“As we ascend the social ladder, viciousness wears a thicker mask”
— Erich Fromm
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Simplified Meaning:
When people climb up in society and gain more power or success, they often hide their bad behavior better. Think about how some politicians act. In public, they might seem very nice and friendly, but behind the scenes, they could be doing dishonest or mean things to stay in power. As they get more important, they get better at pretending to be good, making it harder for others to see their true selves. This idea also happens in big companies, where a boss might act nicely in meetings but be very unfair or mean to employees privately. To apply this in your life, be careful not to trust someone just because they look good on the outside; it's important to see how they act when they think no one is watching.
Related tags
Behavior Facade Human nature Mask Power Social dynamics Social hierarchy Society Status
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