Chapter 8 Fromm: Humanistic Psychoanalysis 23515 years his senior. Fromm’s conception of the Oedipus complex as a desire to
return to the mother’s womb or breast or to a person with a mothering function
should be viewed in light of his attraction to older women.
Sense of Identity
The fourth human need is for a sense of identity, or the capacity to be aware of
ourselves as a separate entity. Because we have been torn away from nature, we
need to form a concept of our self, to be able to say, “I am I,” or “I am the subject
of my actions.” Fromm (1981) believed that primitive people identified more
closely with their clan and did not see themselves as individuals existing apart
from their group. Even during medieval times, people were identified largely by
their social role in the feudal hierarchy. In agreement with Marx, Fromm believed
that the rise of capitalism has given people more economic and political freedom.
However, this freedom has given only a minority of people a true sense of “I.”
The identity of most people still resides in their attachment to others or to institu-
tions such as nation, religion, occupation, or social group.
Instead of the pre-individualistic clan identity, a new herd identity develops in
which the sense of identity rests on the sense of an unquestionable belonging to
the crowd. That this uniformity and conformity are often not recognized as such,
and are covered by the illusion of individuality, does not alter the facts. (p. 9)
Without a sense of identity, people could not retain their sanity, and this
threat provides a powerful motivation to do almost anything to acquire a sense of
identity. Neurotics try to attach themselves to powerful people or to social or
political institutions. Healthy people, however, have less need to conform to the
herd, less need to give up their sense of self. They do not have to surrender their
freedom and individuality in order to fit into society because they possess an
authentic sense of identity.
Frame of Orientation
A final human need is for a frame of orientation. Being split off from nature, humans
need a road map, a frame of orientation, to make their way through the world. With-
out such a map, humans would be “confused and unable to act purposefully and
consistently” (Fromm, 1973, p. 230). A frame of orientation enables people to organize
the various stimuli that impinge on them. People who possess a solid frame of orien-
tation can make sense of these events and phenomena, but those who lack a reliable
frame of orientation will, nevertheless, strive to put these events into some sort of
framework in order to make sense of them. For example, an American with a shaky
frame of orientation and a poor understanding of history may attempt to understand
the events of September 11, 2001, by blaming them on “evil” or “bad” people.
Every person has a philosophy, a consistent way of looking at things. Many
people take for granted this philosophy or frame of reference so that anything at odds
with their view is judged as “crazy” or “unreasonable.” Anything consistent with it
is seen simply as “common sense.” People will do nearly anything to acquire and
retain a frame of orientation, even to the extreme of following irrational or bizarre
philosophies such as those espoused by fanatical political and religious leaders.