“The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that man may become robots ”
— Erich Fromm
Simplified Meaning:
In the past, people were often forced to work very hard for others without freedom, similar to being slaves. This was a big problem because it took away people's rights and made them suffer. Today, the worry is different. It’s that we might end up working and living like machines, without thinking or feeling much. Imagine a worker in a factory who does the same task over and over without any creativity or joy. This person is acting like a robot, not having the chance to use their mind fully or feel satisfied with their work. If we’re not careful, technology and routine work might make us all feel like this. So, it's important to make sure we use our human abilities like creativity, empathy, and critical thinking in our daily lives and jobs.
