Book Club - "The Fear of Freedom" by Erich Fromm

"He is alone and free, yet powerless and afraid. The newly won freedom appears as a curse."

Why do people surrender their individuality so easily? And why do loneliness and anxiety grow in societies built on personal freedom?

As old structures, and certainties collapse, we are left alone with ourselves - forced to choose, define meaning, and carry the weight of our own existence.

And often, rather than face that responsibility, we escape into conformity, distraction, ideology, status, endless productivity.

This book does not only diagnose our fears - it points toward a deeper kind of freedom: one rooted not in isolation, but in courage, love, self-awareness, and genuine connection.

Genres: Philosophy, Psychology, Political Theory, Social Criticism, Philosophical Fiction, Cultural History
Pages: ~ 290, paperback

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Contribution: A €5 fee is kindly requested to contribute to organisational and platform costs (PayPal or cash) 2 weeks before the book club. More about our organisation and other ways to support can be found in our group description 🤍

🌿 Community Guidelines

• Only attend if you’re on the attendee list.
• Listen actively and with curiosity, without interrupting.
• Engage with ideas, not individuals. We’re here to explore, learn and share, not to argue.
• Stay present - phones away, attention in the room with physical people.
• Photos will be taken during the event to share highlights and help grow our community. If you’d rather not be in any photos, just let us know in writing before the event - we’ll gladly respect that.
• Avoid no-shows and last-minute dropouts - they take a spot from someone else. If this happens, please get in touch, otherwise you’ll be removed from the next meetup. If repeated, you may be removed from the group.