Get to know yourself: The 5 Types of Personality by Erich Fromm
Introduction
The five personality types according to Eric Fromm are based on the principle of productivity. According to the famous psychoanalyst, only one type of these people can invest in their freedom. Only one can conquer his emotional and personal independence. The rest is a more selfish, material, and unproductive part of society.
Theories about personality abound. We have a personal theory of Jung, Carl Rogers, Cattell, Eysenck, or the big five of Costa and McCrae. We can feel a certain inconsistency in all these different theories. Does this mean that behavioral science has not yet been able to agree on how to determine the personality and characteristics of the human personality?
“Selfish people are incapable of loving others, nor are they capable of loving themselves”-Erich Fromm-
Each direction, school of thought, and author emphasize their own definition of personality from their theoretical models. Eric Fromm's classification began with an interesting approach based on human philosophy that, whether we believe it or not, makes it really useful today as well.
If there is one thing the social psychologist and author of "The Art of Love" or "Fear of Freedom" believes, the absolute responsibility lies with man to achieve true autonomy, as well as to invest in his independence while respecting the independence of others. Achieving this, according to Eric Fromm, is synonymous with productivity.
Personality types by Eric Fromm
Eric Fromm's character theory is based on two basic needs: the need for freedom, as we already know, and the need for belonging. Thus, when we read his work, there is something that usually catches our attention. It's the fact that Fromm, the new Freudian psychoanalyst, had a negative view of man. He considers it very negative, motivated only by his need for consumerism.
Therefore, in many of his works, we are encouraged to promote our personal development. He says we should put aside our reliance on external factors or material goods or the need for success and appreciation, and simply invest in qualities such as love, respect, creativity, or humility.
The human personality is deeply rooted and difficult to change. However, Fromm insists it would be enough if we were a little more aware of our tendencies and attitudes. It is enough to be able to commit ourselves to change. Let's now take a look at these five character types, according to Eric Fromm.
1. The receptive personality
The accepted type is characterized by the constant need to receive approval and recognition from others. The most striking feature of this profile is that the support they receive is not usually returned. There are no inputs into the other person's life, and they do not seek in-kind assistance.
They also tend to have poor social skills, difficulty making decisions, and clearly reducing their human potential.
2. The exploiter
Of the five character types, Eric Fromm believes the genre is the most common. Refers to these types of profiles that create links and relationships with others motivated by purely selfish interests. They do it for their own good, and as Fromm said, "for the commercial interest."
The exploitative type is willing to lie and manipulate to get what they need and succeed by focusing their attention on people with low self-esteem to exploit them.
3. The hoarder
The type of personality accumulated or hoarder refers to people whose sole goal is to estimate material goods. Their only desire, which they consider a need, is to own and accumulate more and more things.
The more things they have, the more they feel safe. They feel stronger and believe they enjoy greater personal satisfaction. However, it should be noted that this unhealthy association with material objects is never satisfied. They always lack something. Their happiness is never complete. Worst of all, when new things are launched into the market, their first motivation is that they should get them.
“Only the person who has faith in himself is capable of having faith in others” -Erich Fromm-
4. The marketing type
Of all these personality types, Eric Fromm asserts that this is the most prevalent type in work environments for obvious reasons. They are people who have relationships with others to obtain a financial benefits. These are communications based on clear financial or commercial objectives.
Now, what may at first glance seem normal or foreseeable, is in fact what harms the unwavering principle of human freedom that Fromm has defended. Reason? These business contacts seek to identify differences in social status, with some gaining prestige and power, and others belonging to them.
5. The productive type
We have so far studied the types of personality that, according to Eric Fromm, represent everything "unproductive". Profiles that do not invest in their personal freedom, independence, and even less in the freedom of others. However, we have not lost everything, and we will not leave you a pessimistic vision of man. There is, thankfully, the fifth kind of personality where our hope lies and our personal goals exist.
- The type produced is the person who directs all his efforts and attention to be someone committed to others. What does that mean? They are essentially individuals capable of building loving, enriching, and meaningful relationships with their peers.
- Moreover, they have a very healthy approach to dealing with negative emotions, pressures, or attempts at control that others may exercise on them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Eric Fromm invites us to think again about an idea we've seen a lot in personal growth. This idea declares that only those who invest in their psychological value, self-respect, and independence can promote the same things in others. Only he will be able to lay the foundations of a more humane and hopeful society.
As we can see, this perspective on human personality, according to Eric Fromm, has a clear social component that can be a source of real motivation. Its purpose is to bring about changes that will stimulate our personal growth. Let us seek to put it into practice.
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