How Freedom Leads to Fascism

In the ruins of fascist Europe, amid the ashes of collapsed democracies and shattered human rights, Erich Fromm asked a chilling question: Why do people choose tyranny over freedom? His 1941 book Escape from Freedom offered a searing psychological portrait of the authoritarian mind; not as an aberration, but as a human tendency that lurks in all of us. Fascism, he argued, is not just imposed from above. It’s chosen, often enthusiastically, by those desperate to escape the responsibility, anxiety, and alienation that freedom entails.

 

We are seeing evidence of this now, as Americans, who arguably have the best lives on the planet, decided to blow up their good fortune for the promise of more manufacturing jobs that no one wants, in a dystopian scheme orchestrated by a billionaire president to benefit himself and other billionaires, overwhelmingly supported by the poorest, least educated voters who will inevitably lose even more while they cheer him on.

 

 

If we want to raise children who will never march in goose-step formation, who will never chant the slogans of hate, who will never fall for the iron seduction of a strongman, we must understand the emotional roots of fascism and deliberately cultivate its antidotes. Fromm’s warnings are not just historical; they are instructional. Here’s how we apply them.

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Fromm insisted that freedom is not easy. The modern world, especially under capitalism, disconnects individuals from traditional structures: family, tribe, religion; and leaves them adrift. For children, this often begins as early as school, where achievement is demanded but belonging is conditional. In this vacuum, authoritarian ideologies offer a substitute for love and identity: join the herd, do what you’re told, and you’ll never be alone.

 

Following the herd may feel safe, but the cattle trails lead to the slaughterhouse, not to freedom.

 

To prevent this, parents must raise emotionally resilient children who can handle uncertainty without needing control. That means creating a home where questioning is welcomed, failure is normalized, and love is not contingent on obedience. Teach children to sit with discomfort rather than flee into dogma.

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Fascist ideologies promise a seductive trade: give up your autonomy, and in return, we’ll give you identity. Uniforms, flags, chants; they’re all rituals of relief for those who fear standing alone.

 

Parents must do the opposite: celebrate uniqueness. When a child expresses a different opinion, reward the courage it takes to dissent. When they question authority; even yours; do not punish the question. Engage it. The goal is not to raise obedient children. The goal is to raise thinking ones.

 

Fromm warned against “automaton conformity,” where people abandon the burden of self and become replicas of the crowd. Parents must model, and insist upon authenticity, even when it costs social approval.

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Children must be taught that power is not wisdom, and that loudness is not leadership. Fromm saw how fascist regimes used charisma and pageantry to mask brutality with theater. Children raised to fear power will obey it. But children taught to analyze power will resist it.

 

Help them see how propaganda works. Watch political ads together and dissect the emotional manipulation. Teach media literacy alongside math and reading. Explain why someone would lie for power. Give them the tools to ask, “Who benefits from this message?” rather than “What should I believe?”

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Nazism thrived on dehumanization of Jews, Roma, the disabled, LGBTQ+ people, and many more. That dehumanization begins in childhood, when a child is taught that some people are other, less worthy of love or safety.

The antidote is proximity. Encourage friendships across differences. Read books and watch films that center marginalized voices. Travel when possible. Visit museums of history and injustice. Make diversity normal, not exceptional.

 

Empathy isn’t innate; it’s built. It’s nurtured, And once a child learns to feel the pain of another, they become nearly impossible to recruit into a movement of hate.

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Fromm’s solution to fascism was not more control, but more freedom; the kind of freedom rooted in self-awareness, compassion, and courage. A child armed with critical thinking is a fortress against authoritarianism.

 

Teach your children how to argue, how to examine their assumptions, how to admit when they’re wrong. Show them that morality is not about obedience to rules but responsibility to others. Encourage them to ask, “Is this right?” not just “Is this allowed?”

 

Most importantly, model moral courage yourself. Stand up for the vulnerable. Speak out against injustice. Let your children see what it looks like to refuse the easy path of silence. Stand tall and be heard even under threat. This is leadership.

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Fascism doesn’t rise from monsters. It rises from men and women, many of them parents, who failed to teach their children how to be free. Erich Fromm saw this clearly: the danger isn’t just outside us; it’s inside, in the craving for certainty, the seduction of surrender, the desire to escape the weight of our choices.

 

To raise a child who will never become a Nazi is to raise a child who knows they are enough…without a uniform, without a scapegoat, without a tyrant to follow.