells a useless commodity, he feels like a fraud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/if-you-take-a-salesman-who-sells-a-useless-commodity-he-feels-like-a/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [A wise man does not waste so good a commodity as lying for naught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-wise-man-does-not-waste-so-good-a-commodity-as-lying-for-naught/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“In proportion as the bourgeoisie, i.e., capital, is developed, in the same proportion is the proletariat, the modern working class, developed—a class of labourers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/in-proportion-as-the-bourgeoisie-i-e-capital-is-developed-in-the-same/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [A monopoly granted either to an individual or to a trading company has the same effect as a secret in trade or manufactures. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/a-monopoly-granted-either-to-an-individual-or-to-a-trading-company/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [Teaching may be compared to selling commodities. No one can sell unless somebody buys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/teaching-may-be-compared-to-selling-commodities-no-one-can-sell/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [When you sell on price, you are a commodity. When you sell on value, you are a resource.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-burg/when-you-sell-on-price-you-are-a-commodity-when-you-sell-on-value-you/) [Bob Burg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-burg/) > [The elections are run by the same guys who sell toothpaste. They show you an image of a sports hero, or a sexy model,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-elections-are-run-by-the-same-guys-who-sell-toothpaste-they-show/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Low price is a great way to sell a commodity. That's not marketing though, that's efficiency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/low-price-is-a-great-way-to-sell-a-commodity-that-s-not-marketing/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Fairness means not to use fraud and trickery in the exchange of commodities and services and the exchange of feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/fairness-means-not-to-use-fraud-and-trickery-in-the-exchange-of-2/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Beautiful art sells. If it sells itself, it is an idolatrous commodity; if it sells anything else, it is a seductive advertisement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-hickey/beautiful-art-sells-if-it-sells-itself-it-is-an-idolatrous-commodity/) [Dave Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-hickey/) > [Fairness means not to use fraud and trickery in the exchange of commodities and services and the exchange of feelings...Exploitation and manipulation produce boredom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/fairness-means-not-to-use-fraud-and-trickery-in-the-exchange-of/) [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/) > [If you do not smile, you are judged lacking in a 'pleasing personality' - and you need to have a pleasing personality if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/if-you-do-not-smile-you-are-judged-lacking-in-a-pleasing-personality/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [The man does not live who is more devoted to peace than I am. None who would do more to preserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/the-man-does-not-live-who-is-more-devoted-to-peace-than-i-am-none-who/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“A man, who does not commit an evil act either, has no opportunity or the stomach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/a-man-who-does-not-commit-an-evil-act-either-has-no-opportunity-or/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) ## 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 Commodity quotes > [We do not claim that punning is legitimate wit. Wit consists in combination of ideas, punning in combination of words only. We wonder at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-hosmer/we-do-not-claim-that-punning-is-legitimate-wit-wit-consists-in/) [Harriet Hosmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-hosmer/) > [“Truth is commodity in political consumption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/truth-is-commodity-in-political-consumption/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Money degrades all the gods of man and converts them into commodities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/money-degrades-all-the-gods-of-man-and-converts-them-into-commodities/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Fear is the most valuable commodity in the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-brooks/fear-is-the-most-valuable-commodity-in-the-universe/) [Max Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-brooks/) > [I eventually found that the soul is more than an immortal commodity to win and save. It is the repository of the inner divine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/i-eventually-found-that-the-soul-is-more-than-an-immortal-commodity/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [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/) > [It is an anomaly that information, the one thing most necessary to our survival as choosers of our own way, should be a commodity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-liebling/it-is-an-anomaly-that-information-the-one-thing-most-necessary-to-our/) [A. J. Liebling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-liebling/) > [Petrol price is a deregulated commodity, price of which is decided by our oil marketing companies based on input cost and other parameters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veerappa-moily/petrol-price-is-a-deregulated-commodity-price-of-which-is-decided-by/) [Veerappa Moily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veerappa-moily/) > [Oil painting did to appearances what capital did to social relations. It reduced everything to the equality of objects. Everything became exchangeable because everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/oil-painting-did-to-appearances-what-capital-did-to-social-relations/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [The great lesson in microeconomics is to discriminate between when technology is going to help you and when it's going to kill you. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/the-great-lesson-in-microeconomics-is-to-discriminate-between-when/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [It were good to know how much hay an acre of every sort will bear; how many cattle the same weight of each sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-petty/it-were-good-to-know-how-much-hay-an-acre-of-every-sort-will-bear-how/) [William Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-petty/) > [Barge traffic on the Mississippi River represents the most efficient, most cost-effective, most environmentally sound means of transporting commodity goods from this region of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-boswell/barge-traffic-on-the-mississippi-river-represents-the-most-efficient/) [Leonard Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-boswell/) > [Regardless of the importance of known evidence to the contrary, the arts are generally regarded as being so much entertaining fluff, a commodity that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-danby/regardless-of-the-importance-of-known-evidence-to-the-contrary-the/) [Ken Danby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-danby/) > [The proposition of Mr. Ricardo, which states that a rise in the price of labour lowers the price of a large class of commodities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-malthus/the-proposition-of-mr-ricardo-which-states-that-a-rise-in-the-price/) [Thomas Malthus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-malthus/) > [To be happy you have to know what you really want. After all, you can never have enough of what you didn't want in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-holden/to-be-happy-you-have-to-know-what-you-really-want-after-all-you-can/) [Robert Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-holden/) [Browse all 673 Commodity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commodity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man does not only sell commodities, he sells himself and feels himself to be a commodity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Erich Fromm" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/man-does-not-only-sell-commodities-he-sells-himself-and-feels-himself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Commodity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/man-does-not-only-sell-commodities-he-sells-himself-and-feels-himself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/erich-fromm-367_commodity_man-does-not-only-sell-commodities-he-se_3054530.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/erich-fromm-367_commodity_man-does-not-only-sell-commodities-he-se_3054530.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/erich-fromm-367_commodity_man-does-not-only-sell-commodities-he-se_3054530.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Man does not only sell commodities, he sells himself and feels himself to be a commodity.” — Erich Fromm", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Erich Fromm", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Man does not only sell commodities,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/man-does-not-only-sell-commodities-he-sells-himself-and-feels-himself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/man-does-not-only-sell-commodities-he-sells-himself-and-feels-himself/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```