The Influence Of Society

There has been an emphasis, recently, on the possibility that society itself, or the group culture, may be producing the mental illness, emotional instability and distortions of personality which apparently are widespread. Various writers have pointed out that man’s basic needs are being extensively thwarted by the demands of society. According to this view, man no longer may be an individual or develop his imagination, reason, and creative powers; and he is prevented, because of society’s compartmentalizing, from achieving feelings of relatedness – of loving and being loved. Because of the competitive demands of civilization, man now strives for “things” rather than for his own development. He feels himself to be merely a pawn rather than a contributing member of society. If he rebels, he is subject to punishment by society; but if, on the other hand, he submits, he may become simply a stereotyped, pedestrian member of society and thus lose much of his urge toward creativity and individuality. As an example, the psychologist Erich Fromm suggests that society produces in its members what he calls “a socially patterned defect.”