"In the nineteenth century the problem was that God is dead. In the twentieth century the problem is that man is dead"
- Erich Fromm
About this Quote
This quote by Erich Fromm talks to the changing nature of the human condition in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 19th century, the issue was that God was dead, suggesting that people had actually despaired in a higher power and were having a hard time to discover significance in their lives. In the 20th century, the issue was that guy was dead, suggesting that people had actually lost faith in themselves and their own abilities. This shift in perspective reflects the changing attitudes of the time, as individuals began to focus more on the specific and their own abilities, instead of counting on a higher power. Fromm's quote speaks to the importance of self-reliance and the requirement to find meaning in one's own life, rather than relying on an external source.
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