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A review by samdalefox
The Art of Being by Erich Fromm
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
2.75
I listened to this as an audiobook and didn't like the narrator, I'd recommend reading this as a physical copy if possible. "The Art of Being" is like a short manual on auto-analysis, meditation, and focus, but it doesn't go deep into methods the reader can apply. I believe that Fromm is trying to make the reader more self aware and introduce some ways of how a human being can orientate oneself towards being rather than having.
First half of the book was better, it was broader in scope with geater insight (and some pithy take aways) in my opinion. Whereas the second half was a much more academic piece drawing on Freud, Marx, and Buddhism. I wasn't convinced by many of his arguments, especially the primitive human vs civilised human discourse. However, I did enjoy the discussion around mindfulness. I also found the discussion around superficial relationships and small talk very interesting too. Fromm's assertion that "most conversations are monologues," is very powerful and I think everybody should read and reflect. My favourite part though was the introduction of the concepts 'functional property' and 'dead property', I found these incredibly interesting and already beneficial to my own inner progression towards 'being'. Functional property is necessary (for physical and spiritual existence, it is functional and has a use). There was a large amount of time describing the 'having' mode and exploring the academic historical observations, but very little on the 'being' mode. In fact, the audio book only had one dedicated chapter, right at the end, for 10 mins on it! Overall I found the concepts introduced of great interest, but the structure and delivery of the book disappointing, I am eager to read Fromm's original work "To Have or To Be" though, I'm hoping I will find this more instructive.
First half of the book was better, it was broader in scope with geater insight (and some pithy take aways) in my opinion. Whereas the second half was a much more academic piece drawing on Freud, Marx, and Buddhism. I wasn't convinced by many of his arguments, especially the primitive human vs civilised human discourse. However, I did enjoy the discussion around mindfulness. I also found the discussion around superficial relationships and small talk very interesting too. Fromm's assertion that "most conversations are monologues," is very powerful and I think everybody should read and reflect. My favourite part though was the introduction of the concepts 'functional property' and 'dead property', I found these incredibly interesting and already beneficial to my own inner progression towards 'being'. Functional property is necessary (for physical and spiritual existence, it is functional and has a use). There was a large amount of time describing the 'having' mode and exploring the academic historical observations, but very little on the 'being' mode. In fact, the audio book only had one dedicated chapter, right at the end, for 10 mins on it! Overall I found the concepts introduced of great interest, but the structure and delivery of the book disappointing, I am eager to read Fromm's original work "To Have or To Be" though, I'm hoping I will find this more instructive.
"With an increase in civilisation, functional property increases with things. The individual may have several suits or dresses, skis... [etc.] All these possessions need not be different from functional possessions that exists in primitive cultures. Need no be, but often are. The change in function happens at the point where possessions ceases to be an instrument of greater aliveness and productivity but is tansformed into a means for passive receptive consumption. When having primarily has the function of satisfying the need for ever increasing consumption, it ceases to be a condition for my being but is basically no different to keep possession."
"If other people do not understand our behavior, so what? Their request that we must only do what they understand is an attempt to dictate to us... Mostly they resent our freedom and courage to be ourselves. We owe nobody an explanation or an accounting."
“Without effort and willingness to experience pain and anxiety, nobody grows, in fact nobody achieves anything worth achieving.”