The book The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm is dedicated to the most exalted feeling in the world, specifically love. The author discusses two main implications of this feeling: falling in and out of love. The question that the author attempts to answer is if there can be middle ground between falling in and out of love, or every person is doomed to go through this.
According to Erich Fromm, there is no common concept or definition of what love is. The author outlines his theory of love as an art. Accordingly, like any other form of art such as painting or music, love can be divided into two parts: theory and practice. Moreover, Fromm stresses that love as a form of art should be developed and nourished. Hence, the art of love is a continuous process which requires people to work hard on it.
Erich Fromm in his book argues that love is something people create by themselves. The author asserts that the main concern about love is that most people see the problem of love as the primary desire to be loved rather than to love. Love means to give; love is the highest expression of human feelings. Fromm also stresses that every human in the world seeks something we call love. According to him, what people need to do when they are in love is to remain disciplined, concentrated, and patient.
The Fromm’s book gives a subjective view on love and its implications. Given the fact that Erich Fromm was a prominent social psychologist, he applied his theories to evaluate love scientifically. The author conveys his personal ideas on love and how it functions. One may disagree and criticize the ideas presented in the book.
Overall, I agree with the statements suggested in the book. I support the idea that love may be regarded as a form of art because it requires a continuous work. However, I do not like the classification of love according to the different types. I suppose this is the most subjective part in the book. To my mind, it is hardly possible to conceptualize love at all. People may define this feeling differently based on what love means to them individually.
Vivian Hudson, writer at https://thesisleader.com/