TY - JOUR A1 - Friedson, Meredith L. T1 - Dying to be born: How the failure to achieve mature love keeps humanity shackled to a necrophilic orientation. Paper of the special issue on >Humanistic transformation and its implications for psychoanalytic theory and therapy< T2 - International Forum of Psychoanalysis, Vol. 33 (No. 2, 2024), pp. xxx. N2 - Humanity is in crisis, and has been accelerating toward its own destruction. This is evident in: apathy toward climate change and the extinction of several species; the repetitive cycle of genocide and war; and the prevalence of nationalism, fascism, and xenophobia. As a citizen of the United States, I apply Erich Fromm's concepts of mature love, capitalism, alienation, the necrophilic character orientation, and insanity to the ailments plaguing the US, including: (1) white supremacy; (2) the systemic oppression of Black and Brown people; (3) legislation against women and LGBTQ and people; and (4) anti-maskers and science deniers. I also provide a critique of the noxious effects of capitalism. Fromm's ideas suggest these problems are a reflection of our collective failure to overcome our separateness through mature love, and are a byproduct of destructive, compensatory defenses that further our alienation and deadness. Fromm describes humanity as being in its psychological nascence, and defines being fully born as being a complete, integrated individual who is capable of self-love and of loving all other living beings. To correct our current trajectory, we need only apply Fromm's work in order to not compulsively repeat our tragic history in a tumultuous struggle to be born. Y1 - 2024 UR - https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-Fromm/frontdoor/index/index/docId/37296 ER -