Fromm's Theory Of Motherly Love

Fromm discusses five types of love according to the kind of object of love: Brotherly Love, Motherly Love, Erotic Love, Self-Love, and Love of God. Out of all these, brotherly and motherly love have the similarities of both being within the family. However, they are vastly different in numerous portrayal. Fromm argues that brotherly love is made for all human beings and integrated into everyone’s personality. This type discusses the unity of all mankind and that one who loves, obtains brotherly love. With that being said, this category of love is inclusive of all forms of life and explains how this creates us to be “equal” with one another. To have compassion for one another constitutes accessibility to this brand of love, which is engraved in human beings.

The adage “flowing with milk and honey” is rooted from motherly love; milk exhibiting the care and affirmation, while honey stands for the sweetness of life. Milk and honey are rooted in the two main facets of motherly love. Fromm expresses that in order to give honey, one must not only be a good mother, but also a happy person. As has been noted by Fromm, this is only achieved by a select group of individuals. Engraved in motherly love is inequality that where one needs help at every step, while the other gives it to them involuntarily, especially when it is an infant. However, this love goes a long way because of the child’s growth through the mother’s determination for her child. They are content with receiving nothing from the infants other than a smile, which parades the unconditional love they acquire after the birth of their own child.

I believe that Self-love is to be the most accurate type of love that Fromm explains. Self-Love strings to be the most selfish love of them all, and the word “selfish” is supposed to be taken with a positive tone. Fromm argues that selfishness and self-love are quite polar opposites, given