Love is not primarily a relationship to a specific person; it is an attitude, an orientation of character which determines the relatedness of a person to the world as a whole, not toward one “object” of love. If a person loves only one other person and is indifferent to the rest of his fellow men, his love is not love but a symbiotic attachment, or an enlarged egotism. Yet, most people believe that love is constituted by the object, not by the faculty.

More quotes by Erich Fromm

View all
"Mother's love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved."

- Erich Fromm

Love

"Immature love says: ‘I love you because I need you.’ Mature love says: ‘I need you because I love you.’"

- Erich Fromm

Love

"Mother’s love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved."

- Erich Fromm

Love

"Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says 'I need you because I love you.'"

- Erich Fromm

Love

"Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says 'I need you because I love you."

- Erich Fromm

Love

More Love Quotes

View all
"Love sees not with the eyes, but with the heart."

- Beauty and the Beast

Love

"The spell will be broken, the Beast will cease to exist, and I will become a prince once more, if she can learn to love and be loved in return."

- Beauty and the Beast

Love

"Love is not about finding someone perfect, but about accepting their imperfections."

- Beauty and the Beast

Love

"Love can break even the most powerful of curses."

- Beauty and the Beast

Love

"Love is not a choice, but a force that binds souls together."

- Beauty and the Beast

Love