The 5 personality types according to Erich Fromm

Erich Fromm created his theory of personality based on two primary needs: freedom and belonging. Let’s see what it consists of and how it characterizes the 5 personality types.

The 5 personality types according to Erich Fromm are based on the principle of productivity. According to the famous psychoanalyst, only one of these five typologies is capable of investing in its own freedom, of conquering its emotional and personal independence. The rest, on the other hand, would represent a more interested, materialistic and unproductive type of existential philosophy.

There are many theories about personality. In fact, it is even possible that at this point more than one person feels a certain contradiction. We have the personality theory of Jung, that of Carl Rogers, that of Cattell, that of Eysenk or that of the big five of Costa and McCrae… Does this mean that today behavioral science has not yet agreed on This about defining the character and traits of human personality?

“Selfish people are incapable of loving others, and they are also incapable of loving themselves.”

-Erich Fromm-

Each current, each psychological school and each author states a particular definition of personality from their own theoretical models. So, The typology developed by Erich Fromm at the time started from an interesting approach based on humanist philosophy. which, believe it or not, makes it truly useful today.

If there was something that this social psychologist and author of “The Art of Loving” or “The Fear of Freedom” believed in, it was the firm obligation of human beings to achieve authentic autonomy., in investing in your independence while respecting that of others. Achieving this, according to Erich Fromm, is synonymous with productivity.

Personality types according to Erich Fromm

The personality theory of Erich Fromm, a neo-Freudian psychoanalyst, is based on two primary needs: the need for freedom, as we already know, and the need to belong. Thus, when we read his work, there is one fact that usually catches our attention: Fromm had a somewhat negative view of human beings, seeing them as too passive and motivated only by their need to consume.

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Therefore, in much of his work We are encouraged to promote our personal development, to put aside our dependence on external factors.material goods or the need for success and recognition to invest in qualities such as love, respect, creativity or humility.

In this way, and despite the fact that human character and personality is deeply rooted and difficult to change, it would be enough for us to go a little more aware of our tendencies and attitudes to commit to change. Let’s now see what those 5 personality types are according to Erich Fromm.

1. The perceptive personality

The receptive type is characterized by the constant need to receive approval and recognition from others. Now, the most striking thing about this personality profile is that the support they receive is not usually returned, there is no investment in the other or reciprocal attention.

Likewise, they are also usually characterized by showing poor social skills, difficulty making decisions and a clear undervaluation of their own human potential.

2. Personality of the exploiter

Among the 5 personality types, according to Erich Fromm, this is undoubtedly one of the most common according to the author himself. It refers to that type of profiles that They establish links and relationships with others out of pure interest, for their own benefit. and even as Fromm said at the time, “for commercial interest.”

The exploitative type is willing to lie and manipulate to get what they need, and they do this by focusing their interest on people with low self-esteem in order to exploit them.

3. The accumulator

The accumulator or hoarding profile refers to those people who only have one objective, one need: hoarding material goods.owning more and more things, more objects…

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Thus, the more things he manages to have, the more secure he seems to feel, the more reinforced he perceives himself to be, and the greater personal satisfaction he believes he achieves. However, it should be noted that andAn unhealthy attachment to the immaterial is never satisfied, because something is always missing.happiness is never complete or what is worse, something new always comes out on the market that it lacks and that it will try to get.

“Only the person who has faith in himself is capable of having faith in others”

-Erich Fromm-

4. The commercial personality

Among the personality types, according to Erich Fromm, this is the one that is most abundant in our labor market for obvious reasons: they are people who establish relationships with others in order to obtain an economic benefit. They are links based on a clear financial or commercial objective.

Now, what at first may seem normal or expected to us is actually what most damages the inviolable principle of human freedom defended by Fromm. The reason? These commercial links seek to establish differences in social status, where some achieve prestige and power, while others are subordinated to the former.

In this way, it is a type of personality that establishes your own self-worth based on your social status. Therefore, your motivation will always be to climb positions until you reach the top.

5. The productive

So far we have seen those personality types according to Erich Fromm that define the “unproductive”, that is, profiles that do not invest in their own freedom and personal autonomy, and even less in that of others. However, far from all being lost, far from being left with that somewhat pessimistic view of the human being, it is worth saying that There is that fifth profile where our hope and our personal objective are centered.