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“The difference between the having and being modes can be easily observed in two examples of conversations. Let us take a typical conversational debate between two men in which A has opinion X and B has opinion Y.Each identifies with his own opinion. What matters to each is to find better, i.e., more reasonable, arguments to defend his opinion. Neither expects to change his own opinion, or that his opponent's opinion will change. Each is afraid of changing his own opinion, precisely because it is one of his possessions, and hence its loss would mean an impoverishment.” — Erich Fromm
The difference between the having and being modes can be easily observed in two examples of conversations. Let us take a typical conversational
debate between two men in which A has opinion X and B has opinion Y.Each identifies with his own opinion. What matters to each is to find
better, i.e., more reasonable, arguments to defend his opinion. Neither expects to change his own opinion, or that his opponent's opinion will
change. Each is afraid of changing his own opinion, precisely because it is one of his possessions, and hence its loss would mean an impoverishment.