Erich Fromm

"One cannot be deeply responsive to the world without being saddened very often"

This from social psychologist and humanist Erich Fromm. I really enjoyed Fromm's most famous (popular) book, The Art of Loving and could not recommend it enough. The above quote gives credence to the research that suggests those more knowledgeable about current events/issues etc are more likely to be depressed. In my opinion this is a start, the depression, the realisation both existential (that this life is what i have to accomplish the goal of being and doing) and of the scope of injustice in the world. However, it's only a start and we need to move past/through this existential angst and frustration and find a higher virtue from which to ethically act in the world. I actually have a bunch of quotes from him i like, and i especially enjoy his grappling with existentialism. For example in this nice quote:

'Man is the only animal for whom his own existence is a problem which he has to solve and from which he cannot escape'.