What is so deceptive about the state of
mind of the members of a society is the "consensual validation" of their
concepts. It is naively assumed that the fact that the majority of
people share certain ideas of feelings proves the validity of these
ideas and feelings. Nothing is further from the truth. Consensual
validation as such has no bearing whatsoever on reason or mental health.
Just as there is "folie a deux" there is "folie a millions". The fact
that millions of people share the same vices does not make these vices
virtues, the fact that they share so many errors does not make the
errors to be truths, and the fact that millions of people share the same
forms of mental pathology does not make these people sane.
Friday, February 3, 2012
What is so deceptive about the state of mind of the members of a society is the "consensual validation" of their concepts. It is naively assumed that the fact that the majority of people share certain ideas of feelings proves the validity of these ideas and feelings. Nothing is further from the truth. Consensual validation as such has no bearing whatsoever on reason or mental health. Just as there is "folie a deux" there is "folie a millions". The fact that millions of people share the same vices does not make these vices virtues, the fact that they share so many errors does not make the errors to be truths, and the fact that millions of people share the same forms of mental pathology does not make these people sane. — Eric Fromm The sane society
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