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The Art of Being

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The Art of Being

By: Erich Fromm
Narrated by: Raymond Todd
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About this listen

 This classic work by psychologist and social philosopher Eric Fromm builds upon his previous popular book To Have or to Be? The Art of Being teaches us to avoid the tantalizing illusions of our consumer-driven world by learning to function as a whole person from a state of inner completeness or being. The transition from an identity of having to being creates a state of enlightened psychological and spiritual happiness.

Fromm observes that the modern person is less a self-reflective being than a composite of data promoted by the mass media, and he encourages us to pursue true self-awareness beyond simple political, ideological, and religious cliches. By learning to be centered in the self, the individual is less swayed by the endless pressures and dissatisfactions of the culture of consumerism.

©1989 Estate of Erich Fromm. Foreword 1992 Rainer Funk (P)2006 Blackstone Audiobooks Consciousness & Thought Movements Philosophy Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Zen Buddhism Self Enlightenment

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Critic reviews

"Eric Fromm is both a psychologist of penetration and a writer of ability." ( Chicago Tribune)
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excellent must read for everyone! such good detail and helpful strategies for thinking about life

excellent

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Like ‘The Art of Loving’, a compact, marvellous, highly critical psychoanalytic take on human prosperity. Super useful and thought provoking. Fromm is an excellent writer.

Excellent!

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Once the psychoanalysis started, while there was great deal to learn from it. The author sounded like he was too biased. overlaying his biases with Marxist views and bringing in Stuff from Freud's dream interpretation to dissect the whims and will.
There surely are great concepts in there that got me to ask some difficult questions that I don't have the answers to. it was thought provoking but I think the author could have done better job explaining some concepts.

The first half was good

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Better than I expected after the will to Power I thought this was just a feel good positive feel good book but I was mistaken, Great book for the modern man.

Great Read

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Great job, the narrator's voice is fantastic! The philosophy inside is deep yet easy to understand Absolute masterpiece.

Excellent book perfectly narrated

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Wisdom, wisdom, wisdom! I'm honoured to have listened to such knowledge. it has provoked so many thoughts and ideas.

insightful

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Even though this book required for me many restarts on chapters or re-listening to grasp fully the concepts being written about, I thoroughly enjoyed. And even though some of Freud's quoted opinions seemed a little too far fetched they did make you think on the given subject more

Food for Thought....

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I enjoyed the beginning and the end of the book.
somewhere in the middle of the book the author starts to change. It covers interesting philosophical themes and tries to show one way of living. by showing I mean arguments of its effects and why / how it is one way of "optimal' living as rhe book describes much better then me. The book has an interesting view on existentialism. If you however do not like or agree with the arguments of Freud or Marx I would still recommend this book as it is the authors own concept and conclusion but that seem to be most effected by Marx and Ferud. I myself did not agree in many statements, conclusions and even the source of an argument I still enjoyed the book mostly as it challenged me in a few ways. The book goes into psykoanalys, it was an interesting look into a "field" and in combination to philosophy that I enjoyed.

tl dr; Existentialism and a modern way to live based in psykoanalys and human values relatively modern philosophy.

PS; how was maslow's pyramid never mentioned it would fit perfectly in many situations in thr book?

A good book with a little spinn on crazy

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I loved the story! The most memorable moment what in Chapter 6 about definition of a narcissistic person. The narrator read it amazingly. Highly recommended!

Great story!

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Bringing the reader back half a century, into a world of dominants, a place where progress came with pain... Often still relevant, this book goes through a great review of the models of living physically and spiritually.
... an easy reading with no special discovery or challenge.

Nice analysis though based on outdated concepts...

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