Erich Fromm The Art of Loving
Chapter IV
Practice Loving
(fragment)
The practice of any art has certain requirements general, regardless
full teeth that art is concerned carpentry,
medicine or the art of love. First, the practice of art requires discipline .
never do anything right if I do in a disciplined manner;
anything to do just because I'm in the "proper frame of mind" may consti-
stitute a "hobby" pleasing or entertaining, but never get to be a master in the art
. But the problem is not just a discipline on
practice a particular art (say, practicing every day for
number of hours), but discipline in life.
might think that modern man is nothing easier than learning the discipline. "A-
case fails eight hours in a highly in a disciplined work
under which prevails a strict routine? The truth, however, is that modern man is too
unruly outside the sphere of work. How-
do not work, want to be idle, lazy, or, to use another word to-
gradable, "relax." This desire of leisure is, in large part a re-
action against routinization of life. Precisely because man is
bound for eight hours a day to spend their energy for purposes other in ways not
are peculiar, but prescribed by the pace of work, rebels,
and rebellion takes the form of a child pleased with himself.
addition, in the battle against authoritarianism, has come to distrust all
discipline, whether imposed by the authority of the irrational as rational self-imposed discipline
. Without that discipline, however, life becomes chaotic and lacks
concentration.
The the concentration is a prerequisite for the mastery of a
art needs no demonstration. Knows all too well who ever
has tried to learn a craft. However, in our culture, the concentration
tion is even more rare than the self-discipline. On the contrary, our culture LLE-
is a lifestyle diffuse and decentralized, almost no parallel records.
many things are done at once: read, to listen to the radio, talk, smoke,
eat, drink. We are consumers with the mouth open, eager and willing to swallow
everything: movies, drinks, knowledge. This lack of con-centration
is clearly evident in our difficulty in being alone with
ourselves. Sit without talking, smoking, reading or drinking, it is impossi-ble
for most people. They become nervous, anxious and should do something
mouth or hands (smoking is a symptom of lack of concentration
: took the hand, mouth, eyes and nose).
A third factor is the patience. who has tried to repeat that
some time to master an art knows that patience is needed to achieve any
thing. If we want quick results, never learn a craft.
For modern man, however, is so difficult to practice patience, co-mo
discipline and concentration. All our industrial system
encourages precisely the opposite: speed. All our machines are designed das
to achieve faster: the car and the airplane quickly lead to de-
tino-and the sooner the better. The machine can produce the same amount
half the time is far superior to the older and slower. Na-
Naturally, it is important for economic reasons. But, like
in many other aspects, human values \u200b\u200bare determined by the values \u200b\u200b
economic sectors. What's good for the machines should be for the man
-logic says so. Modern man thinks he loses something-time-
when they act quickly, however, does not know what to do with winning
time-except kill it.
Eventually, another condition for learning any art is a Preo-
supreme cern the domain of art. If art is not of paramount importance
, the learner never dominate. Will remain, at best
the cases, a good amateur, but never a master.
One last point should be noted regarding the general conditions
to learn an art. Do not start to learn the art directly, but
indirectly, so to speak., Must learn a large number of other things
apparently often without any connection with him, before co- commences with
the art itself. A carpenter's apprentice begins with learning to brush the
wood craft apprentice begins to practice playing piano scales
, an apprentice of Zen art of archery begins doing breathing exercises
1. If it aspires to be a master in any art, life
must be dedicated to him. The very person becomes an instrument in practice
ca art and should be kept in good condition, according to the functions is "
cific to be performed. This means that anyone who aspires to become a teacher
should start practicing discipline, concentration and pa-
science through all phases of his life.
1
For a picture of concentration, discipline, patience and concern necessary for
learning an art, I recommend the reader Zen in the Art of Archery , E. Herrigel.
